All is Lost helps kids practice and improve the following skills:

Focus

Getting started and then maintaining attention and effort to tasks.

All is Lost requires a great deal of focus if the player wants to be successful at this game. Each level provides the player with a different mix of obstacles to overcome. They come quickly one after another, and if the player does not sustain their attention on the screen, they will fail to give the correct command in time and the character will die. Ignoring internal distractions and ignoring external distractions are also both important. An extended blink or a glance away from the screen is all the time it takes to fail a level. And unlike other running games, the player only has a certain number of tries to save any one person. If they mess up a level too many times, they won't be able to finish it.

Self-Control

Managing our actions, feelings, and behaviors.

All is Lost applies more pressure than a lot of running games: the music is intense, the backdrop includes fires and explosions, and there is a limit to how many times you can attempt a level. All of this makes this game excellent for practicing controlling anger and frustration. If the player doesn't keep their emotions under control, their reaction time will be slower, they will fail levels quicker, and they will lose the humans they are trying to rescue. It also provides an opportunity to think about the future. If the player doesn't pay attention to multiple obstacles (and instead chooses to focus on only the next one in line) they will be more likely to react late, killing the character and reducing the player's chances at success for that level.

Time Management

Being efficient and aware of our use of time and effort.

Each level of All is Lost has an inherent element urgency. The character runs automatically and continuously, and if the player's brain and fingers don't keep up, the character will run right into (or off of) an obstacle. The player must "keep pace" by staying focused and managing how many attempts a specific level takes, because each character has a limited number of attempts at escape from the space station. If the player doesn't keep pace within this limit, they won't rescue the human and may even lose out on materials.

Working Memory

Players of the game have to navigate a terrain where the character does not stop moving. Obstacles in their way become more numerous as the level increases in difficulty. The player must use working memory to determine what moves they will use in real time to keep the character from stumbling or getting trapped in the spaceship.