Prodigy Game Wraps Turn-Based RPG into Teaching Math for Grade School Kids

Before I started TorontoGameDevs I was aiming to be a teacher, specifically a math teacher. I tutored all through university, while completing a bachelor's and master’s degree in math, and was set on teaching either at the high school or college level. Life took me on a different path, but I've always had a love for mathematics and education.

That's why I was excited to give Prodigy Game a try, which aims to wrap learning math around a turn-based RPG involving wizards and saving the world. Prodigy currently has 20 million users, including students, teachers and parents, and it provides over 1200 crucial math skills to its players. It also follows the grades 1-8 curriculum so kids stay on track with their skills, and are ready for standardized testing.

In the game, you take turns attacking monsters with spells, which require you to solve math questions across various grades and topics, in order to successfully cast. If you answer incorrectly, the game teaches you the concept and has you try again.

Prodigy Game works on the concepts of grade school math, and provides solid hints to help on some of the more troubling questions. There are achievements for answering questions correctly in a row, and each battle presents a different math concept. The battling system is simple enough to move everything along, since at the end of the day the idea is to get students to the next questions.  A story on saving the land keeps the player moving forward, defeating enemies and solving math problems.

The game is free to play, and anyone can sign up, including students, teachers and parents. Similar to mobile games there is a premium membership, which gets you access to more experience points, items and gold - however the educational content is the same as a free membership. There are also toys that you can purchase, which give you in-game bonuses, similar to Nintendo's amiibos.

Prodigy is a free, highly adaptive math game that integrates Common Core, MAFS, TEKS, and Ontario math standards into a fantasy style game. Join 3 million students and 100,000 teachers on Prodigy by signing up for your free account at www.prodigygame.com.

If you have a child in grade school who could use a little extra help in math I'd recommend checking out Prodigy, which you can sign up for right here. Teachers can sign up for their students, while Parents can sign up for a free account to keep track of their kids’ progress. 

It’s exciting to see Canadian start-ups impacting math education in Toronto and Prodigy Game is currently looking for some top talent to continue to build their team. They’re looking to fill nearly 100 jobs in the next year, so make sure to check out their list of available jobs here.

This post was sponsored by Prodigy in a partnership with Stephen Crane to provide you the most up to date facts, helping you make better informed decisions. All opinions in this article are my own.

Guacamelee! 2 Announced For PlayStation 4

All is good in the world as Drinkbox Studios announced today that Guacamelee! 2 will be coming to PlayStation 4. Taking place seven years after the original, Juan Aguacate is living life with his family and friend but his trainer, Uay Chivo, discovers an evil menace that threatens time and space.

Seven years after defeating Carlos Calaca, Juan Aguacate is forced to don his luchador mask again to face a new threat -- this time to the very fabric of space and time. Punch your way through a whole new Metroid-vania style world and try to save the Mexiverse! http://www.guacamelee2.com Guacamelee!

The game will include new abilities, as well as 4-player co-op and according to the trailer, we'll be able to play it "soon-ish".

Who Killed My Uncle From Devon Wiersma Launches On Itch.io

Friend of the site, Devon Wiersma launched a game on Itchi.io called 'Who Killed My Uncle?' Taking place in World War 2, 'Who Killed My Uncle?' is a narrative game about censorship, loss, and family you will never meet.  

Made in just under a week in memory of Sidney George James who served in the International Volunteers during the Spanish Civil War.

You can get the game on itch.io for your own price.

✨My short, narrative game "Who Killed My Uncle?" is now available for free on @itchio! ✨#gamedev #indiedevhttps://t.co/HaGUgg2udo pic.twitter.com/S5EARyXEHD

— A Ghost Or Something (@Devon_Wiersma) October 26, 2017

Rima: The Story Begins Available on Google Play

Rima: The Story Begins is an adventure game where you play as Rima, a small mutant blue-green algae.  You are tasked with restoring the major elements to take back the land that has been seized by Shadow.

Created by UP Entertainment, it has been released on Google Play and on the Amazon App Store, with a planned release on iOS later this year.  The reviews on their Google Play store have been positive so far with many people loving the graphics and the story.

As Shadow Steps into the land of Ila and opens the Dark Gate, hope, life and joy turns into a dream. Now Rima Who has been chosen long before, needs to face dangerous creatures, fight his way out and explore the land for new paths, objects and abilities that help him to find and revive the four vital elements the land's life depends on.

You can follow UP Entertainment on Twitter @UPENT_, on Facebook, and on Instagram @upentertainment_.

