Machineers: Playfully introducing programming to children
summary
A small team builds Machineers, a Unity iPad game that teaches programming by turning code into mechanical objects and uses experiential learning rather than gamification. Playtests with 21 kids (ages 9–14) show average sessions of 65 minutes, over half still playing after an hour, and a hardest puzzle taking up to 20 minutes to solve. Prototype wins best student game, gets Danish Film Institute funding, uses Asset Store tools (Easy GUI), ships two of five chapters, and includes a teacher portal mockup and five-language support.
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chapters (14)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:36The problem with edutainment
- 3:31Game comparisons
- 6:39Overcoming educational bias
- 8:45Game design principles
- 10:49Teaching programming
- 13:19Game development and mechanics
- 18:09Testing and results
- 19:35Game trailer
- 21:21Awards and recognition
- 23:21Company formation
- 25:38Unity development tips
- 27:59Future plans
- 30:13Funding and Q&A