My Child Lebensborn in IOS

Narrative nurture history sim

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Site Score

92/100

My Child Lebensborn is a hauntingly beautiful and emotionally taxing simulation that transcends the typical 'pet sim' genre. Set in post-WWII Norway, you adopt a child born of the 'Lebensborn' program. The game expertly balances the mundane tasks of parenting—cooking, bathing, and budgeting—with the crushing reality of systemic bullying and social stigma. It is a slow-burn narrative that forces you to make impossible choices: do you tell your child the truth about their heritage, or protect them with a lie?

The art style is evocative, using a muted palette that reflects the somber historical context. Every interaction feels heavy; when your child comes home with torn clothes or bruises, the emotional weight is palpable. It isn't 'fun' in the traditional sense, but it is deeply moving and historically significant. It’s a rare example of a mobile game that uses its mechanics to foster genuine empathy and education about a dark chapter of history.

Reviewed on: Wed Feb 25 2026
Dinsun Avatar

Dinsun Review

This isn't a game you play for 'fun' in the traditional sense. It’s a heavy, somber simulation of prejudice and the collateral damage of war. As a gamer who values narrative weight, I found the resource management—deciding whether to work overtime or spend time with the child—to be a powerful mechanical metaphor for the struggles of poverty and social isolation. It’s a brave piece of work that uses the mobile platform for something more than just wasting time.

While the gameplay loop is simple and occasionally repetitive, the emotional impact is undeniable. It’s hard to watch the child’s drawings become darker as the community turns against them. It’s a conservative, focused design that prioritizes its message over player comfort. It’s a necessary experience, even if it leaves you feeling drained.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

  • Deeply impactful narrative
  • Educational and historical value
  • Meaningful player choices
  • Emotionally heavy and distressing
  • Simple, repetitive mechanics
  • Short overall length

Technical Report

Performance: Rock-solid performance; very few bugs.

Accessibility:
  • Subtitles
  • Slow-paced gameplay

Audience Fit

Buy if: You want a profound, mature story that explores difficult historical themes.

Skip if: You are looking for lighthearted fun or escapism.

Similar Games:
  • This War of Mine
  • Papers, Please

Reviewer Context

  • Reviewer: Dinsun, conservative veteran gamer
  • Hardware: iPad Pro
  • Playtime: 6 hours
  • Status: Finished one full playthrough

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

Version 2.0.114Tue Oct 21 2025

Ukrainian and Hindi languages added!


Polygon: "My Child Lebensborn tells a disturbing tale about innocents in the aftermath of WW2”

LevelUp: “The strongest game experience that I have ever had.”

You adopt a young Lebensborn child in Norway after WW2, but parenting will be hard as your child grows up in a hostile and hateful environment. See a different side of the war, inspired by the true stories of the Lebensborn children. Discover how hatred of our enemies continues to create victims, even after victory.

Discover their past and support them in the present. You must balance your time and resources to provide for your child. You will find answers to the hard questions; about their history, the hatred, bullying and the passing of blame.

Can you help Klaus/Karin cope with the heavy inheritance of the German occupation, so they will find their place in a country that is celebrating its freedom?

You can make the difference.

Key Features:

- Influence the child’s feelings, personality and worldview through your choices.

- Look for the effects of your choices in your child’s expressions and body language.

- Explore a gripping storyline based upon true events.

- Earn money as you work, then cook, craft, forage, and play.

- Use your time and meager resources wisely.

- Adopt a boy or girl, and support them through a defining year of their life.

What is new in the Remaster?

More activities:

Spend more time with your child and enjoy a variety of activities together as your little one grows.

- Try out more recipes

- Craft pine cone animals

- Skip stones at the lake

- Pick flowers in the forest

- Enjoy seasonal activities together

And More!

Perhaps there is a new way of using the newspaper clippings that you get in the mail every now and then?

Make new memories:

Your journal now holds more memories from the year you spent together with your child. Who can throw away the beautiful flowers you picked out together on a beautiful spring day? Decorate the rooms with your memories. Your journal will hold your struggles, as well as the happy moments.

Interact with your child:

Play and interact with your child more freely in this remastered version. Manage your time and resources while trying as many activities with your child as possible! Money is limited as always, but perhaps there are more reasons to not work overtime after all.

Improved Graphics:

Bringing My Child Lebensborn's graphics to today's level, tickle and pet your child to get heartwarming reactions out of them! The beauty of Norwegian nature is now more apparent, and you have more things to do outdoors!

Caution: Some devices with only 1GB available memory have shown problems with running this game.

