The Challenge
We were approached by Neuro Minders to help out on the educational game Dragon Minders. The idea came about as some children struggle with studying, whether it is trouble focusing and concentrating in the classroom or not being able to do homework after school. With that in mind, the challenge was to make a game that provided a substantive and engaging educational experience that was also fun and imaginative (which is where the dragons come in!).
Learning with Dragons
A simple but effective premise was established: completing a series of tasks to develop reading, speech, and memory skills. As the child’s knowledge starts to grow, so does their own dragon within the game. This was to be the game’s main hook. Children could go on fun adventures, learn and grow along with their dragon, encouraging them to complete many different challenges.
How to Train Your Reading, Speech and Memory
Dragon Minders needed to be a very rewarding experience for children. Additionally, for parents, it needed to effectively show how their child was developing in their learning, particularly in areas that they may have struggled in prior to playing the game. In order for the project to achieve its goals, and for parents to see progress, we ensured that markers of progress were clear and distinct.
The Response From Families
Since the original release of Dragon Minders, after testing in schools, the response from families has been overwhelmingly positive! Parents have been able to see what their children have been learning and in which areas they might need more support with (either at home or at school). Together with Neuro Minders, LudoCraft have been gradually improving and tweaking the game so that it can continue to provide a rich and satisfying experience for everyone.
The Importance of Play with the Help of Dragons
LudoCraft was very excited to be asked by Neuro Minders to help with the kid’s game Dragon Minders, which can be played on phone or tablet.
Mia Finnestrand, one of the people behind Neuro Minders, came up with the original idea through research of her own, testing out different methods of learning. Mia started researching the subject because she wanted to support her child’s learning. Play is such an important part of growing up. As a young child it allows you to gain vital skills such like language, speech, memory and more through something that is fun!
The result of Mia’s work was Dragon Minders. The principles of the game are built on latest neuroscience and pedagogics research. By bringing in play and games, the research can be taken into practice to benefit a child’s development. Dragon Minders enables children to improve their reading and memory skills through a series of challenges. As kids start going to school, products like Dragon Minders can support what is being taught in the classroom.
For the game to be engaging as well as educational, there had to be a strong connective tissue that linked everything together. So, with the help of dragons, and a wide-ranging cast of colourful characters, the task of creating a fun learning adventure for children could begin!
The Development of Dragons
The main hook of Dragon Minders is the progression of the backstory within the game. Each player has their very own dragon, who lives on a large island. The player and dragon must complete several challenges in order to grow and develop together. Through exploring the various parts of their home (the mountains, beach, and so on), they will be able to do different tasks.
The challenges themselves are wide-ranging – from reading comprehension to spelling and phonetic tests – and there are a host of other characters to interact with, brought to life with bright and vibrant artwork. For example, one task requires the player to fill out the missing words in a sentence with the help of an octopus, whilst another involves a flock of birds to assist with the alphabet!
The more challenges the player completes, the stronger their dragon becomes. And by having adventures together with their dragon, the player has learned new things and grown stronger, too. This is an important part of the game, as the dragon subsequently represents a clear indicator of the child’s own development.
Equally, we needed to include clear and visible markers of progress within the game for each of the different activities. This would also allow parents to see what their child is excelling in within certain aspects of the game, and also what they might need more help and encouragement with. This way, seeing the child’s dragon evolve as puzzles are solved gives the whole family a feeling of joy and achievement!
Telling a Story Through Learning with Dragons
Education Through Puzzles
Children can play their way through a series of challenges to improve their reading, speech and memory skills. This, combined with the vibrant graphics, makes for a unique learning experience.
Magical and Exciting Adventures
The backstory of Dragon Minders is designed to encourage the player to improve their performance with every task they do. This creates a magical and fun gameplay adventure for children.
Clear Skills Improvement
There are simple and clear indicators of progress within the game using analytics. This is a way for parents to see how their child is progressing and involves the whole family in the world of Dragon Minders.
The Magic of Learning
Initially, LudoCraft contributed coding and artwork to this project for its release. Following that, the testing phase began in schools. This is a particularly vital part of the process, especially given the educational purpose of the product.
The reception that Dragon Minders has had since then has been very positive! Parents have described the game as intuitive and engaging, and young children are enjoying responding to the characters and playing their way through the various memory, speech and reading challenges.
It is important that the game continues to be relevant and rewarding. With that in mind, we’ve also created additional levels and new challenges for the children to discover and explore in Dragon Minders so that it can continue to be a magical learning experience for so many young children.
We understand the value of games being used as a tool to help children learn. By harnessing the power of play, it is possible to make a game that is unique, fun and benefits learning development in a way that is spellbinding. That’s what makes this project such a rewarding one for us.
Start Your Own Learning Adventure with Dragon Minders
A whole world of dragons and learning awaits – download Dragon Minders now to get started on your adventure!
Want your own game solution? Get in contact!
Marja Kuipers
E-mail: marja.kuipers@ludocraft.com
