Cato's Hike
| Category | Price | Seller | Device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | $4.99 | Hesham Wahba | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
"Who says that computer programming should only be left to the adults?... although Cato’s Hike is geared towards children, it can definitely unlock the little programmer in all of us." -- AppAdvice
Cato is a little boy who just like every little boy likes to go out and play. One fine day Cato was playing outside when a portal to another world opened up in front of him; a portal to another world!
Cato stepped through and discovered that this world unlike his own didn't follow the same rules. Every time he tried to take a step or an action he'd find himself stuck in place. Stuck that is until he finally discovered the rules in this universe: by writing a program for himself he would be able to overcome all obstacles and learn something new along the way!
Features:
* Simple programming interface using beautiful cards with pictures
* A visual manual to help guide parents and more interested users
* Loops, branches and if/else, goto labels, looking and chaining looks to look ahead, goto's, and simple memory using colored flags are the main tools used to introduce programming
* 60 levels and 12 tutorials (always working to add more!)
* Powerful map editor so you can create your own maps and puzzles and share with friends
* Preview your maps directly in the map editor to save time and test out your maps more quickly!
* Saves program progress so you can pick up at any time and iteratively develop
* Email your puzzle solutions to share your genius with others
* Beautiful artwork and amusing sound effects and music
* Puzzles ranging from easy to hard to teach different programming concepts without trying to force them
* Emailed maps include gorgeous screenshot of what you are sending so your friends know what to expect
* Cato's Hike teaches children (ages 5+) the essentials of programming and how to think about solving complex problems
* The challenges in there are solvable easily by children of all ages but more nuanced and complex solutions should challenge teenagers and parents alike!
* Just a fun puzzle game :)
Upcoming features:
* MORE LEVELS!
* Hints on harder levels
* Possibly more tutorial levels if enough ask for it
* Possible cloud-sync
Essentially, 'Cato’s Hike' is a universal game for the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch to teach kids and young children basic programming skills. The younger ones will obviously enjoy solving levels using simpler coding techniques but the hope is the older ones will pick up more advanced concepts like loops and branching as well as even more advanced concepts like a basic stack or memory! There is enough in here to keep everyone from children to parents engaged! More challenges are upcoming however so stay tuned!
As with all my projects I take this one very seriously and I hope you enjoy. I intend to continue improving Cato's Hike as much as possible and incorporate your feedback and suggestions as well as try to make it more intuitive and better able to convey the concepts it is setting out to teach. If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas, or bugs you'd like to report please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly at: [email protected]
Reviews
Pure Joy!
Brother Corporate
This game is highly polished, and you are not a programmer, you might not even know you are writing little programs in this game. I can't wait to try all the levels.
Could have been good.
Bkviperl
I loved the premise, the graphics are good, and the tutorial steps taught you the very basics. The problem is after those few levels you are left to your own with no explanation of what all options do. The is no help system beyond the first couple levels, which only teaches you about 20% of what you need to know. It really needs an explanation on what all the little pictures mean and how they relate together. For now I doubt I'll be playing this again. But I will keep an eye out for updates and if the developer provides some useful help and explanation, I know it could be good and I would play and change my rating.
Brilliant
DverRon
I'm having loads of fun re-learning programming with this app. Visually appealing, clever, and engaging. I find it a little slow to load some screens (particularly the tutorial instruction windows) but apart from that I think it's excellent. I wish I had a kid to try it out on. I've sent it to friends with kids so they can play too. Just last week I heard a tech reporter say that If you want to give your kids a great chance to have work in the future, make sure they know how to program. Besides that, it's a great way to teach and practice logical thinking.
Great teaching game
PhilEngr
Excellent game to teach kids the "if-then" concept. Also teaches self-learning and problem solving.
Fun and challenging
Mike.Beard
My 7 year old really likes this app and finds it a lot of fun. Good job.
Great for big kids, too!
SilentMist
I was just considering banging my head against the wall after reading 6 chapters or a book on programming. Now that I have Cato, I'm beginning to understand the overall logic of programming with out drowning in the endless and often peculiar details of a particular programming language. I still don't quite understand connectors (vs GOTO). As I'm a bit over 7 years old, I'd love to see a bit more guidance beyond where the tutorial ends. For example, tasks for the particular landscapes (cards to use or not use, a goal for the number of cards used, and then afterwards sample solutions).
Coding for the mature
Hobbit 14
I wanted to learn coding, but I'm not mathematical or computer savvy. I'm a sixty year old woman. Cato's Hike is teaching me the logic behind programs in a very entertaining and absorbing way. Really, I dream! Tiles and programs. I strongly recommend it.
Just what I was looking for!!!!
Alienowlfromouterspace
Great for anyone who wants to learn coding! Great for all ages!
