Think and Learn Private Limited
Magic Math: Spell caster –
A Tower Difference Math Game
For Kids
Teaching complex math takeaways by engaging proven game mechanics
Web Application
India
Aakash+Byju’s Products Limited
The design process was data-led and purpose-driven:
Homework and Live Tests were given prime homepage placement to address low engagement
Progress indicators and clear CTAs guided students from start to finish
Related tools were grouped to reduce visual clutter and cognitive load
Micro-interactions added instant feedback, encouraging quick re-engagement
Built a modular, reusable design system to allow rapid iteration without disrupting the experience
By targeting previously underperforming sections, we turned them into high-engagement anchors of the platform.
DESIGN
BRIEF
I designed Magic Math: Spell Caster as an educational tower defense game for children aged 5–9, a project that bridges classrooms and homes. Players defend their kingdom from invading monsters by solving math challenges using a Phygital Abacus, playable through the Kloo Vision Stand.
With 600+ levels across 13 magical islands, 116 interactive worksheets, and four difficulty tiers, the game transforms math into an engaging journey where numbers become spells, turrets, and victories.
Players journey through 40 tropical islands and 790 timed levels, mastering math fluency while exploring a world of rewards, collectibles, and quests.
DISCOVER
In early research, I identified a major gap:
Most math games were either too academic, drills and worksheets, or too shallow, with no progression or cognitive depth.
Children needed a game that could be:
-
Fun-first: Built around tower defense mechanics and a magical fantasy world.
-
Curriculum-aligned: Covering addition, subtraction, place value, ordering, and multiplication.
-
Accessible: Playable through both physical and digital inputs, adapting to each learner’s pace.
Playtesting validated this approach. Children didn’t just play; they leaned in with genuine focus, persistence, and excitement. Even typically distracted learners remained engaged, while teachers observed healthier attention spans and cooperative play emerging naturally.
CHALLENGE
The biggest challenge was blending curriculum rigor with fast-paced play, ensuring that gameplay was educationally sound yet thrilling to repeat.
To succeed, I had to:
-
Sustain the tension of tower defense without cognitive overload.
-
Support both phygital abacus, KLOO stand and fully digital gameplay modes.
-
Scale difficulty dynamically from Beginner → Mastery for every learner type.
-
Build intrinsic motivation and stickiness so math became a daily habit, not a chore.
It required an adaptive system that could balance learning, engagement, and performance seamlessly.
DEFINE
Structured Magic Math’s learning design around global K–3 math curricula, ensuring that every challenge mapped to measurable outcomes:
-
Addition & subtraction
-
Number ordering & sequencing
-
Place values & expanded forms
-
Comparisons (greater than, less than)
-
Basic multiplication
Each loop - from solving to feedback, reinforced understanding through adaptive correction, immediate response, and self-assessment. The system rewarded persistence, not perfection.
WIREFRAME
I mapped the gameplay loop around one simple yet powerful rhythm:
Solve math → charge turret → cast spell → defeat monsters → earn stars → unlock new levels
-
Correct answers triggered attacks; wrong ones caused delays but encouraged retry.
-
Boss battles at the end of each island tested cumulative learning.
-
A separate worksheet mode included 116 gamified practice sessions for reinforcement.
This ensured that every action, win, or retry remained tightly connected to learning objectives.
DESIGN
The design approach was holistic, blending clarity, immersion, and habit formation.
UI Design:
-
Child-first layouts with large, tactile buttons and minimal text.
-
Intuitive iconography supported pre-readers.
-
HUD elements (math prompt, abacus input, wave tracker, castle health) positioned for instant comprehension.
UX Design:
-
Each interaction flowed logically from math problem → input → spell → feedback.
-
Wrong answers delayed spells but prompted guided correction instead of punishment.
Character Design:
-
Friendly wizards, colorful monsters, and mythical bosses made math feel heroic.
-
Characters served learning functions, reinforcing motivation and progress.
FTUE (First-Time User Experience):
-
The onboarding taught the entire loop in under 30 seconds: solve → cast → see result.
-
This frictionless entry established mastery and confidence instantly.
Adaptive Levels:
-
Dynamic difficulty adjustment kept each learner in the optimal challenge zone.
Motion & Meta Design:
-
Magical spell effects, particle bursts, and boss animations created emotional reward.
