Bastion
LQ: 9.15
Recommended Age: 10+
Skills Used: Planning, Working Memory, Mathematics, Reading
Alt Shift (also known as SHIFT: Freedom!) is a puzzle game in which players must make it to the exit door in order to beat each level. Sometimes, players will encounter a seemingly impassable part of a level; in this case, they must invert, or ‘shift’, the world in order to advance, and then invert the world back to its original orientation at the appropriate time. There are various objects and switches that players must use to reach the goal, like keys that move certain barriers and switches that rotate the level. The game requires no academic skill and features little violence, but due to the difficulty is recommended to players ages 8 and up.
Adapting and adjusting to changing conditions and expectations.
Players must be flexible regarding their approach to the level in order to reach the exit door. Most of the time, players will not be able to reach the goal of the level without inverting the level several times and exploring their options. Furthermore, each level is different, which means that the factors governing when and where to invert are also different. Players need to take these factors into account as they play and change their strategy accordingly. Inflexibility will cause players to get stuck, forcing them to reset levels over and over again in order to undo their mistakes.
Developing a systematic approach for setting and achieving goals.
In the first segment, players are given simple challenges to overcome. As the game advances, new features (like blocks within black zones and arrows that change the orientation of the game area) become more prevalent. Players need to understand the different properties of each feature, and how each obstacle must be handled in order to move forward. For example, levels with arrow blocks require that each is struck in a certain order, to flip the level and open the exit path. If they don't take the time to stop and think about what steps to take next, they may end up making the wrong move.
All membership plans come with full access to our entire suite of tools learning guides, and resources. Here are a few of the ones we think you’ll like the most: