SumQuest

About SumQuest

SumQuest is maths-based brain training game that focuses on Mathematical addition to boost your mental math ability. The application is suitable for various abilities and has a PEGI 3 rating making the content suitable for all age groups. There are various levels of difficulty to choose from as well as various gameplay modes. SumQuest is ideal for individual learning and ideal for playing with family and friends. Solve each game with quick thinking strategic moves to receive rewards or use one of the many in-play features to help you improve your time.

The application displays 3rd party in-app adverts and has in-app purchases where the user can purchase further coins or power-ups. The application does display several options that are currently locked which will feature in future updates. It is noted that the application plays in a portrait mode.

The application opens with a delightful and beautifully presented home screen. The welcome message introduces the user to a small tutorial that explains the aim of the game, the dice roll, the target, the re-roll feature, quest tiles, power-ups and the coins. All of this will be covered below.

Returning to the home screen the user has the option to log in with Facebook or Apple along with the terms and conditions. Alternatively, the user can simply sign in as a guest.

The main home screen displays the following options:

•           The Store – The user has the option to purchase further power-ups and coins via this feature.

•           Game Settings – The user has the option to adjust the music, sound effects and in-app notifications.

•           The Rules – An ideal feature to remind the user of the game’s rules and educational value.

•           The Board Game – A feature that will appear shortly. 

•           My Profile – A valuable insight into the user’s profile and performance. Here the user can see the games played, their best time for solving a game and the total game time played. It appears that this feature is only activated if the user is signed in via social media or Apple.

Once the user has entered the game they are shown several additional menus, these include:

•           The Player Option – Only Single Player mode is available at present with Multi-player and on-line mode coming soon.

•           The Game Mode – Only a Tutorial and Time Trial mode is available at present with Quest Mode and Standard Mode coming soon.

•           Difficulty – Levels of difficulty include Easy, Medium and Hard with a Genius level coming soon.

Once the options have been chosen the user starts with 30 silver coins as displayed on the screen. Once the dice have been stopped this will determine which number you must create using addition. The more tiles you can use the better. Once the tiles have been selected the dice are rolled again. An incorrect addition is signified by a tile wobble. Once an addition sequence has been found such as the number 4 using a 3 tile plus a 1 tile, the tiles are removed. Whilst the game is being played the user can refer to the helpful icons on the screen, these include The number of coins the player has, the number that has been rolled on the dice, the number of re-rolls the user has and the timer. If the user is struggling they have the option of using the power-up features displayed at the bottom of the screen.

These include The Time freeze option, The Hammer tile elimination tool, The SumQuest tiles to remove a tile between the lowest and highest tile, the Splitting icon to split tiles of even numbers and the dice changer to change the value on the dice. The game also uses a ‘+’ icon tile which can be used to eliminate single numbers.

When the game has been completed or the user has run out of time the game displays the following information.

The time taken to complete the game, the Time Penalty which reflects the number of tiles left in the game (one minute per tile), tiles remaining and the coins the user has collected. The game can be replayed thereafter.

It is noted that the game rewards the user with a set amount of coins daily and coins for when Achievements have been met. These can be seen in the ‘My Profile’ section of the application and include Achievements for hours played, use of power-ups, finishing an easy game in under three minutes and much more. Our users enjoyed the Achievements section and found this as a source of motivation.

Is the SumQuest easy to use?

SumQuest is an incredibly powerful application and the menu systems and features are very easy to navigate. The application has a clean look to the interface and the graphics are user friendly. At no point does the screen look over cluttered. Each of the menus can be easily accessed and the gameplay works seamlessly.

How will parents benefit?

Parents can set their child off and running with the application with very little support from the outset. Not only is the application great fun it also has educational value improving mental math ability. The range of levels are good for differentiated learning and the Profile section is good for monitoring progress.

How will teachers benefit?

Teachers can set their students off and running with the application with very little support from the outset. Teacher addition at any level can sometimes be difficult as well as uninspiring. This application brings a fun, exciting, competitive platform that can be used by all ages.

How will the user benefit?

It’s great fun! Our users found the application a delight to use and kept playing the game again and again. They particularly enjoyed the differentiation of gameplay, there is something for everyone!

What we love about the SumQuest

The developers can be congratulated on the opening instructions for the application. This made the application easy to understand and gave an educational focus for the game. It was reassuring that not only did the application provide a detailed tutorial but also providing the user with what they will gain mathematically from the app.

The levels of difficulty are a welcomed feature and enable the user to focus on their mathematical ability with the option to challenge themselves once they have built up their confidence.

We love the quality of this application and the graphical layout. It has a highly polished feel to the app and the menus are easy to read and the interface is very intuitive. The addition of the power-up features are a nice touch and bring an additional element of fun to the game.

For a parent or teacher, the Profile section of the application is a valuable educational tool for assessing progress. This is ideal for recognising gaps in learning or for teachers who wish to use certain games to support a child’s progress.

What the SumQuest could improve on

SumQuest is an excellent application and there is a limited amount of improvements that can be made, however, we have suggested the following:

• The developers might consider the ability to skip the tutorial if the application has been re-started.
• The developers may want to add information to where this would fit into the educational curriculum for certain age groups such as Key Stage 1 and 2 for the UK market and the Common Core standards for the US market. Parents are often keen to know that games such as these do have real educational value that are linked to official curriculum content.
• The developers may consider a parental lock when signing in via Social media and Mobile phone accounts.
• The developers may consider a login in feature for multiple users. This could be ideal for a classroom situation where a competitive element may ensue. As an added feature the user could have an associated personal avatar.
• The developers should consider different colours for the power-up features. Keeping all the power-up icons the same colour could affect those who are visually impaired or those with dyslexia. Using different colours could make the power-ups more recognisable for inclusive access.
• The developers may consider adding different currency options for the in-app purchases and a parental lock feature before purchase. 
• This application is highly addictive. The developers could consider a screen time limit for those parents who may be concerned that their child is playing for too long. Time flies when you are having fun!
• Our users became a little frustrated that the dice has to be rolled after every set of tiles have been found. We felt that this gave a very stop/start feel to the gameplay. The developers may consider allowing the users to find more than one set of tile additions before the dice are rolled again.
• The developers may want to consider the penalty time for a tile that has been left. We did feel that 10 seconds would be more adequate rather than 10 minutes per tile. Our users found they worked hard on the game only to be penalised with a large amount of time.
• The developers could provide links to achievement certificates that could be printed for the user.

How much does SumQuest cost?

SumQuest is free initially on with allocation of 30 coins. Further coins are awarded daily or through unlocked achievements. Coins and power-ups can also be purchased through the application at an additional cost.

Is SumQuest safe to use?

Yes. The application does require an account and email to start with, however, there is a Guest login for those who do not wish to connect accounts. The application does not contain any offensive elements and the 3rd party ads are age-appropriate.

Overall Rating

SumQuest is by far one of the best maths-based brain training game games we have played. Not only does it come with a user-friendly platform and a variety of content the application encourages your child to boost their mental maths ability whether it's playing individually, challenging classmates of simply playing with the family. SumQuest comes highly recommended by The EducationalAppStore.com

You can download SumQuest on your iOS or Android devices from the app stores. Download the SumQuest app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.