For technical support, please contact us at support@sareptastudio.com


Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Polygon: "My Child Lebensborn tells a disturbing tale about innocents in the aftermath of WW2”

LevelUp: “The strongest game experience that I have ever had.”

You adopt a young Lebensborn child in Norway after WW2, but parenting will be hard as your child grows up in a hostile and hateful environment. See a different side of the war, inspired by the true stories of the Lebensborn children. Discover how hatred of our enemies continues to create victims, even after victory.

Discover their past and support them in the present. You must balance your time and resources to provide for your child. You will find answers to the hard questions; about their history, the hatred, bullying and the passing of blame.

Can you help Klaus/Karin cope with the heavy inheritance of the German occupation, so they will find their place in a country that is celebrating its freedom?

You can make the difference.

Key Features:

- Influence the child’s feelings, personality and worldview through your choices.

- Look for the effects of your choices in your child’s expressions and body language.

- Explore a gripping storyline based upon true events.

- Earn money as you work, then cook, craft, forage, and play.

- Use your time and meager resources wisely.

- Adopt a boy or girl, and support them through a defining year of their life.

What is new in the Remaster?

More activities:

Spend more time with your child and enjoy a variety of activities together as your little one grows.

- Try out more recipes

- Craft pine cone animals

- Skip stones at the lake

- Pick flowers in the forest

- Enjoy seasonal activities together

And More!

Perhaps there is a new way of using the newspaper clippings that you get in the mail every now and then?

Make new memories:

Your journal now holds more memories from the year you spent together with your child. Who can throw away the beautiful flowers you picked out together on a beautiful spring day? Decorate the rooms with your memories. Your journal will hold your struggles, as well as the happy moments.

Interact with your child:

Play and interact with your child more freely in this remastered version. Manage your time and resources while trying as many activities with your child as possible! Money is limited as always, but perhaps there are more reasons to not work overtime after all.

Improved Graphics:

Bringing My Child Lebensborn's graphics to today's level, tickle and pet your child to get heartwarming reactions out of them! The beauty of Norwegian nature is now more apparent, and you have more things to do outdoors!

Caution: Some devices with only 1GB available memory have shown problems with running this game.

For technical support, please contact us at support@sareptastudio.com


Ratings & Reviews

4.8 out of 5 with 4142 Counts
Age Rating 13+

Screenshots

My Child Lebensborn screenshot 1My Child Lebensborn screenshot 2My Child Lebensborn screenshot 3My Child Lebensborn screenshot 4My Child Lebensborn screenshot 5My Child Lebensborn screenshot 6My Child Lebensborn screenshot 7My Child Lebensborn screenshot 8My Child Lebensborn screenshot 9My Child Lebensborn screenshot 10My Child Lebensborn screenshot 11My Child Lebensborn screenshot 12

My Child Lebensborn is a multi-award winning story-driven simulator. You play as the adoptive parent of Klaus or Karin, children born during the Nazi occupation of Norway. Your task is to provide for their physical needs through cooking and crafting while managing a meager budget, but more importantly, you must guide them through the trauma of bullying and social exclusion. Your choices directly impact the child's development, personality, and outlook on the world as they discover the truth about their origin.

Features

1

Based on true stories from Lebensborn children

2

Impactful branching narrative and dialogue

3

Resource management: food, money, and time

4

Unique hand-drawn art style

5

Winner of the BAFTA for Game Beyond Entertainment

Tips

Promotion Videos

Launch Trailer - My Child Lebensborn - YouTube

Related Videos

News on this game

My Child Lebensborn is a tale of guardianship and unavoidable heritage

My Child Lebensborn underlines exactly how our interactive medium can broach tough-to-discuss topics, and it does it in a respectful manner.

Big Boss Battle - Sat Dec 29 2018

There's a follow-up to the acclaimed My Child Lebensborn in the works

Creative producer Elin Fest�y talks to Eurogamer about the follow-up to My Child Lebensborn.

Eurogamer - Sun Aug 29 2021

PGConnects: My Child Lebensborn is a deep, thoughtful experience

My Child Lebensborn follows Klaus, whom is being raised by a single parent and, even ignoring his parental situation and the war, arguably has a very...

Pocket Gamer - Thu Mar 01 2018

War-torn Indie My Child Lebensborn Tugs at the Heartstrings

Following a successful kickstarter campaign, harrowing story-driven indie My Child Lebensborn is heading towards release for mobiles.

Gameranx - Thu Jun 29 2017

Gameplays

Q&A

While the gameplay is simple, the themes of bullying, war, and hatred are very intense. It is recommended for older teens and adults.

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