Producer: Fernleaf Educational Software
Retail Price: £11.50
Age Range: 8-12 years

The main objective in this game is to offer practice in multiplication, though there is also considerable scope for deductive reasoning. A grid is displayed on the screen and the object is to find the treasure which has been hidden at random in one of the squares.

The game has been designed to be played by two groups of children who take it in turns to position marker buoys. If, for instance, a group choose to set a marker buoy in a square with the co-ordinates 4, 2, they first have to find two factors which make 42 and enter the command 6x7 or 7x6. The buoy will be one of three colours: red means next to. or on, the position of the treasure; purple means within three squares: white means not near the treasure.

Younger children will find this game quite difficult especially as 1x a number is not allowed, but much discussion can be generated in the groups as the children work out the best strategy for revealing the treasure without giving any advantage to the opposition. A work sheet containing a blank grid is provided for use with the program and players are encouraged to record the clues given and work out their reasoning on the sheet.

This is a very useful strategy program which provides a practical stimulus for learning multiplication tables.

COMMENTS

Control keys: number keys and single letter commands
Keyboard play: fast
Graphics: none, apart from grid
Use of colour: simple but effective