The Movies
LumiScore?Our 0–100 score for how developmentally beneficial and low-risk this game is for children. Higher is better.
Growth
51/100
Growth Value
- Strategic Thinking
- Creativity
- Problem Solving
Risk
LOW
Engagement Patterns
Minimal pressure to spend or play excessively.
Heads up
Parent Pro-Tip
Before your child starts a session, agree on an in-game milestone to stop at — such as finishing the current movie production or completing a specific decade — rather than watching the clock, since the open-ended design makes time fly.
Top Skills Developed
Development Areas
Representation?How diverse the game's characters are in gender and ethnicity. Higher = more authentic representation. Display only — does not affect time recommendation.
Bechdel Test?The Bechdel Test checks whether a game has at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man. A simple measure of representation.— N/A — no named characters
The game is a studio management/sandbox title with no scripted narrative characters, so the Bechdel test does not meaningfully apply.
Parent Pro-Tip
Ask your child to show you a movie they made in the game and talk about the choices they made — why they picked certain actors, what story they were telling, and what they'd do differently. This turns the creative filmmaking feature into a real conversation about storytelling, character, and even media literacy.
What your child develops
The Movies is an unusually rich creative sandbox for a strategy game. Its standout strength is creativity: players don't just manage a studio, they actually direct, cast, costume, and edit their own short films using an in-engine filmmaking tool — a genuine exercise in narrative design and artistic expression. Strategic thinking is a core mechanic, requiring players to balance talent management, facility upgrades, R&D investment, and audience trends across multiple historical eras. Problem-solving is constant, from rescuing a temperamental star from addiction to deciding which genre to invest in ahead of a box-office shift. Math and resource management underpin every decision, and the historical progression from silent films through the modern era provides gentle context for learning about film history and culture. The option to share finished movies online adds a real-world creative audience, reinforcing the idea that creative work has value beyond the screen.
Regulatory Compliance
Tap a badge for details. Grey = not yet assessed.
About this game
You can control an entire movie studio and make your own films in the strategy game The Movies. You can play as a movie mogul from the early days of movies through the present day, investing in research and development to keep customers returning to the box office.