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Kids, Literacy

You Can’t Write Proper English Under Pressure by UsVsTh3m

ouCanWrite

You Can’t Write Proper English Under Pressure is a simple game where you work against the clock to see if you can spot mistakes in English text. It’s as simple as that. Don’t feel too smug yet as you’ll quickly realise that however good your reading and writing skills are, it’s incredibly hard to perform under pressure. The levels are short and sweet so there is a quick sense of achievement, but the difficulty increases swiftly as you progress through the game. One for Grammar Nazis with nerves of cold, hard steel.

Why we love it:

    • Simple but effective format
    • Clean design, particularly the countdown
    • Deceptively tricky challenges to keep you on your toes

Play it online

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To Be Or Not To Be by Tin Man Games

hamlet

Ryan North’s To Be Or Not To Be lets players answer the most famous rhetorical question ever posed, and in doing so players immediately begin the process of ruining Shakespeare’s Hamlet. By comparing their decisions to the original – via the ‘Hamlet-o-meter’ – the game deftly teaches the art of storytelling, pace and character development through increasingly farcical situations that arise directly from mischievous player choice. It’s a triumphant example of making failure fun – who wouldn’t want to try sending a central character to his death just to see what happens?

North’s writing is excellent; every scene is handled with wit and plenty of surprising chain reactions ensure that repeat play is not only highly rewarding, but irresistible! A compelling layer of strategy, built on subtle character attributes and statistics, encourages countless explorations of scene, plot and character combinations.

Why we love it:

  • Brilliant, laugh out loud dialogue
  • Makes failure fun, whilst subtly teaching Shakespeare’s craft
  • Wonderful character design and art

Buy it here

Related: Touch Arcade review, Indie Sider walkthrough Tagged: , , ,

Quarrel Deluxe by Denki

quarreldeluxe

Quarrel blends Risk-style territory domination with spelling-based head-to-head battles. Beautifully executed, the tactile spelling mechanic is deeply moreish, and the maximum-word-length linked to unit numbers creates a cohesive tactical battle game. One of our new favourites.

Why we love it:

  • Lovingly crafted 3D world, characters and UI.
  • Loads of game modes.
  • The best spellers win!

Buy it for iOS

Related: Xbox Live Game Tagged: , , , , ,

LetterSchool by Boreaal

letterschool

LetterSchool is a fun iOS game to help kids with the first steps of writing the letters of the alphabet. Simple and highly responsive, the interface gets the player straight into the task of learning how each letter is formed. Using visually rich graphics like trains on tracks, light bulbs, and blossoming flowers, Letter School brings loads of audio visual stimulus to the party, enabling kids to experiment with writing in a fun and vibrant way.

Why we love it:

  • Super responsive interface and sounds to guide the player.
  • Simple game mechanics designed for a young audience.
  • Beautiful, young-player friendly visuals.

Buy it for iOS

Related: Teachers With Apps Review, Wired GeekMom Review Tagged: , , ,

Teach your Monster to Read by Usborne Foundation

teachmymonstertoread

Teach your Monster to Read is a game designed to help in the first steps of reading. With a great voiceover and accessible design, coupled with simple activities to engage a pre-school audience, the game builds on the principles of synthetic phonics and follows the teaching sequence of the Letters and Sounds programme.

Why we love it:

  • Strong character design and narrative.
  • Simple game mechanics designed for a young audience.
  • Easy to use – considered user experience.
  • Backed by University-level reading experts.

Play it online (Free)

Related: The Guardian Review, Vimeo Trailer Tagged: , , , ,