The game is still in development and was created by two graduate students, so it lacks polish compared to similar games. The game still needs to scale activities and guide the player a bit more, which can cause confusion early on. It works to the limit.
There is a lot of fun potential in this game, but it can be confusing and demotivating for learners because it is unknown to beginners. This is especially true since there isn’t much to do other than tweak and try spells. As a result, the learner receives more in-depth teacher guidance during her first 30 minutes, so she can get direction and understand the potential of the game. After completing this initial orientation and prescribed activities, the learner is free to continue her CodeSpells on her own or not. As such, it serves as an excellent introduction to all learners and as an optional extended study for those who wish to dig deeper. And because it’s a sandbox environment, learners are also encouraged to create in small groups and show off their coolest spells, providing an opportunity for peer learning in the class.
Many other introductory programming games do not require learners to work with actual code or a common language. CodeSpells allows learners to work with lines of JavaScript, a very popular and useful language. It also provides learners with a game-based context for programming so they can instantly see how code works in a visual environment. At the very least, CodeSpells breaks down code barriers and helps learners understand the basic logic and some syntax of JavaScript. For some, it can facilitate further learning and provide a platform for learning programming languages. Students also have the unique opportunity to playtest, email with budding game designers, and get a window into the development process.
User’s overall consensus about the app
student involvement
The game won’t easily convince kids who aren’t interested in coding, but for those who are already interested or just curious, it can be just what you need. Some players can stay hooked for months.
Curriculum and instruction
Players first complete a few guided challenges, but just scratch the surface and are left to their devices in a sandbox ready to experiment.
customer support
The developers haven’t added a help menu or tutorial yet, and need to scale the quests a bit to guide players early on. This rating should go up as they develop products for the market.
