Robot Turtles

A few weeks back, I took an afternoon off to pedal my way up to Phinney Ridge and pick up my son Zev¹ from pre-school. Uusally, that’s Mrs. Wallyhood’s responsibility, but this time, we were off for a little adventure.

As we left school, Zev proudly announced to his classmates that he was going to “test a video game”.

“It’s not a video game,” I told him. “It’s a card game…that has something to do with how you program a computer.”

He looked a little puzzled.

Truth was, I was a little puzzled myself. My friend Dan Shapiro had asked if I’d be willing to swing Zev by his place to playtest a game he’d been working on, “Robot Turtles”, that would teach kids how to program. But it wasn’t a game on the computer, it was a board game. Or a card game. Or a board game that you played with cards. Or something.

As we pedaled back towards Wallingford, Zev chattered away with increasing excitement from the rear bicycle. I asked him if he’d like to stop at a playground we were passing, since we were running a little ahead of schedule.

“No, I’m too anxious to get to Dan’s. I don’t want to do anything except get to Dan’s,” he told me.

All I could think was that I hope it was good. There’s few things harder for a father to watch than his son’s hopes being dashed.

My fears proved unwarranted. I won’t ruin the surprise (or bore you) with the details of the game, but I will say:

• It is not a video game. It is a human game that parents can play with their children with physical pieces. No glowing screens.
• The experience of watching the gears turn and click inside Zev’s head, watching the glimmers of understanding play out across his face, was pure joy to me.
• Midway through our playtest, I realized that yes, indeed, my four (and three-quarter) year old son was learning the basic concepts of programming. If he never ends up writing a line of code (which I find doubtful, given that I am his father), he will be a sharper, more effective person for it.
• He (and I) both shrieked and jumped for joy at various times in the short half hour we got to try it out. Watch for our cameos on the demo video.

Want to try the game? Unfortunately, it’s not actually available yet. Dan decided to raise the money t0  manufacture it through Kickstarter. His original goal was $25,000. In classic Dan Shapiro style (you’ve got to know Dan), he’s managed to blow through that in a matter of days and has raised $191,085 as of this writing.

If you’re interested in getting a copy in time for Christmas², check out the Robot Turtles: The Board Game for Little Programmers page and think about pledging. Dan notes that he doesn’t plan to go into the board game business, so getting a copy through the Kickstarter program may be your only opportunity. (He also notes that a few large game manufacturers have reached out to him about the project, but that could result in a different version than the one he’s creating).

It’s a fun game. Zev was so upset we couldn’t take home a copy, AND it stretched his brain. And best of all, it’s something I enjoy doing with him. Together. Way better than handing him an iPhone.

And, of course, it’s Designed in Wallingford.

—

1. Previously, we’ve referred to him here as “Baby Z” , but as his fifth birthday approaches, that no longer seems appropriate.
2. Sorry Jews, Chanukah starts in November this year, and Dan didn’t think he could hit that deadline.