What if you could play, edit and even code simple games on a device the size of a credit card that costs around $30?
That’s the product idea of Portland, Ore.-based programmer Kevin Bates. He’s created the Arduboy, a tiny, simple device that allows users to “play, create and share games,” according to his Kickstarter. “Every game published on Arduboy Arcade will be free, open source and available to be edited.”
So far, you can play classic-looking games like “Alien Attack,” “Elf Adventure” and “Parachute.” Bates says it comes preloaded with games, but there are 20 more in an online library you can download for free. Additionally, he says you can use it as a digital business card by uploading your resume and a keyboard/mouse to control other objects.
The nearly indestructible device has free online tutorials that help teach you how to write simple gaming code. At 5 mm thick, it’s extremely portable and has up to eight hours of battery life.
Bates and the Arduboy team are hoping that the device will make coding more accessible for younger kids as young as 7, and are creating educational kits to get it into classrooms, too. The software is based on the Arduino programming platform, which is already used in schools.
With a pledge of $29 you get the early-bird edition of Arduboy. A pledge of $300 gets you the education kit, which includes 10 devices plus lesson plan. They’ve already surpassed their initial goal of $25,000, with almost $40,000 to date with 29 days to go.
Watch the video below to see how it works:
