Kids & Educational Games · 26

Math Blaster turned arithmetic into fast arcade-style challenges in the 1980s, a formula that helped define a whole era of educational software. There is a practical reason this matters in games. The best educational games respect the player enough to remain actual games: curiosity, choice and challenge still matter even when the purpose is learning. Kids' games often have the toughest design audience: players who will simply leave if the explanation becomes boring.