Comments on: Learnding

Learnding

Frasermoo — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:45:06 -0800

Questionaut is a charming flash application from the very talented Amanita. Kotaku jokingly calls it a 'Juvenile Timewaster', but how juvenile is it?

By: ninazer0

ninazer0 — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:58:29 -0800

I just came across this via JayIsGames and thought it was so cute. The artwork is really lovely. I wish there were more fun little things like this. And no, I have no shame about playing a kids game. Because it's just that damn cute.

By: Frasermoo

Frasermoo — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:01:05 -0800

I challenge the fact it's a kid's game. I got a few questions wrong and I'm way past being a kid... by age.

By: pravit

pravit — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:18:05 -0800

I enjoyed this, thanks! Very cute.

By: ninazer0

ninazer0 — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:22:38 -0800

Heh, well my old hippy school didn't bother teaching grammar and I was too busy passing notes to pay attention in math, so yeah - I got a few wrong too.

By: mrmojoflying

mrmojoflying — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:23:25 -0800

but how juvenile is it Juvenile in that it is an overt learning tool with questions that correspond to specific educational outcomes (looks like something around 6-7th grade). What I find surprising is that it is also charming and interesting. I got a few questions wrong You aren't drilled on this stuff until it makes you weep with rage.

By: pwally

pwally — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:24:40 -0800

I am now in a weird mood, thanks.

By: itchylick

itchylick — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:43:33 -0800

Nice artwork.

By: gemmy

gemmy — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:45:41 -0800

Absolutely adorable! The art was really charming, and the music fit too. My goofing off in math class at around 6th/7th grade really showed, too, which was funny.

By: steef

steef — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:47:31 -0800

That was good fun, and pretty. I knew it was the Samorost guy as soon as it loaded. Samorost 1 and 2 still set the bar for "juvenile" timewasters.

By: ArgentCorvid

ArgentCorvid — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:59:13 -0800

the floating pot pie one took me way too long to figure out.

By: Cochise

Cochise — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:04:39 -0800

Okay, I'm going to look like an idiot, but how do I get started on stage 3? I can't figure out what to click or do. Let the mocking begin. . .

By: tickingclock

tickingclock — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:08:59 -0800

Which one is stage 3?

By: tickingclock

tickingclock — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:09:46 -0800

(I've beaten the game and would love to help, but don't recall what stage 3 is.)

By: dhartung

dhartung — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:24:05 -0800

Metafilter: Each day had its own bar.

By: Citizen Premier

Citizen Premier — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:29:47 -0800

I missed one because I don't know what a conjunction is. In my defense, they don't teach grammar in American schools.

By: sexyrobot

sexyrobot — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:46:56 -0800

3? is that the one with the animals? pull someones tail...

By: small_ruminant

small_ruminant — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:21:01 -0800

Stage 3 took me forever too. Cute! Thanks!

By: dansdata

dansdata — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:54:52 -0800

What is the name of the substance you put in a balloon to make it lighter than air? a) Oxygen b) Fuel c) Lifting gas What is dansdata? a) A curmudgeon b) A spoilsport c) A nitpicker

By: phyrewerx

phyrewerx — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:26:21 -0800

For 3 - click on the cat's tail, then the little canary, then the owl. What's a lovely game. It's reassuring that the BBC would fund projects like these. I wish I know more people who could appreciate the beauty of these apps and the time and effort needed to do the art.

By: Salmonberry

Salmonberry — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:38:46 -0800

Aww man, kids these days are so lucky. When I was a kid we had to learn geometry the hard way. (Uphill, both ways, in the snow.)

By: rokusan

rokusan — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:58:10 -0800

Gorgeous.

By: zardoz

zardoz — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:02:32 -0800

Why won't the water boil?

By: OrangeDrink

OrangeDrink — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:06:48 -0800

Turn the gas even higher.

By: zardoz

zardoz — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:13:51 -0800

Nevermind, got it.

By: Serial Killer Slumber Party

Serial Killer Slumber Party — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:44:43 -0800

From now on I intend to learn strictly within a hot-air (or question gas) balloon.

