Clash of Clans
Released 2 August 2012 Developer Supercell
You build and defend a village, train an army and raid other players for resources, then join a clan to fight in team wars against other clans. Upgrades take real time to finish, so it suits people who check in several times a day. It is a long-running multiplayer strategy game for teens and adults, with a younger audience too.
Money health
HarmfulChance, compulsion or exploitation
Addictive design
Very high5 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price
Freefree to download
Spending ceiling
No ceilingRepeat purchases, no limit
Australian rating
Mild violence, Online interactivity
How it makes money
Harmful: chance, compulsion or exploitation
Clash of Clans is free to download. Supercell earns its money from Gems (the premium currency; the Australian App Store lists packs from A$1.49 to A$29.99 and Google Play shows single items up to A$399.99), from a paid Gold Pass (listed at A$10.99 and A$7.99) and from limited special offers. Gems buy extra builders and can finish upgrades or buy Ore for hero equipment straight away, so spending speeds up progress. In March 2025 Supercell removed the waiting time for training troops and recovering heroes; building and research upgrades still run on timers. The store description says purchases include random items.
How you pay
- Loot boxes
The App Store description says real-money purchases include random items; the specific offers weren't individually verified.
minor part of the game - Battle pass
A monthly paid Gold Pass is listed at A$10.99 (and A$7.99) on the App Store AU, and Supercell describes event Medal tracks with a paid reward track as well.
- Free-to-play
Free to download. The App Store AU lists Gems packs at A$1.49 (Pocketful), A$7.99 (Pile), A$14.99 (Bag) and A$29.99 (Sack), and Google Play (AU) shows single items from A$0.49 to A$399.99.
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- Wait or pay
Building, research and hero upgrades run on real-time timers that Gems or Clan Games Magic Items can finish early. The March 2025 Clash Anytime update removed waits for training troops, spells and recovering heroes.
- Game currency
Gems can be earned through play or bought; they buy extra builders (up to the fifth), skip upgrade timers and buy Ore for hero equipment (Supercell cut the Gem price of Ore in a post on 2 Oct 2026).
- FOMO timers
'Special Offer' bundles (A$2.99 to A$7.99 on the App Store AU) and timed events such as the October 2026 Portal Panic Medal Event come and go.
minor part of the game - Made scarce
Common Sense Media says early resources are generous but get harder to find the longer you play, which may push players toward buying Gems.
minor part of the game - Social nudges
Clans of up to 50 donate troops to each other and fight in Clan Wars (5v5 to 50v50), Clan Games and Clan Capital raids, so clanmates rely on you to take part.
minor part of the game - Never-ending
Regular content updates (for example Town Hall 18 and a new hero in February 2026) keep extending what there is to build and upgrade.
minor part of the game - Pay to win
Gems can finish upgrades at once and buy hero-equipment Ore (Supercell says maxing a piece of Epic Equipment now costs roughly half as many Gems as before), so spenders can build stronger villages faster than free players.
minor part of the game - Always online
The store description says a network connection is required.
minor part of the game
Fairer alternatives
Similar games with a healthier money model
What it costs
Free to start, then A$1.49–A$399.99 a purchase
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pocketful of Gems (smallest listed Gems pack) The App Store shows only a selection of the game's purchases. |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$1.49 | Oct 2026 |
| Sack of Gems (largest listed Gems pack) Other listed packs: Pile A$7.99, Bag A$14.99. |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$29.99 | Oct 2026 |
| Gold Pass A second Gold Pass entry is listed at A$7.99. |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$10.99 | Oct 2026 |
| Largest single in-app item Top of the 'per item' range shown on the Google Play listing (A$0.49 to A$399.99); the item is not named. |
Google Play (AU) · Android | A$399.99 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
3.5/ 5
148Apps
Said it stands apart from typical freemium town-builders because it has a proper single-player mode alongside the online play.
-
6.5/ 10
Multiplayer.it
Found it accessible and socially interesting but unoriginal, with a thin battle side and strict freemium rules that lean on very expensive purchases to speed things up.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings & content
What's in it
Content labels
- Violencemoderate
Fighting, weapons, injury and death, from cartoon bonks to realistic killing.
From ACB, ESRB, PEGI and USK descriptors
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes), summed up in the content labels above. They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the money badges are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- Text chat
- Players can interact with strangers
- No user-made content
- No account needed
Clan chat is text-only with an automated filter based on the player's age and team status; young players can only join 'Family Friendly Teams' with a stricter filter (Supercell parents' guide). Make sure the age set in the game is correct, because chat filters rely on it. Supercell says it has no general age limit, but players under the age of majority need a guardian to approve the terms; Apple AU lists 13+. Parents can create the Supercell ID with a parent-controlled email address. Global Chat returned on 16 June 2026 (reported by Wikipedia from Supercell support). Supercell has no spending limit of its own: use Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link to restrict purchases.
Who makes it
The company behind it, and its track record
No track-record badges yet.
Latest on the record
- Investigation
Named in EU consumer authorities' coordinated action on in-game currencies
European Commission - Other
Removed paid random rewards for players in Brazil
Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Technical Note 55/2026) - Game preservation
Ended Squad Busters; servers close in December 2026
Supercell
A company's history doesn't change this game's money verdict, which rates only how the game itself makes money. About company track records
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone and iPad | 2 August 2012 | Store page |
| Android phones and tablets | 7 October 2013 | Store page |
Further reading
- Official website
- Supercell parents' guide
- Supercell terms of service
- Supercell blog: More Ore for Your Gems (2 Oct 2026)
- Common Sense Media review (age 13+)
- Wikipedia
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: apps.apple.com, play.google.com, play.google.com, play.google.com, play.google.com, en.wikipedia.org, supercell.com, supercell.com, supercell.com, supercell.com, www.commonsensemedia.org, www.metacritic.com, www.148apps.com, multiplayer.it. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.