-
Thirteen islands, collectibles, and quests sustained long-term replay and excitement.
Retention Design:
I approached retention as a structured progression of engagement:
D1 – First Hook:
-
Kids mastered the basic loop within 30 seconds.
-
Visual prompts and lively feedback kept entry effortless.
D2 – Return Incentives:
-
Daily streak rewards and collectible monster cards built curiosity.
-
Slight difficulty increase encouraged mastery.
D3 – Early Stickiness:
-
New islands, visuals, and boss fights reignited attention.
-
Worksheet mode brought parents into the loop, reinforcing learning continuity.
D4–D5 – Deepening Engagement:
-
Unlockable spells, bonuses, and quests expanded replayability.
-
Peer competition naturally emerged during group play sessions.
D6 – Building Habit:
-
Mixed-operation levels revealed measurable learning gains.
-
Visual spells and rewards reinforced progress.
D7 – Long-Term Loop:
-
Boss battles tested cumulative knowledge, offering “big win” closure.
-
New island unlocks and collectibles kept the experience fresh.
By the end of the first week, math had naturally integrated into playtime — no longer a task, but a habit.
Delivery
The game was built as a cross-platform game built in Unity, optimized for Android tablets and classroom displays.
Technology Stack:
-
Unity for gameplay and animation
-
Playfab + Firebase for analytics, progression, and retention tracking
-
Branch.io for deep linking
-
Spine, Maya, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma for characters, motion, and UI design
Package Deliverables:
-
600+ levels, 13 themed islands, 116 adaptive worksheets
-
Four-tier progression system (Beginner → Mastery)
-
Teacher and parent dashboards for performance insights
-
Scalable design system ready for new subjects and future expansions
Conclusion
Magic Math: Spell Caster proved that math can be as immersive and exciting as a fantasy tower defense game.
During classroom playtests, children picked up the mechanics almost instantly, showing genuine excitement, unwavering focus, and a healthy sense of competition. Teachers reported increased attention spans, collaboration, and enthusiasm across all sessions.
Completion rates climbed to 95%, with learners not just starting tasks but finishing them consistently. Stickiness rose steadily as boss battles, rewards, and worksheet modes encouraged return play and progressive mastery.
Retention Data & Key Drivers
-
D1 Retention: 46% - Driven by a frictionless FTUE and an instantly rewarding first spellcast.
-
D3 Retention: 31% - Sustained through collectibles, worksheet variety, and early boss fights that reinforced achievement.
-
D7 Retention: 18% - Anchored by progression systems, meta layers, and peer competition during group sessions.
Every design decision, from UI and UX to character design, adaptive level flow, FTUE, motion effects, and meta systems, was intentionally aligned with these retention milestones. Each layer served a purpose to sustain engagement, build confidence, and make math a habit rather than an obligation.
Magic Math wasn’t just a game, it was a curriculum-aligned, play-driven ecosystem where children defended castles, cast spells, and mastered math through joy and repetition.
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together!
The design process was data-led and purpose-driven:
Homework and Live Tests were given prime homepage placement to address low engagement
Progress indicators and clear CTAs guided students from start to finish
Related tools were grouped to reduce visual clutter and cognitive load
Micro-interactions added instant feedback, encouraging quick re-engagement
Built a modular, reusable design system to allow rapid iteration without disrupting the experience
By targeting previously underperforming sections, we turned them into high-engagement anchors of the platform.
DESIGN
We began with a simple but critical question: Why aren’t students engaging as much as they could?
With no dedicated research team, we became the researchers:
Conducted quick interviews and “Mom Tests” with students to surface pain points
Analysed usage analytics, student feedback, and user flow data
Observed that 80–90% of students logged in but struggled to reach their classes
Found Homework and Live Test modules hidden in plain sight at critical user touch points
Identified inconsistent navigation between desktop and mobile
Discovered there was no journey map to visualise the end-to-end student experience, making it difficult to track and address drop-offs
These findings laid the groundwork for a redesign strategy that addressed both product interface and service workflows.
CHALLENGE
The platform was packed with valuable tools but lacked structure, focus, and intuitive pathways. Students weren’t completing key actions, and engagement was uneven.
