Rekenwereld 2 - Getallenkoekjes inpakken
Development: Springlab
Software: Unity
Role: Game design, Interaction design, UX design, Level design, Narrative design, Interactive storytelling, Voice actor, Dialog director
Target audience: Age group 4-6
Released: 2020
In this game the kids travel back to the Rekenwereld, as always accompanied by Skip. After they have landed they see Grandma Wobbel staring thoughtfully at a big pile of cookies on her kitchen counter. She has a long list of orders to prepare because all the Wobbels have ordered cookies from her! She has already baked a whole mountain of cookies and is now going to prepare the boxes with the cookie orders. But this is a lot of work and that is why she asks the kids for help.
Grandma Wobbel suggests that she puts down some cookies on the counter. After this she will read out a cookie from that order. The children then have to select the requested cookie and fill it by standing in it. Grandma Wobbel then gives feedback on whether they have chosen the right cookie. If so, then the cookie goes in the box for that Wobbel. If not, the cookie is put back on the big pile!
How it works
The goal is for the children to fill the correct cookie on the floor by using their bodies. Together they stand, sit, roll or crawl on a cookie to fill it entirely. Children must be solution-oriented, willing to communicate and collaborate and discover for themselves what works best. When the cookie is filled enough, that cookie is selected for the order. Once an order is complete Grandma Wobbel will continue with the next order until the time runs out.
There are also cookies with different toppings. Sometimes Grandma Wobbel puts a pile of cookies on the table and asks the players to sort all of them into the right basket within the available time.
Other times the Wobbels can’t resist and reach out with their arms in order to quickly steal a cookie from the big pile of cookies. The players have to jump on the hands of the Wobbels as fast as possible in order to chase them away and prevent them from stealing a delicious cookie.
The game adjusts itself according to the results of the players. The pace goes up when things are going well and goes down again when things aren't going well.
Didactic content
While playing this game, the players learn to recognize and distinguish the numbers from each other. They have to work in a solution-oriented way and are challenged to work together. The main purpose of the game is to be able to identify the cookie Grandma Wobbel wants for her order and select it by collaborating together. The more numbers they correctly identify and select, the more orders will be done and the more they will be rewarded.
Children learn to recognize and read numbers in different levels;
- Numbers 0 to 5
- Numbers 6 to 10
- Numbers 0 to 10
- Numbers 11 to 20
- Numbers 0 to 20
My role
This game was the logical next didactic step after the first Rekenwereld game. I developed the concept and tested out prototypes in multiple iterations with the target group. The main game mechanics are based on the Taalwereld game, but by adding a different narrative, on another planet, with other characters and new mini interactions the game feels genuine. In multiple iterations we improved the game and created a fun, balanced experience for the players. I was the dialog director for all the voice actors in the game and I myself did the voice of Grandma Wobbel.
