Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Innovative game creator is powerful but hard to learn.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Kodu Game Lab
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Privacy Rating
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Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
KODU GAME LAB isn't a game so much as a tool for making video games. Downloadable from the Xbox user community and online for the PC, Kodu provides players with the ability to design their own environments, create simple objectives (which could include racing, shooting, or adventuring), and alter a surprisingly wide variety of game parameters, such as the behavior of environmental objects and nonplayer characters. Dozens of starter levels are available for experimentation, and many have simple objectives meant to help you figure out what can be done with the software, such as making a character move from one location to another or jump a gap. When you've tinkered enough and have something you think might be fun for others to try, you can share it with friends on Xbox Live or upload to the Kodu site, where other would-be developers can download these interactive creations.
Is It Any Good?
The simplest way to describe Kodu is to say it offers the same sort of game-making functionality as LittleBigPlanet 2 for PlayStation 3 but with little of the polish or accessibility that made that game so fun and popular. Limited tutorials and text instruction mean it can be slow to get in the swing of things. All the tools have pop-up bubbles that describe what they do, but they must be manually selected to make those bubbles appear, which makes the learning process long and arduous. It's a little like teaching yourself how to play the guitar; it's possible, but it requires plenty of patience and passion. There's no question that it's a powerful and educational game-making toolkit, but we recommend it only for those who have a strong desire to dabble in Xbox game design and are willing to spend several hours learning the ropes.
Regarding online interaction, players can play the games they make with people who appear in their Xbox friends list, but no random strangers are allowed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what a career in the game industry might be like. Did Kodu make you think you may have a knack for game design? What kind of training, skills, and talents should aspiring game makers try to develop? What sort of a role would you like to play in a game's development? Artist? Level designer? Character designer? Game designer? Director? Do you think the game industry will still have the same sorts of jobs in 10 or 20 years?
Game Details
- Platforms : Windows , Xbox 360
- Subjects : Hobbies : building , Language & Reading : following directions , storytelling , Arts : playing , script writing , Math : numbers , patterns , sequences
- Skills : Creativity : brainstorming , imagination , making new creations , producing new content , Emotional Development : developing resilience , persevering , Tech Skills : digital creation , using and applying technology , Self-Direction : achieving goals , goal-setting , initiative , work to achieve goals , Communication : conveying messages effectively , multiple forms of expression , Thinking & Reasoning : decision-making , defining problems , logic , problem solving , Responsibility & Ethics : learning from consequences
- Pricing structure : Free
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Microsoft
- Release date : July 1, 2009
- Genre : Educational
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : June 21, 2022
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