DragonBox Numbers

Puzzle-based algebra game teaches concepts with cards and a box

Overview

DragonBox is an online algebra game that teaches basic algebra concepts with cards and a magical box, as opposed to traditional algebra symbols or instructions. As Wired’s GeekDad Jonathan Liu put it, “Within a couple hours, most kids playing DragonBox will be able to start solving simple algebraic equations, and what’s more, they’ll be having fun and they may not even know they’re learning algebra.” This is also true for students who don’t yet have a solid grasp of math.

While this can be impressive, it is not yet clear how teachers might incorporate the game into in-school learning. Gameplayers may learn the game’s principles quickly and advance rapidly, but they do so without any explanation of the algebraic rules and why they are the way they are, so may not be able to apply their knowledge in other contexts. In July, the company announced a partnership with the Center for Game Science at the University of Washington to test the game in over 100 schools in the U.S.

We Want To Know, the Norwegian company behind DragonBox, is working on more advanced sequels and plans to cover math before turning to other science-based games.