There are 625 possible Zoombinis, as well as a large cast of supporting characters (represented in a gender-fair manner) who populate and mediate the puzzles in Logical Journey of the Zoombinis. It is easy to feel successful, and to communicate about your progress in the game - for example, "I saved almost half the Zoombinis this time," "I've gotten to (or mastered) a particular puzzle," "I'm on a particular level," or "I've gotten X Zoombinis to Zoombiniville." Because you can make partial progress, getting only some Zoombinis through each puzzle, the game accommodates both extremes and everything in between. Not only does this keep children engaged with the game by providing an appropriate level of challenge, it allows for different levels in different portions of the game - at a more challenging level on the first leg, and easier level on the third.Īnother positive in terms of the equity of this game is that there are many layers of goals to work towards - from getting as many Zoombinis as possible through one puzzle to getting all 625 possible Zoombinis to Zoombiniville. Zoombini puzzles have four levels, from "not so easy" to "very very hard." As players experience success with sets of three puzzles, they are bumped up to a more challenging level of difficulty. Because puzzles can be solved in many different ways, using a variety of strategies, Zoombinis also welcomes different types of thinkers and learners. Others are immediately drawn into the challenge of making sense of the puzzles. Some children love designing the characters and become very invested in the narrative of shepherding and protecting those characters. There are many ways for children of all kinds to become involved in and excited about Zoombinis. Look for one feature, such as a red nose, that does not cause an allergic reaction."). What one cliff accepts, the other is allergic to. There is also a Help Button that gives written advice (but not answers) to the Zoombinis' guides (for example, "The Allergic Cliffs play by certain rules. Although this can be somewhat disconcerting to those who are used to games with few (if any) unknowns, the quality and quantity of the feedback given by the game is extremely helpful. Other than that, it is up to the player to investigate the screen and figure out what is being asked and how s/he might go about getting all the Zoombinis safely through.
A small oval of light also appears when a Zoombini is moved over the spot where it is to be placed. Arno gives feedback about which pizzas he likes and dislikes, but there are a limited number of tries in which to figure out his logical rule for "the perfect pizza."Įach puzzle in Zoombinis is introduced by a narrative screen (which can be clicked through) which gives you some hint about the upcoming puzzle.
At Pizza Pass, another favorite, the player must figure out which toppings (cheese, mushrooms, peppers, pepperoni, and/or sausage) Arno the troll wants on his pizza. Zoombinis that do not fit the rule are sneezed back by the cliffs. Players must notice that each of two bridges accepts (or doesn't accept) Zoombinis based on some rule (for example, Zoombinis with sunglasses go over the bottom bridge, all others over the top bridge).
When your band of Zoombinis gets to the Cliffs, you must find a way to get as many as possible across a chasm spanned by two bridges. These subjects are integrated so successfully into the narrative of the game that engagement with the story and the characters (very common among children we have observed playing this game), naturally leads to engagement with the mathematics.Īllergic Cliffs. Logical Journey of the Zoombinis is built around a varied set of 12 puzzles that draw from topics in discrete mathematics - sorting, organizing and analyzing data, hypothesis formation, set theory, logical reasoning, pattern finding, attribute comparison, and algebraic thinking. Published by: Brøderbund (Developed at TERC)
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