We had to:
Boost Homework and Live Test adoption by making them visible, accessible, and rewarding
Increase stickiness by designing habit-forming flows and re-engagement triggers
Reduce confusion with a clear hierarchy, consistent layouts, and simplified navigation
Resolve technical blockers limiting the “Prepare & Analysis” section in the Test Space
Address the absence of a service design framework and align all user touch points to reduce outbound calls and support queries
This was not just a UI refresh — it was a full-service design overhaul requiring deep coordination between design, product, and engineering.
DEFINE
From the research, we set clear objectives:
Elevate Homework and Live Test modules across all devices and touch points
Improve completion rates through guided, intuitive interaction flows
Boost repeat engagement with visible progress and timely feedback loops
Build a scalable design system that would evolve with the product
To support these goals, we created a comprehensive service design map — plotting the entire student journey from login to task completion. This became the master blueprint for reducing drop-offs, improving visibility, and ensuring seamless transitions between touch points.
WIREFRAME
We worked quickly, iterating on structure before committing to visuals:
Low-fidelity wireframes mapped new module placements and flows
Multiple layout variations tested for priority actions like homework submission and test preparation
Stakeholder reviews ensured alignment with service workflows and technical feasibility
DESIGN
The design process was data-led and purpose-driven:
Homework and Live Tests were given prime homepage placement to address low engagement
Progress indicators and clear CTAs guided students from start to finish
Related tools were grouped to reduce visual clutter and cognitive load
Micro-interactions added instant feedback, encouraging quick re-engagement
Built a modular, reusable design system to allow rapid iteration without disrupting the experience
By targeting previously underperforming sections, we turned them into high-engagement anchors of the platform.
Inteligen Games and Robotics Private Limited
Magic Math: Spellcaster – A Tower Difference Math Game
For Kids
Merging tower defense, curriculum design, and abacus-based gameplay into a magical math adventure.
Inteligen / Kloo
India
Mobile App
![Image [wpdm-img]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/18714b_fb4e0d36da5c4aaf8a70826e6b533939~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_551,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/18714b_fb4e0d36da5c4aaf8a70826e6b533939~mv2.png)
BRIEF
I designed Magic Math: Spell Caster as an educational tower defense game for children aged 5–9, a project that bridges classrooms and homes. Players defend their kingdom from invading monsters by solving math challenges using a Phygital Abacus, playable through the Kloo Vision Stand.
With 600+ levels across 13 magical islands, 116 interactive worksheets, and four difficulty tiers, the game transforms math into an engaging journey where numbers become spells, turrets, and victories.
Players journey through 40 tropical islands and 790 timed levels, mastering math fluency while exploring a world of rewards, collectibles, and quests.
DISCOVER
In early research, I identified a major gap:
Most math games were either too academic, drills and worksheets, or too shallow, with no progression or cognitive depth.
Children needed a game that could be:
-
Fun-first: Built around tower defense mechanics and a magical fantasy world.
-
Curriculum-aligned: Covering addition, subtraction, place value, ordering, and multiplication.
-
Accessible: Playable through both physical and digital inputs, adapting to each learner’s pace.
Playtesting validated this approach. Children didn’t just play; they leaned in with genuine focus, persistence, and excitement. Even typically distracted learners remained engaged, while teachers observed healthier attention spans and cooperative play emerging naturally.
CHALLENGE
The biggest challenge was blending curriculum rigor with fast-paced play, ensuring that gameplay was educationally sound yet thrilling to repeat.
To succeed, I had to:
-
Sustain the tension of tower defense without cognitive overload.
-
Support both phygital abacus , KLOO stand and fully digital gameplay modes.
-
Scale difficulty dynamically from Beginner → Mastery for every learner type.
-
Build intrinsic motivation and stickiness so math became a daily habit, not a chore.
It required an adaptive system that could balance learning, engagement, and performance seamlessly.
DEFINE
Structured Magic Math’s learning design around global K–3 math curricula, ensuring that every challenge mapped to measurable outcomes:
-
Addition & subtraction
-
Number ordering & sequencing
-
Place values & expanded forms
-
Comparisons (greater than, less than)
-
Basic multiplication
Each loop - from solving to feedback, reinforced understanding through adaptive correction, immediate response, and self-assessment. The system rewarded persistence, not perfection.
