Ben 10 Game Creator FAQ

Building Games

Q: How do I build my own game in the Ben 10 Game Creator?
A: Just click on the BUILD button at the top of the screen, and the Ben 10 Game Creator will walk you through six easy steps to make your own custom action game.

Q: Do I need an account to build games?
A: You don't need an account to build a game, but you do need an account to send games to the Cartoon Network gallery for everyone to play. Once you have an account and log in, you can keep track of all the games you build, and you can see how many people play your games and what they think of them.

Q: How do I get an account and log in?
A: Click the login link at the top of the screen or in the Your Games section on the left side of the screen. It will give you the option to log in (if you already have an account) or register (if you don't have an account yet.).

Q: What is a game starter?
What is "start from scratch"?
A: Game starters are easy ways to get started designing a game. A starter might be just a floor or a column or a few platforms that can serve as a foundation for your design. You can add to, edit or erase any part of a starter. Or you can "start from scratch," which just means you start with a blank screen.

Q: How do I pick a starter/background/hero/goal?
A: Just click on your choice in the menu on the left side of the screen. You can use the arrows at the top and bottom of the menu to scroll through more choices.

Q: How do I move to the next step?
A: When you're done with one step, you can move to the next step by clicking on the next number in the menu at the top of the screen or by clicking on the NEXT button at the bottom of the screen.

Q: Oops! I made a mistake! How do I fix it?
A: You can click on the eraser tool and then click on anything you want to erase from your game. Or you can click the UNDO button in the lower left to undo your last action. If you use UNDO but change your mind about it, you can click the REDO button to get your last action back. You can also click the UNDO ALL button if you want to undo all of your level design.

Q: Why can't I erase the hero or the goal?
A: Every game must have a hero and a goal, because it's impossible to win without them. But you can click and drag both your hero and your goal to move them anywhere you want.

Q: I want to change something in my game! Can I go back a step?
A: Absolutely. You can click on the number of any previous step to go back and change your starter, your background, your hero or your goal. Or you can click the BACK button at the bottom of the screen to back up one step.

Q: Why do I have to test and win the games I build?
A: This lets you try out all the elements in your game and make sure it's actually possible to win the game.

Q: How do I control my hero?
A: All the heroes use the same controls: arrow keys to move, up arrow to jump and space bar to attack. But remember, every hero has special alien powers that make them unique to play. A level that might be easy with one hero could be impossible with another-experiment with different heroes and goals to find out!

Q: I built a game, but I can't get past the testing step because I can't win it. What do I do now?
A: Maybe you just made a difficult game and need to play it a few more times to get the hang of it-you can retry your game as many times as you want. Or you can always go back to one of the earlier steps and change some things to make your game easier.

Q: How do I choose a name for my game?
A: After you win the testing step, you'll finish by choosing a name and a poster for your game. You can change the name by clicking on the three dropdown lists at the top of the screen. You can change the poster by clicking on one of the pictures on the left of the screen. You can also choose a random name and poster by clicking the PICK ONE FOR ME button in the lower left.

Q: I didn't have time to finish building my game, but I have to leave my computer now. Will I lose all my work?
A: Just click on the SAVE FOR LATER button in the lower right, and you can save all the work you've done on your game so far. The next time you come back, you can find your saved game in the Starters menu and continue working on it.

Q: I finished building my saved game and sent it to Cartoon Network, but now I can't find it in the Starter menu anymore! Where did it go?
A: Anytime you send in a finished game, it moves from the Starter menu to the Your Games section. This frees up your save slot to use when you start building a new game and want to save it.

Playing Games

Q: How do I play games in the Ben 10 Game Creator?
A: Just click on the PLAY button at the top of the screen to start playing games. The Top Games section features some of the best games, or you can find lots more by clicking on the MORE GAMES button in that section.

Q: How do I find and play my own games that I've sent to the gallery?
A: Again, click on the PLAY button, and you'll find your games in the Your Games section if you're logged in. If you’re not logged in, you can still find your games in the gallery by going to the Browse section and using the search function to search for your own creator name.

