The Sorceress of Circuits: A Steampunk Electricity Adventure (Ages 10-12)

A sorceress, her apprentice, and the physics of circuits . . .

The Sorceress of Circuits is an interactive story that teaches the physics of electricity to kids ages 10-12.

It's a choose-your-path story with multiple endings. (Will you sneak around the back of Professor Watt's castle or try to talk your way in the front door??)

You play an adventurer who discovers a castle under attack by steampunk robots. The sorceress who runs the castle is missing, leaving her two apprentices in charge. You help them defend the castle, repair an airship, and go on a rescue mission.

Along the way, you make quirky new friends (Charge and the Tinkerbug) and encounter challenges and puzzles which slowly and intuitively build an understanding of electricity.

It's designed to make learning a really fun and safe experience, so mistakes are always fixable, something to learn from.

I made this story game to help my students understand the fundamentals of electric circuits. I got my physics degree from the University of Washington with honors, I have a master's from Columbia University where I studied physics misconceptions, and I spent over 20 years tutoring math and physics.

How does it work?

The story is an HTML file you download and open in your browser.

On each page, you read a bit of story and then there are clickable story or puzzle options.

(I picked this clickable-story format because immediate feedback is one of the things that improves learning the most.)

It's playable on laptops and desktop computers (including Chromebooks).

What topics does it cover?

• Positive and Negative Charge
• Conductors and Insulators
• Current, Voltage, and Resistance
• Simple Circuits with Batteries and Bulbs
• Parallel and Series Circuits
• Lemon Batteries, Potato Batteries, and Pickle Light Bulbs!

What age range is it for?

It's geared towards ages 10-12.

Younger kids (8-10) who are strong readers might like it, too. Kids who aren't as comfortable with reading yet might need it read aloud to them.

Do I need to know anything about physics to play it?

Nope! No outside physics knowledge necessary!

Can I play it on a tablet?

I don't have a tablet version currently. It's playable on laptops and desktops (including Chromebooks).

How do I access it once I've purchased it?

After you've purchased it, you'll see a page where you can download the story and then use it on whichever devices you'd like.

It'll also be emailed to you at whichever email you gave during checkout.

Once you download it, you can play it on as many devices as you'd like.

You don't have to log in to Gumroad to play it, although you can always redownload the game from your account any time, too.

What if I try it and it's not a good fit for me?

If it's not a good fit for any reason, I'm happy to offer a full refund!

Get in touch

You can read more about me (Sarah) and my work on my website: www.MathwithSarah.com

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out through my website or email me at SarahAllenPhysics@gmail.com.