Bastion
LQ: 9.15
Recommended Age: 10+
Skills Used: Planning, Working Memory, Mathematics, Reading
Pack Master takes the task of packing for a vacation and turns it into a game. The player has a suitcase and a variety of items. He or she must then find a way to get all of the items to fit into the suitcase.
In some levels, the suitcase is a typical rectangular suitcase. In other levels, the suitcase may be the shape of a diamond or clover. There is also variety in the number of items that must fit in the suitcase. Some of these items are typical vacation items like a comb or toothbrush and others are things like a bowling ball. There are even unmovable items that come already packed in the suitcase. Other twists include a divided suitcase or having a “bonus” item that appears after the player thinks the level is already over.
Pack Master has ads and in-app purchases. The ESRB rated it E for Everyone and LW4K stands by this rating.
Pack Master helps kids practice and improve the following skills:
Arranging and coordinating materials in order to complete a task.
This game is an excellent opportunity to practice organizing things, since that is the whole premise of the game. The player has to look at a group of things and figure out how to put them in a specific space. To do this, they have to think about different options, hold them in their mind, and then select the best option. If they don’t use these organizational skills, they will be unable to complete the levels and unlock new ones.
Developing a systematic approach for setting and achieving goals.
Because every level in this game has so many different options available to the player, it is important to use planning skills. First, they have to use their problem solving skills to figure out which piece they should start with and where to put it—and where they go from there. And since these levels are small, they will also be working on their short-term planning skills. If they don’t combine these planning skills and think about what they are doing before they do it, they will fail levels and be unable to unlock new ones.
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