Educational interactive games

Abstract

An educational interactive game of the invention includes a system for teaching financial skills to players, and in particular, children in the context of an interactive electronic game. Each player is initially provided a predetermined amount of periodic earned income, periodic expenses and a predetermined amount of cash on hand. These items are represented by corresponding indicia on an electronic display. An object of the game is for a player to generate passive income greater than the player's expenses by encountering game events that provide a player the opportunity to make financial choices to affect the desired outcome.

1 . A method, for determining a user-specified sum of money, the method performed by a computer system operated by a user, the method comprising: 
 presenting a respective set of symbols for each of a plurality of denominations each symbol having an unselected appearance and a selected appearance, each set having a respective quantity of symbols;    receiving indicia of selection of a symbol, selection being by the user;    updating the respective appearance of a symbol in response to the received indicia of selection; and    revising the respective quantity of symbols in each set so that no first particular set of a relatively lower denomination has zero unselected symbols when a second particular set of a relatively higher denomination has more than zero unselected symbols.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 presenting a plurality of numeric values comprising: 
 i. a first total for all symbols selected; and  
 ii. a first difference between a goal amount and the first total; and  
   updating the plurality of numeric values in accordance with the received indicia of selection.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising presenting additional unselected symbols corresponding to a second difference between the denomination of the selected symbol and the first difference.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of numeric values further comprises a second total for all symbols presented.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of numeric values further comprises a second total for all unselected symbols.  
   
   
       6 . A method for determining a user-specified sum of money up to a goal amount, the method performed by a computer system operated by a user, the method comprising: 
 presenting a respective set of symbols for each of a plurality of denominations each symbol having an unselected appearance and a selected appearance, each set having a respective quantity of symbols;    receiving indicia of selection of a symbol, selection being by the user;    updating the respective appearance of a symbol in response to the received indicia of selection;    presenting a plurality of numeric values comprising: 
 i. a first total for all symbols selected; and  
 ii. a difference between the goal amount and the first total; and  
   updating the plurality of numeric values in accordance with the received indicia of selection.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the plurality of numeric values further comprises a second total for all symbols presented.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the plurality of numeric values further comprises a second total for all unselected symbols.  
   
   
       9 . A memory device comprising instructions for performing the method of  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 , or  8 .  
   
   
       10 . A method for teaching fundamental concepts of personal finance to a user in a manner more appealing to children, the method performed by a computer system operated by the user, the method comprising: 
 presenting an opportunity to receive food;    presenting an opportunity to feed the food to animals that consume the food;    presenting an opportunity to trade food for a capacity to create food to supplement received food; and    providing a reward to the user in accordance with the user's demonstrated ability to feed an increased quantity of animals using created food, the reward comprising at least one of audio and video; whereby receiving food is analogous to receiving a salary, feeding animals is analogous to paying expenses, creating food is analogous to investing to produce passive income, and rewarding the ability to feed more animals is analogous to rewarding the use of passive income as opposed to salary for paying increased expenses.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the capacity to create food comprises management of growing food.  
   
   
       12 . A memory device comprising instructions for performing the method of  claim 10  or  11 .  
   
   
       13 . A method, performed by a computer operated by a user, the method comprising: 
 receiving indicia of selection of a level of a plurality of levels;    performing, in accordance with selection of a first level, a method comprising: 
 i. presenting an opportunity to receive food;  
 ii. presenting an opportunity to feed the food to animals that consume the food;  
 iii. presenting an opportunity to trade food for a capacity to create food to supplement received food; and  
 iv. providing a reward to the user in accordance with the user's demonstrated ability to feed an increased quantity of animals using created food, the reward comprising at least one of audio and video; and  
   performing, in accordance with selection of a second level, a method comprising: 
 (1) presenting a respective set of symbols for each of a plurality of denominations each symbol having an unselected appearance and a selected appearance, each set having a respective quantity of symbols;  
   (2) receiving indicia of selection of a symbol, selection being by the user;    (3) updating the respective appearance of a symbol in response to the received indicia of selection; and    (4) revising the respective quantity of symbols in each set so that no first particular set of a relatively lower denomination has zero unselected symbols when a second particular set of a relatively higher denomination has more than zero unselected symbols.    
   
   
       14 . A memory device comprising instructions for performing the method of  claim 13 .  
   
   
       15 . A method, performed by a computer operated by a user, the method comprising: 
 receiving indicia of selection of a level of a plurality of levels;    performing, in accordance with selection of a first level, a method comprising: 
 i. presenting an opportunity to receive food;  
 ii. presenting an opportunity to feed the food to animals that consume the food;  
 iii. presenting an opportunity to trade food for a capacity to create food to supplement received food; and  
 iv. providing a reward to the user in accordance with the user's demonstrated ability to feed an increased quantity of animals using created food, the reward comprising at least one of audio and video; and  
   performing, in accordance with selection of a second level, a method comprising: 
 (1) presenting a respective set of symbols for each of a plurality of denominations each symbol having an unselected appearance and a selected appearance, each set having a respective quantity of symbols;  
 (2) receiving indicia of selection of a symbol, selection being by the user;  
 (3) updating the respective appearance of a symbol in response to the received indicia of selection;  
 (4) presenting a plurality of numeric values comprising: 
 1. a first total for all symbols selected; and  
 2. a difference between the goal amount and the first total; and  
 
 (5) updating the plurality of numeric values in accordance with the received indicia of selection.  
   
   
   
       16 . A memory device comprising instructions for performing the method of  claim 15.