DragonBox
| DragonBox | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | WeWantToKnow AS |
| Publisher(s) | WeWantToKnow AS |
| Programmer(s) | Zoran Popovic |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | May 9, 2012 |
| Genre(s) | Educational game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
DragonBox is an educational game series developed and published by WeWantToKnow AS, a Norwegian studio. DragonBox Algebra was released on May 9, 2012 for iOS.[1] It was created to teach children math, such as algebra.
The game won a 2016 Games For Change award for "Best Learning Game",[2] and received positive reception from critics, who praised the efficacy of the app.
Gameplay[edit]
The game has five "worlds" with twenty levels each, and beating each level allows the dragons that the player possesses to grow into a new, more advanced form.[3] To beat each level, the player must play a puzzle minigame in which they organize cards on two trays.[3] While the cards are initially icons of various creatures and objects, the game uses them to abstractly demonstrate mathematical equations before later replacing them with variables and numbers.[3] The player gets bonus stars if they complete the level in as few moves as possible, and with as few cards left as possible.[3]
Development[edit]
The co-founder and CEO of the game's studio is Jean-Baptiste Huyhn, a former math teacher who was frustrated with the way math was taught in schools and wanted to teach it in a way that made more sense to children.[3] He started the We Want to Know studio with the goal of making educational games that were actually fun to play.[3] The game was programmed by Zoran Popovic, a computer scientist who also created the video game Foldit.[4]
Reception[edit]
The game received positive reception from critics, with Jonathan H. Liu of Wired commenting on how his children "loved" the game despite its heavy mathematical focus.[3] He stated that it "makes algebra so fun and easy to learn that my kids fight over who gets to play it".[3] Stephanie Fogel of Gamasutra called the game something every developer should study, quoting Nicholas Fortugno saying the educational elements are "elegant and hidden, the way good educational games should be".[5]
Ann Elliott of Edudemic called the game "intuitive" and user-friendly.[6] Adam Renfro of Getting Smart called the game "a shining example [...] of what gamification should look like".[7] Jordan Shapiro in Forbes said he was "astonished" at how quickly his son learned algebraic equations, and was blown away.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ "DragonBox". Metacritic. Retrieved 2017-08-06.[dead link]
- ^ Wawro, Alex. "Life Is Strange leads this year's Games For Change award winners". Retrieved 2017-08-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Liu, Jonathan H. "DragonBox: Algebra Beats Angry Birds". WIRED. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
- ^ Greenberg, Julia. "Kids Like to Learn Algebra, if It Comes in the Right App". WIRED. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
- ^ Fogel, Stefanie. "7 educational games that every developer should study". Retrieved 2017-08-06.
- ^ "3 Best Educational Apps That Improve Math Fluency | Edudemic". www.edudemic.com. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
- ^ Renfro, Adam (2013-05-24). "DragonBox: This Is How You Gamify - Getting Smart by Adam Renfro - gamification". Getting Smart. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
- ^ Shapiro, Jordan. "It Only Takes About 42 Minutes To Learn Algebra With Video Games". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-08-06.