Childhood friends Nicolas Fines, 26, and Guilhem Mallet, 31, discovered their passion for learning through play via educational video games like Adibou, L'Oncle Ernest, and Carmen Sandiego. As BAFA camp animators, they spent summers nurturing this idea: blending video games with tangible real-world elements to deliver education.
Picture this: your child receives a mysterious blueprint, info sheets, and a letter from PIAT, a quirky robot-dragon, inviting them to join the DiZ detectives of the Inter-Zone Division. Inside the "explokit"—a detective's essential toolkit—they dive into Volarela's flying islands, solving cases that bridge real-world objects and virtual exploration.
Video games top the list of pastimes for French youth today, with screens ubiquitous in daily life. Yet, over two-thirds of parents worry about their children's screen time. How can we balance engagement with reassurance?
The founders firmly believe digital tools and video games can drive meaningful learning. Play captivates children, creating an informal space where skills develop naturally and joyfully.
They emphasize that true learning thrives when children are active participants. In Volarela, kids hunt for clues independently, fostering self-directed discovery during investigations.
Digital elements build reasoning, but physical interaction completes the experience—ensuring holistic development.
Enter The Chronicles of Volarela: an educational adventure for ages 8-12, fusing video games with escape-game challenges. As Inter-Zone Division detectives on Volarela's floating islands, players alternate between digital exploration and hands-on explokit tasks—maps, cards, and puzzles. Delivered monthly to your door, it targets Cycle 3 curriculum skills like:
The explokit draws validation from National Education experts, including researchers and primary/secondary teachers consulted from day one. While aimed at parents of 8-12-year-olds, school versions are planned. Try the free Windows/Mac demo—print your own explokit.
Launching CrossQuest Studio in November, their debut product hits markets in April 2019, funded via Ulule crowdfunding.