Q: Do I need an account to play games?
A: You don't need an account to enjoy all the games built by other creators all over the world. But if you do create an account and log in, you'll be able to keep track of any games you build and see what other people think of them.

Q: How do I find games that feature my favorite hero or my favorite game type?
A: Below the game screen, you can find categories of games that focus on particular heroes or particular types of games. You can also find the most popular games, the most shared games and other categories.

Q: How else can I find fun games to play?
A: Using the Browse option below the game screen, you can sort to find games that are the highest rated or most played. Or if you find a creator who makes games you really like, you can search for other games by that creator using the Search field. You can also find a new game in an instant by clicking the PLAY A RANDOM GAME button.

Q: How do I rate games?
A: Click on the rating underneath each game to give it from one to five Omnitrix symbols depending on how much you liked it. (Five is the best!) You can also rate the difficulty of the game, giving it one bar if you thought it was easy, two bars if it took a bit more effort, and three bars if it was really hard. As you browse through the gallery, you can see the average rating and average difficulty other players have given games.

Q: How do I share games with my friends?
A: Click on the SEND E-MAIL button in the lower right to send your friend an e-mail with a link to the game. Just enter your name and your friend's e-mail and click SEND. Or you can click on the COPY LINK button, which will show you a link you can copy (Ctrl-C) and paste (Ctrl-V) into any IM, e-mail or blog to direct friends to the game.

Q: What if I see a game that has inappropriate content?
A: While it's highly unlikely you'll find anything inappropriate in a game, if you do, you can alert Cartoon Network by clicking on the red flag in the lower left of the game's page.

Other

Q: What is Cartoon Network's Privacy Policy?
A: You can check out Cartoon Network's Privacy Policy here: http://www.cartoonnetworkasia.com/parents/privacy.php

Q: What are Cartoon Network's Terms of Use?
A: You can check out Cartoon Network's Terms of Use here: http://www.cartoonnetworkasia.com/parents/terms.php

Q: What are the minimum system requirements to use the Ben 10 Game Creator?
A: You must have at least 256 MB of RAM and the latest version of the Flash player. (If you're not sure about Flash, you can download the latest versions at: http://www.adobe.com/downloads/) We highly recommend a broadband connection, Windows XP or Vista, and the latest version of Internet Explorer or Firefox for the best experience. Performance may vary depending on your particular system.

Q: What's the tutorial?
A: The tutorial is a quick video that shows you exactly how to build and play games in the Ben 10 Game Creator. If you're having trouble understanding one of the steps in the building process, watching the tutorial will probably help you a lot.

For Parents

Q: What is the Ben 10 Game Creator?
A: The Ben 10 Game Creator is an application that gives you the power to create your own action games and share them with the world. It leads you through a simple, six-step process and gives you a set of easy-to-use tools to customize your game however you wish. When you finish building a game, you can send it to Cartoon Network's game gallery for other fans to play and rate. The gallery makes it easy for you to play other people's games, rate them, sort them and even share them with your friends.

Q: Can my child play and build games without an account?
A: Yes! Anyone can start playing or building games immediately. But if you want to build games and send them in to the gallery for everyone to play, you need to register for an account. Also, by registering and logging in, players can keep track of all the games they build and see what other people think of their games.

Q: How does my child register for an account?
What information do they have to provide?
A: Click the login link at the top of the screen or in the Your Games section on the left side of the screen. It will give you the option to log in (if you already have an account) or register (if you don't have an account yet.). Here is a picture of our registration screen.

First, players enter a unique user name for the account and a password they will type in anytime they wish to access the account. Then they enter their e-mail address and age. Finally, players must accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and click the CONTINUE button to activate their account.

Q: I see you ask for an e-mail address during registration. How do you use e-mail addresses?
A: For children under the age of 13, we will ask for the child's e-mail address, which will not be stored in a retrievable form but instead using a "hash" or unique code generated from the email address that will allow us on a one-time basis to respond to an inquiry from the child regarding a lost user name or password. For individuals age 13 and over, we may collect and store an e-mail address to use in the case of forgotten passwords and to send newsletters and/or marketing information for which the individual has consented.

