Hospital Helpers FAQ: questions and answers
Here are quick answers to the questions players and grown-ups ask most about Hospital Helpers. Each answer links to the page with all the details.
What kind of game is Hospital Helpers?
It is a gentle hospital game for kids. You follow one patient at a time as the nurse, the doctor and the surgeon: you listen, look for clues, pick the right test and explain the plan with picture cards. It is a calm helping game, with no timer and no way to lose. See the guide's front page.
Is Hospital Helpers free?
You can try it in your browser with the demo. The full game is part of the Contenta Games membership, which opens every game on the portal; see what a membership gives you. Your progress stays saved, so you carry on after you join.
Do I need to download or install anything?
No. The game runs in your web browser on a computer, a phone or a tablet. Just open the page and play.
Does it work on an iPad, an Android tablet or a phone?
Yes. Play with your finger: drag pieces, or tap a piece and then tap its place. Turn your phone or tablet sideways while you play a story. See touch and mouse controls.
Can I play with a controller?
Yes. Use the left stick to move, the d-pad to step between things, A to pick up and choose, LB and RB to turn and Y for a hint. All the buttons are on the controls page.
How do I save my game?
You do not need to. The game saves by itself after every finished step, when you pause and when you switch to another tab. It saves in the browser on the device you play on. Next time, pick your save slot and choose Continue. If you stop in the middle of a job, that job starts fresh, and everything before it is kept. If the browser cannot save, for example in some private windows, the game tells you: "This browser will not keep your progress today."
Can my brother or sister have their own game?
Yes. There are three save slots, and each one is a separate game with its own stories, badges and stickers. A slot shows how many stories are done, and which patient is waiting if a story is half done.
Is there blood or are there needles in the game?
No. There is no blood, there are no needles and nobody gets hurt when you make a mistake. Ella is worried about a needle, and the game shows her that she does not get one. A blood sample is taken behind a curtain, so you never see it. Grown-ups can read more on the page for grown-ups.
Can you lose or fail in Hospital Helpers?
No. There is no timer and no game over. A wrong pick explains why it is not right, and you try again. A piece in the wrong place just waits for you to move it.
What do I do if I get stuck?
Press Hint to see where things go. Press it again for Help me finish, and a colleague finishes the job with you. You can also read the step-by-step pages: your first shift and Shifts 2 to 5.
Why can I not start the next patient?
Stories open one after the other. Finish the patient you are helping first. The home screen shows which one, for example "Help Ella first". See how stories open.
Why does the game say "Turn your phone sideways"?
The hospital needs a wide screen. When you hold a phone upright during a story, the game waits. Turn it sideways and carry on. The menus work both ways.
How long does it take to play?
Each story takes a few minutes. The first shift of three stories is a good short session. How long all 15 stories take depends on how fast you read; for most players it is well under an hour. The Teddy Clinic and the Body Lab are even shorter.
How do I find every curiosity card?
Play every story and the three Body Lab lessons once. There are 21 curiosity cards, and each one comes the first time you finish a step that has a card. The list is on badges, stickers and curiosity cards.
How do I earn all three badges?
Care: pick the comfort answer yourself. Clues and Craft: finish the story, with or without help. A missed badge can be earned with Play again. See tips for new helpers.
Which languages can I play in?
English and Swedish. The game picks the language the portal or your browser uses, and you can change it under Settings. For any other language, the game shows English.
Are there ads in the game?
No. There are no ads in Hospital Helpers and nothing to buy inside the game. The only button about the membership is Join, which opens the membership on the Contenta Games portal.
Is this real medicine?
No, it is pretend play. The tools and tests are real things that hospitals use, and the curiosity cards explain them simply. But the game is not medical advice. As the game says: "If you feel unwell yourself, tell a grown-up."
See also
- The guide's front page: what the game is about.
- Controls: every key, button and gesture.
- For grown-ups: content, saving, devices and languages.
- Glossary: every game word explained.
- Play Hospital Helpers.
