Waterhole Patrol
Build it, test it, help the bush come back to life.
Free to play: help the builders bring the first waterhole back to life. We hope to add more areas to explore later.
A calm building and puzzle game for children aged 5 to 10, set in the Australian bush. Coming to iPhone, iPad and Android on Friday 4 December 2026. No ads. No logins. Plays offline.
What it is
A drought has dried up the waterhole, and a crew of animal builders needs a hand. Working alongside the friendly crew, your child spots what each native animal needs, builds a fix, tests it and watches the bush come back to life.
The first area of the bush has 8 levels and a free-build sandbox, and it’s free to play in full. This version has no purchases: no ads, no subscription and no in-game currency.
We hope to add more areas to explore later. Join the mailing list for grown-ups and we’ll email you when there’s news.
How it plays
Spot it. A young Krefft’s glider can’t glide across the creek, because the tree on the far bank has gone. What could help?
Build it, test it. Choose logs, poles and plants from the parts tray, then press “Try it!”. If it doesn’t work yet, the glider lands softly on a fern and the crew asks, “Hmm, still a bit far. Could we move the tree closer?”
Watch the bush come back to life. When it works, a new sticker joins your child’s Field Journal and the bush gets healthier.
There’s nothing to fail: no lives, no scores and no “game over”. Just build, test and improve.
For grown-ups
- No accounts or logins. Up to four profiles live on your device.
- Plays fully offline after install. The game itself never needs the internet; only the two links behind the parent gate (privacy and support pages) and store updates use it.
- No chat and no push notifications. Nothing is shared online by the game itself; a grown-up can copy a Ranger report as text to paste into a note or email.
- Play timers that wind down at a natural stopping point, set in the Grown-ups’ Corner behind a parent gate.
- Two trails: Sprout (ages 5–7, picture-led, so no reading is needed to progress) and Ranger (ages 8–10, text-led, multi-step puzzles).
The app collects no personal information. There are no accounts, no ads, no tracking and no third-party SDKs, and it plays fully offline. (Our mailing list for grown-ups is separate – see our website privacy policy.)
FAQ
When is it out?
Friday 4 December 2026, on the App Store and Google Play in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
How much does it cost?
The first area of the bush is free to play in full. This version has no purchases, no ads and no subscription.
Will there be more?
We hope to add more areas to explore later. Join the mailing list for grown-ups and we’ll email you when there’s news.
Will my child see ads or be asked to buy things?
No. This version has no ads and no purchases.
Does it need the internet?
The game itself never needs the internet. You need it to download the game and for store updates, and the two links behind the parent gate (our privacy and support pages) use it too. After install it plays fully offline, which is handy for car trips.
What ages is it for?
Children aged 5 to 10, with two trails: Sprout (5–7) and Ranger (8–10).
Can siblings share one device?
Yes. Up to four profiles, each with its own trail and progress.
Which devices will it run on?
iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. Minimum versions will be on the store pages.
What do you do with my email address?
We use it to send you Waterhole Patrol news and to keep a record that you agreed, and you can unsubscribe at any time. After you unsubscribe, we stop emailing you straight away. We keep a suppression record (your email address, the date you unsubscribed, your consent record, and any role and country you gave) so we never email you again and can show that you agreed. If you'd like that record erased completely, email us at support@waterholepatrol.com and we'll delete it. See our website privacy policy.
How do I get help?
Email support@waterholepatrol.com or visit our Support page.
Join the Waterhole Patrol mailing list for grown-ups. You'll get a heads-up on launch day and some holiday tips. We'll send about one email a week for about three weeks before and after the game's launch, then about one a month or less.