What This Pony Town-Builder Actually Is
My Little Pony: Magic Princess is Gameloft’s official city-builder based on the MLP TV show, and it plays out almost exactly like you’d expect: you build up a town for Twilight Sparkle and friends, collect and unlock ponies, farm resources, and send your characters on quests that recreate storylines from the series. Along the way there are mini-games like Ball Bounce and Magic Wings, dress-up and makeover options for your ponies, and villain-based quest arcs featuring Tirek, King Sombra and Nightmare Moon. It’s aimed squarely at longtime MLP fans and younger players who like slow-paced, decorate-your-own-world games, though plenty of adult fans who grew up with the show are clearly still playing it too.
Where the Game Genuinely Shines
The character collection and town decorating loop is the real draw here, and users consistently say it’s fun in short bursts, particularly for people who already love the show and want to see Canterlot, the Crystal Empire and Sweet Apple Acres rendered as buildable locations. Reviewers who’ve played for years describe it fondly, with one noting it’s been a going concern ‘since I was young’ and remains a re-download they keep coming back to. The official voice talent from the show and the sheer number of characters (over 300) give it a level of authenticity that fans clearly respond to, and the exploration of familiar Equestria locations adds a layer of nostalgia that a generic builder wouldn’t have.
The Pay-to-Progress Problem
The most consistent and heavily-upvoted complaint is that the game leans hard on spending real money to keep up. One top review flatly states it’s ‘largely a pay money for EVERYTHING kind of game,’ while acknowledging you can technically collect around 100 ponies for free if you’re extremely patient. Another long-time player says pony prices become ‘outrageously expensive’ as you progress, with very few ways to earn gems, and that events are ‘nearly impossible to complete without spending money.’ A separate reviewer echoes this, saying they only spent money on exclusive characters early on but noticed the game increasingly pushes ads and ‘incentives’ to spend more, describing how the developers keep ‘removing the fun parts’ in favor of monetization. If you dislike games built around limited-time events designed to pressure purchases, this will wear on you.
Losing Your Progress Is a Recurring Nightmare
Multiple reviewers independently raise the same serious issue: there’s no reliable way to save or transfer progress between devices. One player described losing all their progress after switching phones and expects to lose it again if they switch devices in the future, which pushed them toward spending money just to rebuild what they had. Another asked for the ability to log in and save progress, framing it as an obvious missing feature. A particularly rough account describes returning to a five-minute-old session with a friend’s kid to find the app had already reset progress, which suggests the save/sync problems aren’t rare edge cases but a structural weakness in the app.
Smaller Annoyances Worth Knowing About
Beyond monetization and save issues, there are quality-of-life complaints too. One reviewer flagged imprecise touch controls, saying control and tap accuracy have gotten worse over time. Time-gated content is another sore spot — waiting periods like a 24-hour lock on Crystal Empire content are called out as excessive by at least one long-term player, even though they note that some waiting is expected in this genre. None of these are dealbreakers on their own, but combined with the spending pressure, they add friction to what’s supposed to be a relaxing, casual experience.
Who Should Actually Download This
If you’re a genuine MLP fan who wants a nostalgic, slow-burn decorating and collecting game with the real show voices and familiar locations, there’s real enjoyment here, and it’s free to start. But go in with clear eyes: expect steep gem costs, events that favor paying players, and a real risk of losing your progress if you switch phones without warning. Casual players hoping for a relaxed, low-pressure builder may find themselves frustrated once the free content dries up and the monetization ramps up.
