Pixel Press Floors
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know thatPixel Press Floors teaches basic design concepts by letting kids create their own games. By drawing predefined shapes called “glyphs," kids create blueprints for their game that can be tested, designed, played, and shared with a global community in the arcade. If individual devices aren't available, multiple accounts can be created on a single device. Kids can take turns creating their own games and challenge one another with their game creations. For game-loving kids, this is a great resource to get them thinking about how it all works.
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What’s It About?
PIXEL PRESS FLOORS gives kids the tools to create and customize their own video games, bringing their ideas to life and allowing them to share their creations with a global community. Getting started is as simple as drawing out ideas with pencil and paper, which kids are encouraged to do in real life. Kids then can take photos of their drawings and upload them to the app, then continue designing levels and challenges. Kids will need to play by the rules (stay on the lines, use a ruler, and use existing "glyph" language), but it's still pretty incredible how customizable the experience can be while they stay within these parameters. Plus, the connection between analog and digital makes creating your own game feel pretty magical. Not feeling up to the task of creating a game from scratch? The arcade is full of games from other kids. You also can test out your game and make changes before sharing it with other gamers in the arcade.
Is It Any Good?
Although the app doesn't lump itself into the education category, there are plenty of opportunities for learning. Kids quickly find that there's a lot to consider when laying out floors, distributing points, and building lava pits. They have to ask questions and make predictions as they draw out the game blueprints. After uploading the drawing, they can test the game, see what works and what doesn't, and then make revisions for the next version. By creating their own problems to solve, kids will learn a lot along the way, and the games themselves end up looking great. Kids may want to get extra guidance, however, as a few how-to-get-started videos are all the instruction offered.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about game design. What would it be like to design games for a living? Is it more fun to play?
Families can talk about creativity. How do you find ideas for things like games and stories?
App Details
- Device: iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading: following directions, Arts: playing
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: applying information, Creativity: making new creations, Tech Skills: digital creation
- Pricing structure: Free, Paid
- Release date: May 8, 2014
- Category: Kids' Games
- Publisher: Pixel Press Technology
- Version: 1.0.1
- Minimum software requirements: 7.0 or higher
- Last updated: November 5, 2015
Our Editors Recommend
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Worthy spin-off of popular PC game encourages creativity.
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Toca Builders
Well-done Minecraft-style app great for younger kids.
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LittleBigPlanet 2
Fun platfomer has amazing creation mode.
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