By: scose

scose — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:51:02 -0800

the sound in this game is beautiful!

By: sidereal

sidereal — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 05:25:47 -0800

Can't get the pie stage (6). No clue. Not asking for one either. :)

By: TheWaves

TheWaves — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:02:15 -0800

Gorgeous game, love the graphics and sound. This strikes me as something that would be great for the Nintendo DS as a kind of surreal, imaginative brain training game for kids (and adults!), using the stylus to interact with the world.

By: a robot made out of meat

a robot made out of meat — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:07:13 -0800

Guess-my-interface-games: as fun as using non-standard regular expressions. I liked the word chopping guys

By: languagehat

languagehat — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:18:51 -0800

I can't get past the pie stage either, and I am asking for a clue. I assume the numbers have something to do with it, but I've clicked the colors in every arrangement I can think of and the old bastard just sits there shooting his binary digits at the colored columns. I want to get on to the last stage and I don't care how I do it. Hope me!

By: Sitegeist

Sitegeist — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:21:37 -0800

Languagehat, ten is a triangular number.

By: genefinder

genefinder — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:38:13 -0800

Citizen Premier - no Schoolhouse Rock in your house growing up (I guess this applied to a certain age group only). You should get the DVDs. It's still how I remember many rules of grammar.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:02:27 -0800

Languagehat, ten is a triangular number. Got it -- many thanks!

By: eric1halfb

eric1halfb — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:24:35 -0800

Not as "educational," but vectorpark is similar, and also charming. From the front page I recommend clicking on the box in the upper right hand corner. Enjoy! For the "educational" (and altruistic), but not as charming, try freerice.

By: robinrs

robinrs — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:39:25 -0800

Very cool artwork! Nice site. Thanks for the link.

By: robinrs

robinrs — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:40:39 -0800

the pie stage was interesting, I had a hard time figuring it out but finally did. Had a lot of trouble w/the questions in the battery stage though. This is a great mindbender even for adults.

By: sleep_walker

sleep_walker — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:11:26 -0800

absolutely gorgeous - when it loaded i was wishing there were 'adult' games as beautifully made, but upon reuniting the neighbour with his top hat i realise that it doesn't really matter - an engaging game is an engaging game.

By: MNDZ

MNDZ — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:13:36 -0800

sitegeist: excellent clue

By: small_ruminant

small_ruminant — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:28:06 -0800

I really enjoyed this but I think it's a bad learning tool- you have to know the answers already. It's more of a very pretty exam.

By: blahblahblah

blahblahblah — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:41:33 -0800

The serious games mailing list (don't ask) was just discussing this game, and someone called it "chocolate covered broccoli." I have to agree, a beautiful game covering up the worst kind of teaching. The things that make the game fun have nothing to do with the things that the game is trying to teach. It would be better without the quiz.

By: Squid Voltaire

Squid Voltaire — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:21:06 -0800

I agree, these are absolutely beautiful. I wish the questions were a little better, though. Nothing unusual, just the general complaint that (as with most multiple choice questions) they want a very specific level of thought--not too dumb, but not too bright either. Two parallel lines will a) Never cross b) Always cross c) It depends on how they are drawn Yeah, yeah, it's obvious, but I'd be the ten-year-old who was really proud of his non-Euclidean knowledge, and really irritated at being punished for it. And what was that earlier one about not needing to read every word of non-fiction? I think they meant "reference", right? Because I've encountered some beautiful non-fiction in my time... Who'd encourage little kids to skim The Right Stuff?

By: Mwongozi

Mwongozi — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:17:06 -0800

Just an FYI: This game is designed for Key Stage 2 kids, which means British children between the ages of 7 and 11. Hence the questions.

By: goodnewsfortheinsane

goodnewsfortheinsane — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:09:10 -0800

Wow, this is really well done. Thanks, it was fun to play! Also, nice to be 'confronted' with those lodged-in-back-of-mind factoids. I got a couple wrong, too.