Product Overview of Bloxels
Bloxels is an innovative video game creation platform designed to empower kids and young creators to build, design, and play their own video games without the need for coding skills. Here’s a detailed look at what Bloxels does and its key features:
What Bloxels Does
Bloxels allows users, particularly children, to create and personalize their own video games using a combination of physical blocks, a game board, and a companion app. This platform is ideal for fostering creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills.
Key Features
Physical Components
- The Bloxels kit includes a 13 x 13 game board and 320 colorful blocks. Each block color corresponds to a specific game element: green for terrain, yellow for coins, blue for water, red for hazards, purple for enemies, orange for exploding blocks, white for story blocks, and pink for power-ups.
App and Digital Tools
- The free Bloxels app, compatible with iOS, Android, and Kindle devices, allows users to import their block creations by taking pictures of the game board. This app guides users through the game creation process and provides various tools for customization.
Character and Level Creation
- Users can design characters using the blocks and then animate them by creating additional poses (e.g., running and jumping). Levels are built using the pixel board, and each level can consist of up to 169 rooms, allowing for extensive and complex game designs.
Advanced Features
- Bloxels includes advanced features such as power-ups, which can be configured to give players special abilities or restore health. Users can also create warp blocks to transport players to different areas of the level or even to other games.
- The platform offers pre-built level templates for platformer and top-down games, which can be customized to the user’s liking.
Community and Sharing
- Bloxels has an active community, with features like a Facebook page and regular updates. Users can share their creations and participate in contests, such as the opportunity to win a trip to the Game Developers Conference.
Educational Value
- Bloxels introduces basic programming concepts through its block-based system, allowing users to set up if/then scenarios, doors and keys, and various enemy behaviors. This helps build the mental foundations for understanding game design and programming principles.
Functionality
- Build Your Own Universe: Users can create their own unique games by selecting and configuring blocks, drawing characters, and crafting pixel art tiles. This feature allows for endless customization and creativity.
- Seamless Integration: The physical blocks and digital app integrate seamlessly, allowing users to transition from building on the board to playing the game on their device with minimal effort.
- User-Friendly Interface: The app and online resources, including video tutorials and community support, make it easy for users to get started and continue learning as they create more complex games.
Overall, Bloxels offers a comprehensive and engaging platform for kids to explore their creativity in video game design, while also providing a solid foundation in STEM principles and game development.