The BBC has revealed its fiendish side—tricking kids into learning how to code with a free Doctor Who game. The Doctor and the Dalek is available now on Android, iOS, and Amazon app stores, and combines a platforming adventure with an introduction to Boolean logic-based programming.
Peter Capaldi, the current incarnation of The Doctor, lends his voice to the game, which is written by series writer Phil Ford. Over three worlds and 12 levels, players will follow the hunt for the Orb of Fates, an ancient device from the Time War that unlocks the Starbane, a weapon that can wipe out whole solar systems—and is being fought over by the Daleks and Cybermen. The Doctor serves as mentor rather than main character, helping control a reprogrammed Dalek in search of the artefact.
The game was commissioned by BBC Learning, and ties into the government's new IT curriculum focusing on modern computer skills.
"We've been exploring various ideas since Tony Hall's speech in October 2012 when he announced the BBC would have a 2015 initiative focusing on inspiring a new generation to get creative with coding and digital technology," Jo Pearce, Executive Producer for BBC Doctor Who Interactive, tells WIRED.co.uk. "As our Doctor Who team has a digital team embedded within it and a key role of this team is to look for innovation opportunities in which we can entertain and inspire, we saw a great chance to be a part of this."
Early levels offer a fairly basic platformer experience, intercut with coding puzzles that must be solved in order to progress. Switching to isometric "TARDIS cam," with a command line at the bottom of the screen, the first is simple—tell the Dalek to change his outer shell color and speak to the Doctor, a total of two instructions from a selection of two. The second starts to introduce more complex commands in order to move the Dalek (affectionately called "Lumpy"), fire on a Cyberman, and activate a switch. As they progress, players will start to learn "if this, then that" concepts, and can take those principles into free play levels.
The interface is simple, dropping commands onto a timeline, almost like a video editing program. Programming talent is measured by the number of commands used to achieve the objective at hand, with players rewarded for the cleanest, shortest code with power-ups allowing Lumpy to float and use stun blasts.
Keeping the game entertaining for kids, as well as educational, was a prime concern for the development though. "We were clear from the start that the learning elements must be housed within a great game," says Pearce. "We also worked closely with Rik Cross, head of education at Code Club, and Tom Crick, senior lecturer in computing science at Cardiff Metropolitan University specifically on The Doctor and Dalek. And we also had a fantastic standalone storyline from one of our Doctor Who TV writers, Phil Ford."
"With all that knowledge and expertise we felt confident the game could help demystify basic coding logic and still be lots of fun, but we also knew that putting it in the hands of children and learning from them would be just as important," Pearce continues. "With help from pupils in Cardiff, Leeds and Midlothian we put early versions of the game through its paces [which] taught us a lot. For example, we knew that puzzle challenges were a highly effective way of presenting the coding elements, and that the completion of the puzzles must result in a vital reward. You can see that in the final game, with a range of coding puzzles that increase in complexity as users become more advanced."
The game, which can also be played online, is hoped to impact learning in schools. "We're also really interested in how this could help teachers, as we know that tablets are used as learning tools in the classroom and untethers children from a PC or desk," says Pearce.
The Doctor and the Dalek is just one aspect of the BBC's Make it Digital campaign. Expect to see similar efforts launched throughout 2015.
This story originally appeared on Wired UK.
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