Lately I've been making a math puzzle game called “FORMULA GRID.”
The basic system is taking shape, and the reason I started making it
is simply that I'm bad at math.
I Was Bad at “Math Where You Find the Answer”
When you study math at school,
you get tons of problems like
1 + 2 = ?
6 × 4 = ?
Of course, I think that's necessary practice for learning math.
But I've never found this format all that fun.
The equation is already decided, and you're asked, “What's the answer?”
There's basically only one correct answer.
Instead, I've always thought it would be more fun to be told “make 5,”
- 1 + 4
- 2 + 3
- 10 ÷ 2
- 6 - 1
and figure out my own path to the answer.
FORMULA GRID Is a Game About “Making Equations”
In FORMULA GRID, a target number is given, like “TARGET: 24.”
You combine the numbers and operators on the board to make an equation that equals that number.
For example,
- 6 × 4
- 12 + 12
- 8 × 3
- 30 - 6
and so on.
If the result matches the TARGET, you're correct.
In other words, it's not about “finding the answer to an equation”;
it's a game about “coming up with an equation that makes the answer.”
Same Answer, Many Ways to Get There
The fun of this game is that a single TARGET can be solved in many ways.
For example, even if the TARGET is “10,”
- 5 + 5
- 2 × 5
- 20 ÷ 2
- 12 - 2
there are all sorts of ways to do it.
And depending on which numbers are on the board,
- “Can I use this number?”
- “What if I multiply and then subtract?”
- “Can I make it with fewer numbers?”
you'll find yourself thinking things like these.
Here, finding relationships between numbers
matters more than the calculation itself.
This is the part I want to make fun as a game.
Even If You're Wrong, Just Start Touching the Numbers
When you're bad at math, the moment you see a problem,
you can end up going “I don't get it~.”
I'm very much that type.
In a game, you can just pick some numbers, add or multiply them, and undo if it's wrong.
Not thinking first and then acting, but thinking while acting.
This is the feeling I want to value in FORMULA GRID.
It's a game, so making mistakes is fine.
As you combine numbers over and over,
relationships like “8 and 3 make 24” and “20 minus 5 is 15” gradually start to show.
I hope it turns into that kind of game.
I Want It to Be a Game You Play with Numbers, Not a Game for Studying Math
FORMULA GRID is a game that uses calculation, but I don't want it to be “math teaching material.”
What I'm aiming for is that you play it as a puzzle and end up naturally touching math.
When people play Tetris,
I doubt many think
“let's train my spatial awareness.”
You play because it's fun as a puzzle.
And as a result, you're using some kind of skill.
I'd like to make FORMULA GRID that kind of game, too.
A Math Game Made by Someone Who's Bad at Math
I'm making this game not because I'm good at math, but because I'm bad at it.
I want to lower the resistance to numbers, turn calculation from a “problem” into “play,”
and make a game that helps even me like math a little more.
It's still a work in progress, but the basic game system has come together quite well.
From here I'll adjust the UI, visual effects, game balance and so on,
and I want to make combining numbers feel good in itself.
A math game made by a game creator who's bad at math.
By the time I finish it, will I like math
a little more than I do now?
I'll enjoy making it, and find that out along the way.
I've also prepared a video so you can see how it actually moves.
