Learning kitGrades 4-5

Computer science: game design

Make a maze game for good

Design a maze game with a message, build it in GameBuilder, test it until it is fun, and share it. Ages 9 to 11 or grades 4 to 5: planning, building, testing and improving, the way game designers work.

Time
About 2 hours, in two or three sittings
Steps
5 steps, 2 of them in GameBuilder
You need
A computer or Chromebook with a keyboard. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.
Unlock the kit, $5 I have a code

$5 for one learner: every step, the GameBuilder activities that check the work, the printable lesson, and the certificate with a page of the learner's own work.

A maze game being played: an archer walks a brown dirt maze past green slimes and spikes, collecting gold coins on the way to the star.

The 5 steps

  1. 1Discover how game design can be used "for good"Read and quizMost games are made to be fun. Some are also made to help: to teach something, to get people to care about a problem, or to bring people together.
  2. 2Explore tools used to develop digital gamesIn GameBuilderGame makers use a level editor: a grid where you paint walls and drop in the things the player meets. GameBuilder is one. Open the starter maze and try each tool once.
  3. 3Plan a maze gamePlan itGood games start with a plan. Draw yours on the grid below, here on screen or on the printout.
  4. 4Build, test, and improve your maze game using iterationIn GameBuilderIteration means build a little, test it, fix what is wrong, and test again. Real game designers do this dozens of times. Build your plan in GameBuilder.
  5. 5Share your game with othersWith othersA game is finished when someone else plays it. Let at least two people play your maze, and watch without helping.
The GameBuilder editor with the starter maze: tiles on the left, the level in the middle, game objects on the right, and the kit checklist along the bottom.
Each step shows how GameBuilder works, then opens it with a checklist that ticks as the work gets done.

Work on a computer. The apps need a keyboard and a bigger screen than a phone: a laptop, desktop or Chromebook. You can pay here and open the emailed link on the computer.

One learner

Unlock the kit, $5

  • All 5 steps, worked on screen, with a lesson you can print if you like paper
  • GameBuilder activities that check the work as it is done
  • A numbered certificate with a page of the learner's own work: your plan, your maze and your notes

We email a link that opens the kit on any computer. No account needed. We keep the email only to send the kit and certificate links: privacy.

Have a discount code?
Co-ops and classes: unlock it for a group

One payment and one code. Each learner types the code to unlock the kit on their own computer, and gets their own certificate at the end. Your pack page shows who has started and finished.

See a sample certificate (PDF) · Already paid? Find your link

Questions

What does the learner do in Make a maze game for good?

It has 5 steps: 1. Discover how game design can be used "for good"; 2. Explore tools used to develop digital games; 3. Plan a maze game; 4. Build, test, and improve your maze game using iteration; 5. Share your game with others. Design a maze game with a message, build it in GameBuilder, test it until it is fun, and share it. Ages 9 to 11 or grades 4 to 5: planning, building, testing and improving, the way game designers work.

What age is it for?

Grades 4-5. About 2 hours, in two or three sittings.

What is needed?

A computer or Chromebook with a keyboard. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.

Is there a certificate?

Yes. A numbered certificate with a page of the learner's own work, for your records or a portfolio. It is not course credit.

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