Debris From Moonray Studios Released - Escape Together Or Die Alone

Following along with A Mortician's Tale, our friends at Moonray Studios released Debris on Steam this week! It's also enjoying a 15% launch discount, so pick it up today!

You’re part of a small team sent to film a promotional video for a groundbreaking discovery: meteoric debris embedded deep in Arctic ice that provides clean, hyper-efficient energy. But as your dive begins, several explosions create a powerful current that drags you and your team down, trapping everyone in a vast network of submerged glacial caverns.

Escape together or die alone

Stranded at the bottom, injured and running out of time, your only hope for survival is to reach the surface. But the journey through the depths is full of unexpected trials. You and your team will fight your way through hostile creatures in increasingly confusing and dangerous environments. 

But something else is going on. Things aren’t right, they don’t add up, and before you know it the truth comes into question. As you fight your way to safety, you’ll need to figure out what’s behind this surreal world and your desperate situation. Knowing will make all the difference.

Debris is an atmospheric single-player/co-op adventure game set in beautifully dangerous underwater ice caves. You must find a way back to the surface, but power is scarce, your team is lost and unusual creatures lurk in the darkness. Debris is coming to Steam October, 2017 for PC and Mac.

A Mortician's Tale - Out Now On Steam

It's finally here! A Mortician's Tale from Laundry Bear Games is out on Steam, which you can pick it up right here on Steam, Humble, and itch.io (and currently enjoying a 20% launch discount).

A Mortician's Tale is a narrative-driven death positive video game where you play as a mortician tasked with running a funeral home. Take on the role of recent funeral direction graduate Charlie as she learns the ropes of the business and industry. Prepare the cadavers of the deceased (via embalming or cremation), attend their funerals and listen to their loved ones' stories, and interact with Charlie's coworkers, clients, and bosses. 

A Mortician's Tale is an informative, honest, and sometimes humorous look at the current state of and the future of the western death industry.

A Mortician's Tale is OUT NOW for PC/Mac! 🖤 Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/578720 🖤 Humble: https://humblebundle.com/store/a-morticians-tale 🖤 Itch.io: https://laundrybear.itch.io/morticians-tale 🖤 Website: http://morticianstale.com 🖤 About the Game: A Mortician's Tale is a narrative-driven death positive video game where you play as a mortician tasked with running a funeral home.

Cuphead Hits Huge Sales Milestone

Studio MDHR have announced that Cuphead, which released late last month, has passed the one million units sold mark. This would be across Xbox One, and PC.

"Hello friends! Cuphead has only been out for two weeks and we never could have dreamed of the reception we’ve received from our amazing fans! Today, we wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your support and we’re excited to share that Cuphead has gone platinum with over 1 million units sold!

We have worked tirelessly over the past few years to deliver a game that remained true to our vision and we are both humbled and excited that so many people from around the world are playing Cuphead – it truly makes it all worth it."

Always Sometimes Monsters Now Available on PS4

Always Sometimes Monsters by Vagabond Dog is now available on PS4.  This is their first console release and it's available for only $9.99.

Always Sometimes Monsters is a story where you are on a mission to win back the love of your life.  It's a unique RPG game where you could play through several stories and have different paths each time.  You begin by choosing the race, gender, and sexual orientation of your character which can affect which pathways are available to you in the game, based on how NPCs treat you.

Always Sometimes Monsters was previously released on Steam with great reviews.  It won Best Indie Game at the Canadian Videogame Awards in 2014 as well as Best Writing.

Available Now via Steam, GOG, and Humble http://www.alwayssometimesmonsters.com Always Sometimes Monsters is the story of life, love, and the things we will go through to find happiness in both. Set out on a journey through the modern human experience as you overcome the heartbreak of lost love, and the hardship of making choices that affect your life and the lives of those around you.

Cally's Cave 4 Coming To iOS Next Month

We now have a release month, and platform for Cally's Cave 4. The developer announced via Twitter that the platformer shooter will be coming to iOS next month. The previous game can be picked up on Steam and iOS.

Cally’s Caves 4 picks up three years after the end of Cally’s Caves 3, with Cally and her friends searching for a cure for Rupert’s Curse.  Cally will set out on a worldwide journey to find “The Amulet of Valerius,” an artifact that she believes can cure Rupert and give him a normal life.  As the story unfolds, Team Cally will uncover the origins of a secret society that controls the world, and meet a new nemesis that threatens to destroy everything that Cally loves.

