How the Game Works

Ahead of the NumBots Family launch on the 25th February, we would like to share with you a step-by-step walkthrough of how the game works and what it looks like:

Before the Game
Children are welcomed to the game with an opening video, where they are introduced to the central character, “Rusty”. In the video, Rusty asks for help in his quest to find new parts to upgrade him to a diamond robot, so he can “shine inside and out, like a Diamond”. Next, the child will be able to choose a bot name they will play under, as well as their own robot character.

Playing the Game: Story Mode
The game starts in ‘Story Mode’. Here there are 18 stages which each contain multiple levels. Children’s NumBots journey will start on Stage 1 (Rust): Level 1. To unlock the next level, they are required to pass each level with at least 2 out of 3 stars. Once they’ve completed all the levels in Rust Stage, they will be taken to Stage 2 (Iron). As they progress through the levels, they will collect new parts to upgrade Rusty, with the ultimate goal of completing the eighteenth stage: Diamond.

In order to earn the 2 or 3 stars required to pass the level, children must demonstrate a level of fluency when answering the questions. This means they must be accurate and timely with their answers; if children get 0 or 1 stars they need to answer more quickly. We will not move a child onto the next level until we are sure they are prepared for it – which is why they must prove they’ve mastered the previous skill.

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Story Mode starts with very basic maths: subitising numbers. As the levels have been meticulously planned with a “teaching for mastery” approach, each level gradually develops in complexity, with one skill building upon the next.

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Playing the Game: Challenge Mode
When children complete Stage 3 (Tin): Level 35 in Story Mode, they will unlock Challenge Mode. Here children can race the clock to test themselves on how many questions they can answer correctly in one minute. Children have 20 different challenges to choose from; each challenge testing a different skill, for example number bonds to 10. This means that they can select the particular skill that they wish to improve their time on and as a result, progress up the class (or family) leaderboard.

The Custom Shack
For every maths question answered correctly, the child will receive coins to spend in the Custom Shack. Here, they are able to purchase new parts to upgrade and personalise their own robot character. As well as earning coins, children are kept motivated throughout their NumBots journey by collecting badges and winning trophies to reward their achievements.

Support
You as a parent/teacher/tutor can also monitor your child or pupils’ progression using the Stats section. If a child is stuck on a level, it will be highlighted so that you can see where you may need to intervene and support the child in helping them to improve a particular skill. Following this, you can download certificates to celebrate children’s achievements, or just to present to your child as a reward for their hard work!