The 2014 International American Toy Fair saw one very cool new game: Robot Turtles. Mashable reports that there was tons of interest in this new game. What is Robot Turtles, and where can you get it? We’ve got the scoop on this game, which is poised to be a big seller this holiday season.
1. Robot Turtles Teaches Kids 3+ How to Code
Robot Turtles is designed for kids aged 4-8, though some 3-year-olds are up to the task. The game is designed to be played with one adult, and between 1 and 4 kids.
The official site describes the game this way:
“Robot Turtles has a sneaky way of teaching kids – as young as preschoolers – the basics of programming. Inspired by the Logo programming language, the goal is for kids to get their turtle to a matching colored jewel. While kids get to be the programmers and have all the control, grownups act as the computer, following commands and making all sorts of goofy bops and beeps along the way. And, since Robot Turtles is played offline, it also allows for some good old-fashioned family game time!”
You can learn more about the game in the video above.
2. The Creator of Robot Turtles Has Serious Tech Cred
MAKE reports that Dan Shapiro, the creator of Robot Turtles, has some serious tech cred. Shapiro has worked at technology companies like Real Networks and Microsoft.
Shapiro is the father of two young children, and created the game partially as a way to give his kids an interesting game that was also age-appropriate.
3. Robot Turtles Was the Most-Backed Kickstarter Game, Ever
Robot Turtle is the most funded board game on @kickstarter. And it teaches kids how to code. #crowdfunding http://t.co/3QMeiKIvjg @mashable
— NEO Today (@neorls) February 19, 2014
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The Kickstarter page for Robot Turtles shows that the game’s creators were initially seeking just $25,000. In the end, Robot Turtles actually raised $631,230. The project had a total of 13,765 backers.
4. ‘Robot Turtles’ Have Been Around Since the 1940s
The Logo turtle, a robot before becoming a tiny triangle on an Apple ][, rises once again like the Phoenix. https://t.co/uvNvZG5Bs9
— Chaim Gingold (@cgingold) January 14, 2014
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Robot Turtles may be the hottest new tech toy in 2014, but this type of toy actually has roots that go back to the 1940s. Wikipedia notes that there was a line of “robot turtles” that used the Logo programming language to draw designs on paper. One notable brand was the Valiant Turtle. This turtle was sold from 1983-2011, and was controlled by infrared.
Plenty of other modern companies want in on turtle-mania. As seen in the tweet above, Play-I.com has some programmable robots for kids.
5. Robot Turtles Won’t Ship Til June 2014
Getting this for my son. As a bonus, it looks hard to break. Robot Turtles: The Board Game for Little Programmers – http://t.co/JmwhcRJT8g.
— Adam Stewart (@adstew) February 19, 2014
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While 25,000 copies of the game have already shipped to Kickstarter backers, the general public will have to wait til this summer to get their own Robot Turtles game. You can pre-order the game here for $25.
Considering getting someone an electronics gift this holiday season? Check out our Gifts section for tons of great gift recommendations, or visit our ultimate guides to the best gifts for women and best gifts for men.
