Prepare Your Kids For The Inevitable Robot Uprising With The Latest App From Tinybop

Tinybop, purveyors of adorable little open world apps like Homes (which lets kids digitally trespass in a Mongolian hut, among other places), are back at it with a new app that will prepare kids for their future robot overlords.

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The Robot Factory let’s kids build their own tiny takes on R2D2 or Wall-E from more than 50 parts and 9 color schemes — they can even record sound effects for them. Once built, they field-test the robots in a game environment that’s a little like a stripped down Super Mario world, where they’ll learn almost-useful design lessons. For example, if you put a hydrostatic tentacle where you should have used an ungulate foot, then clearing the water trap might be difficult. Your kid won’t take it too hard, though, because in this case robot failure is almost as entertaining as robot success.

Like all Tinybop apps, The Robot Factory isn’t a game as much as it’s an invitation to explore and create characters and narratives. It’s clever enough that, after it stops holding your kid’s attention, it might hold yours for a while.

The Robot Factory: $2.99 (iOS)

Ages: 4+

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