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STEAM Board Games

Andre Bach on Flickr

I feel like Matt is selling me a used car here. Thanks to John for taking the camera here.

Who says learning can’t be fun? There are plenty of ways you can learn essential STEAM-related skills while also making a game out of it. If you find yourself bored over the Christmas holidays and want something to keep you entertained, pick up some of these brain-ticking games and get thinking!

Bloxels

Fancy making your own game, but can’t really code anything yet? Try Bloxels, the game within a game! Build levels using physical cubes on a grid, then scan it into the game’s app and watch as your level becomes a reality. This is a fantastic way to learn about grid-based game design without any of the code.

Code & Go Robot

Maze games are fun, but what if you’re not directly controlling the character going through the maze? WHat if you had to pre-program the character with the directions and see if you got the solution correct? This is the concept behind the Code & Go robot. Build a maze, program the little mouse, and let it go. See if you can beat the maze with just your mental deduction alone.

Roborally

If making a mouse go through a maze isn’t action-packed enough for you, why not pilot a battle bot instead? This board game has everyone take control of a battle droid who has to make it out of the other side of a gruelling obstacle course. The problem is, everyone has to pre-program their robots at the start of each turn, meaning everyone gets in each other’s way. The robots end up slamming each other into pits and firing at one another, regardless of if the pilots meant it or not!

Mastermind

Mastermind is a game all about logical deduction. One player secretly makes a code out of four colours, and the player has to decipher what the code is. The player’s only input is a board where they can arrange their guess of what the code is. Once the player locks in their guess, the code setter lets the player know if their guess’ colours are in the correct spot, are the correct colour but in the wrong place, or not in the code whatsoever. The player then keeps guessing until they work out the colour code.

Code Master

If you’d like to learn the logic behind programming before you jump into the real thing, try Code Master. This is a game that presents a world to you, which you have to beat to advance. The
problem is, you interact with the game using a code-inspired movement system. Instead of moving the hero where you like, you have to create a string of instructions which is designed to be similar to how a computer reads code. Get all the gems and reach the portal using your code to win the level!

Learn More

Bloxels

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FUFJ4ZQ/

Code & Go Robot

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A5YMCH4

Robo Rally

https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B01N8T7ACD/

Mastermind

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000DMBF

Code Master

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014993TCI/