WIREFRAME
I mapped the gameplay loop around one simple yet powerful rhythm:
Solve math → charge turret → cast spell → defeat monsters → earn stars → unlock new levels
-
Correct answers triggered attacks; wrong ones caused delays but encouraged retry.
-
Boss battles at the end of each island tested cumulative learning.
-
A separate worksheet mode included 116 gamified practice sessions for reinforcement.
This ensured that every action, win, or retry remained tightly connected to learning objectives.
DESIGN
The design approach was holistic, blending clarity, immersion, and habit formation.
UI Design:
-
Child-first layouts with large, tactile buttons and minimal text.
-
Intuitive iconography supported pre-readers.
-
HUD elements (math prompt, abacus input, wave tracker, castle health) positioned for instant comprehension.
UX Design:
-
Each interaction flowed logically from math problem → input → spell → feedback.
-
Wrong answers delayed spells but prompted guided correction instead of punishment.
Character Design:
-
Friendly wizards, colorful monsters, and mythical bosses made math feel heroic.
-
Characters served learning functions, reinforcing motivation and progress.
FTUE (First-Time User Experience):
-
The onboarding taught the entire loop in under 30 seconds: solve → cast → see result.
-
This frictionless entry established mastery and confidence instantly.
Adaptive Levels:
-
Dynamic difficulty adjustment kept each learner in the optimal challenge zone.
Motion & Meta Design:
-
Magical spell effects, particle bursts, and boss animations created emotional reward.
-
Thirteen islands, collectibles, and quests sustained long-term replay and excitement.
Retention Design:
I approached retention as a structured progression of engagement:
D1 – First Hook:
-
Kids mastered the basic loop within 30 seconds.
-
Visual prompts and lively feedback kept entry effortless.
D2 – Return Incentives:
-
Daily streak rewards and collectible monster cards built curiosity.
-
Slight difficulty increase encouraged mastery.
D3 – Early Stickiness:
-
New islands, visuals, and boss fights reignited attention.
-
Worksheet mode brought parents into the loop, reinforcing learning continuity.
D4–D5 – Deepening Engagement:
-
Unlockable spells, bonuses, and quests expanded replayability.
-
Peer competition naturally emerged during group play sessions.
D6 – Building Habit:
-
Mixed-operation levels revealed measurable learning gains.
-
Visual spells and rewards reinforced progress.
D7 – Long-Term Loop:
-
Boss battles tested cumulative knowledge, offering “big win” closure.
-
New island unlocks and collectibles kept the experience fresh.
By the end of the first week, math had naturally integrated into playtime — no longer a task, but a habit.
Delivery
The game was built as a cross-platform game built in Unity, optimized for Android tablets and classroom displays.
Technology Stack:
-
Unity for gameplay and animation
-
Playfab + Firebase for analytics, progression, and retention tracking
-
Branch.io for deep linking
-
Spine, Maya, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma for characters, motion, and UI design
Package Deliverables:
-
600+ levels, 13 themed islands, 116 adaptive worksheets
-
Four-tier progression system (Beginner → Mastery)
-
Teacher and parent dashboards for performance insights
-
Scalable design system ready for new subjects and future expansions
Conclusion
Magic Math: Spell Caster proved that math can be as immersive and exciting as a fantasy tower defense game.
During classroom playtests, children picked up the mechanics almost instantly , showing genuine excitement, unwavering focus, and a healthy sense of competition. Teachers reported increased attention spans, collaboration, and enthusiasm across all sessions.
Completion rates climbed to 95%, with learners not just starting tasks but finishing them consistently. Stickiness rose steadily as boss battles, rewards, and worksheet modes encouraged return play and progressive mastery.
Retention Data & Key Drivers
-
D1 Retention: 46% - Driven by a frictionless FTUE and an instantly rewarding first spellcast.
-
D3 Retention: 31% - Sustained through collectibles, worksheet variety, and early boss fights that reinforced achievement.
-
D7 Retention: 18% - Anchored by progression systems, meta layers, and peer competition during group sessions.
Every design decision, from UI and UX to character design, adaptive level flow, FTUE, motion effects, and meta systems, was intentionally aligned with these retention milestones. Each layer served a purpose to sustain engagement, build confidence, and make math a habit rather than an obligation.
Magic Math wasn’t just a game, it was a curriculum-aligned, play-driven ecosystem where children defended castles, cast spells, and mastered math through joy and repetition.