Typing Pets!
Okay, this is where things get real for Typio Online. Students, teachers and the Accessibyte devs all agreed some games would make Typio even more fun than it already is. But developing non-visual typing games isn’t an easy process. So many pre-existing typing games are the all the same thing…type a word as fast and accurate as you can. Isn’t that the same goal as the typing lessons? Standard typing programs may rely on visual themes for keeping students engaged during these games but that doesn’t quite work for blind or visually impaired users. So it was determined any sort of games in Typio would need to be audibly engaging and different than just typing words quickly and accurately. With that in mind, the Typing Pet was born!
Typing Pets are unique and customizable little creatures. Students can change the visual and audible components of their pet by earning coins through typing practice, then spending those coins on various games or snacks for their pets. Each pet is given a unique personality, voice and description which students can check at anytime. Best of all, the Typing Pets are a catalyst for all sorts of games.
So how does this all come together?
Training
Once a Typing Pet has hatched, students can train it. This enforces practice of the Progress Mode, Lesson Practice, Mini Review and Custom Lessons, all while the Typing Pet is on-screen verbalizing the keypresses students make. At the end of the training lesson, students are awarded coins to spend on their pet. Each training mode offers a different number of coins. If students just need a few coins, they can knock out a couple Mini Reviews. If they’re saving up for one of the expensive Typing Pet treats, they may want to do a Lesson Practice training. Within the Typing Pet, students can access the entirety of Typio, all while having fun with their pet!
Feed
One of the primary incentives of the Typing Pet is to feed it. These things love food. Each item you feed your pet results in a different attribute being changed. Want your pet’s voice to be deeper? Feed it a couple protein shakes! Prefer a higher pitch? Hot tea is what you need! Students can change their pets arms, legs, mouth, body, eyes, accessory or name all through feeding it. Once a pet is fed, the student is presented with an audible description of what has changed. They can then use the Check option to hear all about the pet’s personality and physical traits.
Did you know my current pet’s motto is “I’ll do it tomorrow” and he loves fishy pizza? What a weirdo!
Play
Playing with your Typing Pet is a ton of fun! The idea behind these games was that they need to be totally audible, engaging and different than just typing a bunch of boring words. The Typing Pet currently offers 4 games that meet these requirements! With even more games on the way…
Explore
This game is the same as the standard Typio Explore mode. The difference is the pet being present and voicing the keys. Try typing a few characters and check out how your pet sounds. Hold a key down and listen to the pet go crazy! This gives students a chance to easily engage with the keyboard in a fun way without any pressure.
Hot or Cold
It’s not long before students have learned quite a few keys on the keyboard. Hot or Cold chooses a random key the student has learned in Progress Mode and has them find it. As they press the keys they hear if they’re getting warmer or colder. Once the round is over the student is presented with how many keys they found before they ran out of strikes. The kids really love this game!
Pet Race
Similar to Hot or Cold, Pet Race relies on only keys the student has already learned. Two keys are chosen and presented to the student. After the race countdown, the student must alternate between those keys to make their pet race to the finish line! The quicker you type those keys, the better your time. Typos will have your pet fall behind, so accuracy is still important. Once the race is done, students are presented with their time and are told if they have a high score.
Typio Idol
Another way to engage with the keyboard stress-free is Typio Idol. This game has your pet on stage, singing to the music. Students can press any keys to make their pet ‘sing’ along with the music. The only objective is to have fun…and maybe a couple laughs!
Check
Since Typing Pets are so customizable, there’s a lot to keep track of! Students can choose the Check option to hear the pet’s name, a brief description and their pet’s motto. All of these details are customized based on the training, feeding and playing the student has done with their pet. Non-visual users can get extra details on their pet’s physical characteristics by pressing a single key. Not too shabby!
Wow, that was a lot of info! The Typing Pet has taken Typio Online and launched it into the stratosphere of fun! We can’t wait to share even more Typing Pet fun with Typio users in the future…but those details are top secret for now. You can check the Accessibyte Online product page and our Knowledge Base for the details we can share.
Happy typing!