Unlike most MMORPG's, Free Realms set out to appeal to children as well as adults with a family-friendly design[6] and muted combat visuals, such as a lack of blood or explicit death; whirling stars would appear above a fallen enemy's head when defeated, indicating unconsciousness.

Free Realms offered an optional membership for a single player, which allowed for 3 characters to be created per account, plus other benefits such as member-only quests, jobs and items.

[11][12] Free Realms also employed the Station Cash currency, usable across several SOE games, which could purchase items and features as microtransactions, as well as pay for membership.

[23] In The New York Times, reviewer Seth Shiesel noted, "For Sony Online, Free Realms is a triumph of the company's own reinvention.

"[27] John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment, revealed that one million users had signed up to Free Realms 18 days after its launch.

The comic was written by J. S. Lewis, writer of the Grey Griffins series of young-adult fantasy books, with art by Allen Martinez and Jon Buran.