Here it is, Cally's Caves 4 is coming out in November on iOS!! Cally's Caves 4 - Official Trailer https://t.co/k0GZKr3rIk via @YouTube

— Callys Caves 4 (@CallysCaves) October 9, 2017

It's time for Cally's biggest adventure yet! Cally and her team of friends set out on a global journey to find a cure for Rupert's Curse. In the process, they stumble across a secret society with a maniacal leader, Ivan Magnus. Can Team Cally take down Ivan Magnus and recover the cure for Rupert's Curse?

Urgent: Video Games I International Business Development

Interested in going to Game Connection Europe and/or Paris Games Week? CEIM got your back, and you only have a few days to apply for the chance. You can check all the details here, including how to apply, but a summary is found below.  The deadline is October 11th.

Be one of 10 Canadian independent developers to qualify for this program that will help you participate in GCE and Paris Game Week 2017
and increase your chances of success!

 Game Connection Europe (GCE) I Paris Game Week (PGW) Program

• Registration to the event and meeting rooms

• Qualified « B2B » meetings

• Individual coaching, prior to the event, with an expert from CEIM

• Business support and coaching on location, by two experts from CEIM

• Up to $2,040 total reimbursement of your registration fees and documented living expenses(hotel, meals, transportation) 

 Admissibility Criteria

• Video game developer established in Canada, majority Canadian ownership

• Strong export potential to the U.S.A

• At early commercialization stage

• With annual revenues of less than 5 million dollars

Way Of The Passive Fist Gets Steam Page - Aimed For Early 2018 Release

Here's something we missed, but Way of the Passive Fist now has a Steam page in which you can add the game to your wishlist. On the page as well, it says it will be available early 2018. The game is also expected to hit PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

A mysterious figure known only as the Wanderer travels across the distant planet of Zircon V, a once prosperous mining colony that is now on the brink of destruction in the face of its dying star. By using the Passive Fist technique, the Wanderer can outlast any foe by deflecting their attacks and draining their stamina. With colonists disappearing and maniacs running wild, the Wanderer must stand firm, stay calm and fight for answers in this unique modern brawler!

#WayOfThePassiveFist Steam page is now live! It's Coming soon, but you can wishlist the game and get updates! https://t.co/1rBUeHwQgE pic.twitter.com/lgm4kbUOYk

— Household Games (@HHGamesInc) August 14, 2017

Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime Out Now On Switch

As recently announced, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is now out on Nintendo Switch. You can pick up the game for $16.99 on the e-shop right now.

Spread the love and share the Joy-Cons! #LoversInADangerousSpacetime is available now on the #NintendoSwitch! 🚀❤️🤖💥 https://t.co/l6UbGYVZs9 pic.twitter.com/tzv7KbSpF6

— Asteroid Base (@AsteroidBase) October 3, 2017

Shwip Steam Page Up From Jamhammer Games

Jamhammer Games launched their Steam page for their upcoming twin-stick shooter, which suggests we'll hear more about the game soon. You can also check them out on Twitter as well.

GET YOUR WISHLIST ON! #Shwip Steam page is LIVE LIVE LIVE!! https://t.co/MB33UiIR7X #indiedev #indiegame #gamedev @TorontoGameDevs pic.twitter.com/kFRdWZD9hw

— Jamhammer Games (@JamhammerGames) September 26, 2017

Satisfy your daily pixel-induced fix by blowing up your enemies with an arsenal of weapons and abilities the military would be jealous of. Outmaneuver your enemies with tight controls that make setting traps, disabling and boosting your way to safety light and responsive. Go brute force in arcade or show off your new skills in style, then; gear up for a tense checkpoint romp though an active minefield. Did we mention Shwip has global leader-boards and local multi-player? Compete against friends or random internet strangers and reach for the top, soldier.

Metanet Software Bringing N++ To Xbox One October 4th

We got the PlayStation 4 release, then it came to Steam. They then announced an Xbox One version and now we know when it's happening, and it's soon! N++ is coming to Xbox One this Wednesday. 

You can check out the trailer below, and follow the gang on Twitter, and read our review from Devon.

Out now on Steam and PS4, and coming to Xbox One October 4, 2017! N++ is a fast-paced, momentum-based platformer about darting around obstacles, narrowly evading enemies and collecting gold in a beautiful minimalist landscape.

Cuphead Out Now For Xbox One and PC

It's finally here. After being announced at Microsoft's E3 conference in 2014, and suffering a few delays - Cuphead is available for the masses on Xbox One and PC. You can check out the launch trailer below, and pick it up on Steam, or on the Xbox store.

The all-cartoon Magical Wondergame! Cuphead is available now for Xbox One, Windows 10 , Steam and GOG!