A dream about math
Experience functions, unknowns, equations through play
←↑↓→ or joystick · stand still to pick up and put down
Carry a piece across the equals sign and watch the sign flip. Put it on a matching piece, and the two become one. Keep going until x stands alone.
LearnHow to isolate the unknown, and why the sign flips.
↑↓ fly · ←→ aim · space shoot · or two sticks on touch
Every shot carries a value of x. Hit a planet, and its equation turns into the answer: y. Click a planet to see its graph.
Learnx goes in, y comes out. Equations as machines.
Hold space or the screen to walk back
The men walk along the line. When they reach a gondola, a tilts the line and b moves it up or down. Collect every gondola before the men walk off the screen.
LearnWhat a and b do in y = ax + b.
WASD and ←↑↓→ or two joysticks · space grid
Two vessels pull on each other and on a traceball that draws wherever it goes. Pick the line color at the top. Two children can play together.
LearnHow movement in x and y becomes a graph.
While building 1234math around the four basic operations (+ − × ÷), I started thinking about the next natural step in math education. My answer: linear functions and the unknown x. That’s why I built 1234xy.
From the work on that first suite, my philosophy has grown stronger. And so has my ability to translate that into a screen and a type of game. I don’t want to make games with some math in them here and there. I want to make math visible and tangible through the game.
A mistake shouldn’t change the outcome of the game. A mistake shouldn’t block progress. Most importantly, a mistake shouldn’t break the flow and discourage the user. A mistake should be nothing more than a piece of data. And nothing less.
A correct answer should be its own reward. This means the challenge the user faces shouldn’t be a gateway to continued play. The challenge IS the play.
The reward for solving problems isn’t more gaming. It is the feeling of mastery. Even if it is on a micro level, this is the reward system I want to cultivate in any student using these games.
I’ve spent close to two years building in edtech now. Not a staggering amount, but still more than a weekend. More importantly, I spent four years training as a teacher and later two years at university for an MA in philosophy of education.
When my time at Aarhus University was over, my head was full of new ideas about education. Now, almost ten years later, all those thoughts, the books, the texts and the insights are coming together for me. And I’m shaping my own style of teaching through educational technology.
I hope these four algebra games can be valuable to you, whether you’re a teacher, a parent or anyone working in education. The purpose isn’t to keep children glued to the screen. It’s to let them experience math without the fear of failure, and to build a foundation for the next natural step.