Club Penguin was a far-reaching virtual world that contained a variety of minigames and activities. Players played as penguin avatars and were set in a winter-based world. It was released on October 24, 2005, after the initial beta testing was completed. By late 2007, it had over 30 million registered users. This number soon grew to 200 million registered accounts by July 2013. 

Although the game was mainly targeted at kids, a wide range of ages continued to play this online game. Players were given their personal igloo in which they could decorate. They could also customize their penguin avatar and play a selection of minigames. Some minigames included Cart Surfer, Card Jitsu and Pizzatron 3000. Many Youtube videos were made showing gameplay, tutorials or igloo decorating.

“It’s a pretty cool game in general, I guess,” stated Emily Tran, an eighth grader at McAuliffe Middle School.

There were many different ways you could optimize the game, and it was enjoyed by many players. “I always played Club Penguin when I was younger. I didn’t have a membership, though,” stated Alana Vazquez, another eighth grader at McAuliffe.

Unfortunately, as nothing lasts forever, Club Penguin announced on January 30, 2017, that the game would be shutting down. Disney, one of the game’s developers, announced that Club Penguin would have a successor, Club Penguin Island, a mobile game. Many players were distraught by this, and some still continue to reminisce about the lost bittersweet memories of the game. Those who grew up with this game learned to socialize through this online world, only for it to shut down. 

On the bright side, however, four students from the UK managed to reboot the “golden age” of the game entirely and called it Club Penguin Rewritten in 2018. Fans run this game, which has free membership and all the nostalgia-inducing components. Even though there is now a resurrected Club Penguin, some gamers say it still isn’t the same.