Q: How much interaction is there between players?
A: There is no direct interaction between players, but there is a sense of community that develops from sharing your games with other people and playing games other people have built. We encourage everyone to explore both the BUILD and PLAY options in the Ben 10 Game Creator.

Q: Can players share personal information with other players?
A: No. Players are identified only by their creator name, a screen name they choose when they register for an account.

Q: How can players share the games they've built with their friends?
A: Click on the SEND E-MAIL button in the lower right to send a friend an e-mail with a link to the game. Just enter your child's name and their friend's e-mail and click SEND. Or you can click on the COPY LINK button, which will show you a link you can copy (Ctrl-C) and paste (Ctrl-V) into any IM, e-mail or blog to direct friends to the game.

Q: My child sent a game to the gallery, but it never showed up there.
A: Games are only added to the gallery after they are reviewed and approved by one of our moderators. If it has been a short time since your child sent the game in, the moderators may not have had the chance to review it yet. If it has been a longer time, the moderators may have decided not to approve it because of inappropriate content.

Q: My child had a game in the gallery, but now it's gone. What happened to it?
A: Occasionally, a game may be reported for inappropriate content. If our moderators determine the game is inappropriate, they will remove it from the gallery.

Q: How do I report other problems with the Ben 10 Game Creator?
A: If you're having other problems, and you can't find answers in the Help section or the tutorial video, you can contact us here: http://www.cartoonnetworkasia.com/parents/contactus.php

Q: What is Cartoon Network's Privacy Policy?
A: You can check out Cartoon Network's Privacy Policy here: http://www.cartoonnetworkasia.com/parents/privacy.php

Q: What are Cartoon Network's Terms of Use?
A: You can check out Cartoon Network's Terms of Use here: http://www.cartoonnetworkasia.com/parents/terms.php

Safety

Whether you're building and playing games with the Ben 10 Game Creator or visiting other sites on the World Wide Web, there are several common sense rules you should always follow to make sure you're safe.

You should never share your personal information online. It's private, and you should keep it that way. Never tell anybody online your real name, address, phone number, e-mail address or any other personal information that could identify you. And when you register a screen name for anything, make sure you don't use any personal information in your screen name, either.
Make your passwords hard to guess and don't share them with anybody. Passwords are like the keys to your online accounts. Just as you wouldn't give strangers the keys to your house, you shouldn't give anybody the passwords that let them get inside your online accounts, either. Only you, or your parents, should know your passwords.
The World Wide Web is a public place anybody can access. No matter how private you think a Web site might be, remember that any information or opinions you share there could potentially be seen by anybody in the world, including your parents, your friends or even complete strangers. And once you make something public on the Web, it can be really hard to take it back. So don't share anything you want to keep private.
The online world is very different from the real world. When you have a conversation in the real world, you can see the person's facial expressions, body language, tone of voice and other informational cues about that person. But when you chat online, you have no idea if that person is really who they say they are. So be very careful when you're making online friendships.
Downloads can be dangerous. Of course, not all downloads are dangerous, but sometimes they might have viruses or other bad stuff that could ruin your computer. It's a good idea to use helpful things like virus protection programs or firewalls to protect your computer. But nothing can protect you as well as simple common sense. Be very careful about what you download, and never download anything if you don't know what it is or who it's from.
Read the privacy policies for Web sites you visit, especially ones that ask for registration. If you're giving a Web site information-any information at all-it would be a good idea to know how they intend to use that information. A Web site's privacy policy should tell you how the site will handle your information and whether they'll be sharing it with anyone else.
Never be afraid to ask for help from an adult you know. If somebody online makes you feel unsafe, or you encounter something online that you don't understand or makes you feel uncomfortable, tell a parent or other trusted adult about it. If a friend you met online wants to meet you in person, you should definitely tell a parent or other trusted adult about that. In fact, if any of the safety rules above are confusing to you, just grab an adult and ask them to explain it to you in more detail. Understanding and following all of these rules will help you be safer while you're having fun on the World Wide Web.