Mojobot (Board Games)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Publisher: ProjectLab
Currently running a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter with a couple of days left at the time of writing, the Mojobot is an ambitious edutainment project posing as a board game that actually teaches its players about coding. This concept enticed me for its commendable attempt to make coding more accessible and fun from a young age (4 years+). However, don't get your hopes up of being able to code your first game with this kit. While it won't do this, it will help you grasp the concepts required for coding and if it piques your interest enough, you can thereafter delve into more advanced coding classes or just use the Mojobot to introduce to children to what is possible through coding. This kit also helps in problem solving, math and logic skills for the younger ones.
This project is somewhat akin the easy-to-grasp coding program Scratch but unlike the latter which is confined to a screen, Mojobot offers a tangible option - tangible code if you wish (and I like the sound of that!). The essence of it all lies within the main console, coding tags and the Mojobot. By simply placing the coding tags into the main console slots, the user can easily command Mojobot to perform actions like moving, pick up tokens and show emotions. However the robot comes packed with more features like sound sensors that allow it to respond to claps, obstacle sensors to prevent it from bumping into stuff and a mic/speaker to record and play back what you say. With these packed in, the Mojobot can even function as a standalone toy outside of the board game. Indeed, Mojobot does a lot but ultimately you are in control since you dictate what it should do, just like codes do in a program.
To spice things up, the Mojobot kit comes with two easy to read booklets: one that gets you to embark on an adventure with Mojobot while learning how to control it and another booklet that details the rules of a multiplayer board game (up to 4 players). They both provide quite some fun, showcasing what the Mojobot is capable of. Moreover, everything is played on top of the modular map, which links areas in a puzzle fashion. This also allows you to come up with your own stories, missions and destination for your new robot friend by freestyling the way to arrange the pieces of the map. If you feel more DIY-y, you can even make your own map for your own projects but bear in mind that the squares need to correspond to the original ones as Mojobot is programed to move exact distances base on the original map.
Starting at $130 for the basic set on Kickstarter, the price might be a bit steep but investing in one for classrooms or a family gift can prove to be a worthy investment given the brilliant learn-by-playing approach implemented. Of note, the color scheme and general aesthetic is geared more towards a younger audience and I was skeptical about its appeal to older audiences but under the hood more serious stuff is in the works and seeing it all in action will definitely entice children and adults alike. If you can look past the minute “children’s toy” look, you will surely find an interesting product in the Mojobot.
Verdict
- Fun way to get introduced to coding concepts
- Comes with two different games
- Modular aspect of map
- Standalone feature of the Mojobot
- Cost
- Aesthetic might not instantly appeal to older audiences
