I should have reviewed this game sooner-I ordered my first copy during the Kickstarter campaign (left box) and then advanced order the ThinkFun version (right box) to get the expansion when they picked it up. Super simple idea that kids love, it teaches them the basics of programming (without the computer) and there are so many ways to make your own expansions. This post will focus on the ThinkFun version, now available at Target (!) and other retailers for the holiday season for about $25.
Components: 1 game board, 4 different colored robot turtle tiles with 4 matching jewel tiles; 4 Bug tiles (get it?), 4 decks of 44 cards each matching the turtles/jewels; 36 obstacle tiles (20 stone walls, 12 ice walls, 4 crates).
Setup:
Layout the game board so all players can reach it. Each player/team claims a turtle and places it in the right hand corner of the board on their side. The jewels are placed in the center 4 tile-spaces, with the color matching the turtle to the diagonal lower-right.
Each player then receives the deck matching their turtle color and Bug also matching the turtle color. The deck should be face up, and in the first game only contain the turn left, turn right, and step forward cards (yellow, purple, blue stripes).
Explanation:
There needs to be an adult or experiences turtle mover to play with students. Older students “volunteering” in the classroom work well after a teacher tutorial. The turtle mover must make silly noises when moving the turtles for the student programmers.
The yellow turn left cards allow the player to turn their turtle left towards the yellow flower on the turtle tile, but NOT take a step.
The purple turn right cards allow the player to turn their turtle right towards the purple flower on the turtle tile, but NOT take a step.
The blue step forward card allows the turtle to move forward one tile-space towards the blue flower on the turtle tile.
Each player may undo a move by tapping their Bug Tile and shouting BUG! This may be used as many times as needed in a turn.
Basic play
Turns proceed around the table in a circle from the starting player.
On their turn, a player picks a card from their deck and places it in front of them. It is added to the “program” of cards lined up in front of them beyond their first turn.
The Turtle Mover (adult, experienced player) then moves the turtle according to the new
card in front of the student. If a student uses the BUG! tile, they may change the card they just placed with the Turtle Mover moving the turtle. Programs should be read right to left. With younger students, it may be helpful to have a small turtle token to place on the current turn’s card so they can self-edit. I have also allowed them to run their program from the start, replacing the t
urtle in the corner tile and watching the entire program if needed.
In the above example, the blue turtle has gone forward 1 from the corner, turned left and advanced 2 spaces- when it should have only advanced 1 according to the program shown.
Play ends when every player has successfully run a program to lead their turtle to their jewel.
Included Expansions (Unlockables):
These should be introduced one at a time, but experienced players may choose to make very complicated obstacle paths. The rule book (and www.thinkfun.com/robotturtles includes diagrams for setting up obstacles on the board, but you can place them however you want.
1) Ice Walls: Turtles can’t walk through or push these, but they can use lasers (red-striped cards in the deck) to melt them. You should introduce the lasers AFTER the students can navigate around the ice walls.
2) Stone Walls: Again, can’t be pushed or knocked down- lasers won’t work on these.
3) Crates: Turtles may push the crate, unless there is a stone/ice wall, puddle, or turtle in the way (then it is too heavy). The crates also may NOT be pushed off the edge of the game board.
Write Program Version
When students are ready, you can challenge them to play several or all their cards in one turn to reach the jewel. This is a jump to “real programming”, when students must use strategy and try to get their turtle to the jewel in one go. The Obstacles should not be used the first time in Write Program, and the BUG tile is still available to completely undo the program and reset the board.
Function Frog
One Write Program has been mastered, Function Frog can be used. Function Frog allows a sequence of cards in the program to repeat- it introduces a loop to shorten the program. The main program has direction cards and the Function Frog cards- a separate sequence of cards is maintained which the Frog represents.
The Turtle Mover is the “computer” running the program. If the programmers try to do something illegal, like laser a jewel or crate, or push a turtle, the turtle tile should wiggle and make weird noise so that the Bug Tile needs to be used.
Variations
There are so many included already! But-
1) Players can play in pairs to make it more cooperative. It may work to have one programmer and one mover on each team that switch regularly, but having ONE Turtle Mover as an objective third party seems to work best.
2) I would have LOVED to make a giant version to use in a full class warm up. A Smartboard or overhead version could work too with different table teams trying write a successful program for a single turtle on the board with obstacles.
3) If the students have left/right concepts down, the turtle tiles and jewel tiles could be replaced with appropriate themed wooden/plastic pieces to change theme. You may have to make your own cards too…
DIY
Yes, you could make your own version using plastic bits and any theme you want. But this is a great product- put it on your classroom wish list, or see if other teachers will pitch in to get a class set that can be passed around. If you have any computer industry parents, they may be willing to secure 5-6 copies for class activities.
Paradise's Playroom 