PLAYBOOKS: THE INTERNET

Octa Ball

Try to score the ball in this exciting game based loosely on air hockey. Bounce the ball off the walls and around your opponent and race to be the first to score 10 points.

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Game play alone results in modest improvements in real-world executive skills. Please refer to our Playbook Tutorial, general coaching and comprehensive guides to transfer game skills to sustainable real-life behaviors.

QUICK FACTS

Game Type: Action
Platform/Console: Internet
Other Requirements: Adobe Flash Player
LWK Recommended Age: 5+

 

This Game is Good for Kids Who Need Help With:

• Managing their money (organization)
• Staying focused during a long ordeal (sustained attention)

What You Need to Know About the Game:

Reading ability is required for the instructions and tips offered by the game.

How to find it:
http://www.addictinggames.com/octaball.html

Controls, game basics, and instructions:
The player controls the “chariot” (the thing used to hit the sphere) using the mouse. The player must bounce the sphere into the goal area while avoiding turrets that shoot at the players. Running into the opponent’s chariot will deal damage to both the player and the opponent.

Solutions:

No walkthroughs exist for this game, but the game offers some basic tips on the start screen.

This Game Helps Your Kids With Organization:

This game is good for kids who need help with managing their money, because they must

• Save money to buy improved chariots. Players must decide whether to buy a new chariot immediately or save up to buy an even better chariot, while also taking into account the cost of repairs to their current chariot. A new chariot immediately means more armor, but the long-term benefit of saving for a more expensive chariot will be better armor. Players who don't save up for better chariots will find opponents more difficult to beat since the opponent's chariot keeps getting better. If the player collides with the opponent or is shot by a turret, the chariot takes damage. Players who fail to repair their chariots after a few matches will become easier to destroy. Cash is earned by playing matches. More cash is earned by winning them.

Talking Points:

• How did you get a chariot that had more armor than your original one?
• How did saving your money help you to get this chariot and win more matches?
• How is saving money in “Octa Ball” like saving money in real life to buy something you’ve wanted for a long time?

Making it Real:

• Develop strategies to assist children to visualize the steps of starting, organizing, and completing a project. Visual instructions such as those with a Lego model or a piece of furniture with “some assembly required” can be useful. These models can help children construct their own types of “hard copy” of a visual model or of using mental visualization skills. Encourage use of these steps when children have a multi-step project to do.

This Game Helps Your Kids With Sustained Attention:

This game is good for kids who need help with staying focused during a long ordeal, because they must:

• Remain engaged not only during one entire match, but during many more matches. Players cannot advance in the game (gain a higher rank) unless they play many, many matches. Repeatedly losing matches will slow advancement, which is why players must be on their toes all the time to win matches and advance more quickly through the game.

Talking Points:

• How do you reach a higher rank in "Octa Ball"?
• How did staying focused help you advance to higher rankings?
• How is remaining engaged for multiple matches in “Octa Ball” like staying focused during an entire school day?

Making it Real:

• Use competition to sustain attention. Challenge children to see who will fully complete their tasks before the others. For instance, have a “race” to see if your child can complete a portion of his/her homework prior to you completing the task of putting the food away after grocery shopping. Competition often serves to help children sustain their focus. If children have a competitive nature, talk to them about coming up with their own strategies for competing against themselves or others. Attempt to engage siblings, friends, or other caregivers in these friendly “competitions.