My Child New Beginnings locked chapters work in two completely different ways depending on the edition. On the Steam Book One edition the whole first season is playable from start to finish with no real-time locks and no advertisements, so nothing is ever waiting on a timer. On the mobile free-to-play build a daily chapter limit sits on top of the story, and beyond that limit the same set of in-game triggers decides what comes next on both editions.
On this page
How the game picks your next chapter
Chapters are not released in a fixed order. Three things decide what you get:
What you played recently. Chapters you have just finished are not handed out again straight away.
What you have already done. A chapter can require a step you have not taken yet. You cannot adopt a fish before you have bought an aquarium for it.
The child's personality. A child who genuinely enjoys playing guitar is far more likely to be offered guitar chapters.
That is why two playthroughs assemble different sequences. The full chapter list and the eight named chapters are here.
My Child New Beginnings locked chapters: the trigger list
| Trigger | What it opens |
|---|---|
| Moving day | The first chapter, always available |
| Asking Annie about the child's breathing problem | The second opening chapter, always available |
| Encouraging the child to set a goal | The chapter that always follows plot point 4 |
| Skipping school, with the third answer chosen before bed | Conversations the child starts on their own, and illustrations 1-4 |
| The child meets a hedgehog in the yard | The hedgehog chapter |
| A birdhouse in the yard | The cat that catches a bird |
| Learning a classmate's name | A chapter where the two children become friends, and new furniture in the furniture shop |
| Buying the school backpack | The first chapter that needs school |
| Buying the goldfish tank | The goldfish chapter |
| The Social Safety Badge from night-time conversations | A school challenge, which in turn unlocks further chapters |
| Unlocking the drawings in the album on the bedroom desk | Later story events that depend on them |
| Collecting letters | Hidden side storylines |
The backpack and the fishbowl are the only two shop items in the game that you buy and then have to wait for a chapter trigger. The hidden events behind several of these triggers are listed here.
Mobile only: the daily chapter limit
The mobile build caps how many story chapters you can play per day. The story battery is the gauge, and it can be topped up with in-app purchases; ads and purchases are part of that edition. On a normal day roughly two chapters unlock every 24 hours, which is the most common complaint players have about the free version. The Steam edition has no day lock and no ads.
Why a chapter refuses to open
If a chapter will not start on mobile, update the app first. Version 1.0.011 fixed a bug where some chapters could not be unlocked properly, which blocked story progression entirely, along with unlock bugs for the hobbies chapter and for items in the village shop. The same patch fixed the child not taking part in performances and added a confidence requirement for ordering pizza.
Older versions also break specific steps: 1.0.002 fixed dialogue getting stuck when leaving school, and 1.0.004 fixed a softlock in the Secret storyline on a Thursday morning where the child could not be walked to school. If nothing responds at all, the full troubleshooting order is here.
FAQ
How many chapters can I play?
Up to 34 chapters in the first story book. Each one follows everyday life and growth, with narrative choices and ethical decisions sitting next to the day-to-day parenting tasks.
How is the Steam edition different from the mobile game?
Steam is a premium, complete edition of the first story book. It has no advertisements and no real-time chapter locks, and it adds the premium story packs The Mountain and Recorder Reporter, three save slots, the ability to import a child raised in My Child Lebensborn, and more than 30 premium decorations and outfits.