Pixicade takes doodles you create of game levels and characters and transforms them into playable video games. How it works: You make drawings with colored markers, snap a photo using the Pixicade app on a compatible smartphone or tablet, and your game is ready to play in seconds. No coding skills needed, and you don’t have to be an artist.

There are quite a few, but for a kid who'd rather invent games than just play them, Pixicade is the top choice. There are three STEM kits for creating interactive games. The original Pixicade is ideal for first-time game designers, Pixicade+ adds more game types and power-ups, and the Alan Becker Animation Edition teaches animation in addition to game creation and include Alan Becker’s own stick figure characters.

Draw the lines of your creations bold and dark so the app reads them cleanly. Use plain paper, tape it somewhere flat, and photograph the whole page in decent light. Start with one character, a couple of platforms, and a goal. Add enemies, traps, and moving parts once the basics play well. Try not to mix colors, so the app can easily identify the different game elements.

Pixicade includes everything needed to make single-player and multiplayer games in just a few minutes. Included in the activity kit are five colored markers, along with a 108-page guidebook with 30 activities and over 100 examples. You will also receive QR codes that will unlock two (2) upgraded accounts in the Pixicade app. You supply paper to create your games and a compatible smartphone or tablet with a rear camera to run the Pixicade app. Pixicade also allows you to draw assets right in the app using your finger or stylus pen.

Note: Although Pixicade comes with markers, you can use your own markers and paper to draw your own video games.

Start out by drawing your game level and avatar character utilizing color-coded markers on paper. Build a level around them by utilizing platforms to jump across and enemies to dodge. Take your photo of your drawing in the Pixicade app and play. Adjust jumps or add projectiles, moving traps, and other fun challenges.

Draw the body big and simple with a strong outline the Pixicade app can recognize. Give it personality through color and a few standout details, maybe a cape or oversized eyes. Sketch it on paper, photograph it, and Pixicade drops it right into your game to run and jump.

Grab the markers provided in Pixicade or use your own green, red, black, blue and purple markets and work on plain white paper. Thick, dark outlines matter more than fancy detail, since the app needs to read the shape. Fill it with color, keep the pose open, and shoot the photo in bright light. Afterward it comes alive inside your game.

With Pixicade you draw every piece by hand: the character, the obstacles, and the goals. One photo turns that page into a working game within seconds. Play it, notice what's dull or too tricky, then redraw and adjust. That drawing-and-testing loop is game design learning – no coding skills required. The Pixicade app allows you to create games from assets that are already in the app. Just drag and drop digital assets right in your game!