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Edutainment is always a hard thing to do right when making games for kids. The ability to both teach a child while they play has been the holy grail of family-oriented video games since their inception. ItzaBitza from Sabi Games attempts to teach kids about problem solving and how to read while letting them create interactive environments they’ve drawn themselves.

The closest thing ItzaBitza could be likened to would be a mash-up of a Magnadoodle and a sticker playset. Kids make their way through 5 different backdrops, each with a unique theme (Space, Farm, Camping, etc) and can interact with their on-screen friend Sketchy by drawing things for him to interact with.

As a technical concept ItzaBitza attempts to understand exactly what it is the player is drawing. This works to a degree, no matter how crazy or poorly drawn the items are, the game always knows what it is you’re drawing. It’s an impressive task to decipher the chaotic scribbles young children produce as something with an actual design. Parents who have ever been surprised to learn the purple mass in their child’s drawing is actually a dog will be instantly impressed with the game’s ability to still function no matter what you throw at it.

However, ItzaBitza doesn’t necessarily play fair in guessing game that is understanding a kid’s art. Players can only draw things Sketchy requests. This means that going in to the doodling overlay kids aren’t free to draw whatever they want. Players can shape their drawings however they want, but in the end if Sketchy wants you to draw a sun it will always behave like a sun no matter how badly you’d rather draw a moon.

This lack of creative freedom isn’t warrant-less though. In order for the game to function properly it’s a bit of a necessity to limit the infinite amount of artistic possibilities. ItzaBitza does make a nice compromise by understanding what players are drawing, given they’re drawing what they’re supposed to. For example if Sketchy requests a house and a simple box is drawn, drawing another shape inside will create a door or a window depending on where it’s located on the house. Draw a circle inside the door’s shape and Sketchy will have a doorknob on his house. This is the most impressive thing the game does and is the true source of some of the cooler moments within the game.

As players draw things in their playsets stars come on the screen that can be unlocked by performing tasks. Make Sketchy a house with a chimney, create a bunch of craters on the moon, or make the sun shine enough to fill the campground with flowers; these are just a few of the many achievement-like missions kids will be sent on. Some of them are very simple, while others require a little more lateral thinking; finding a way to scare Sketchy is one of the less direct tasks. Most of the challenges are less puzzle based than one would hope. There is a real opportunity here to have kids testing their mental might, but that’s another sacrifice the game makes to create an easy-to-play experience. It’s important to keep them moving as it takes 5 stars to unlock the next playset, a task that younger kids may find a little daunting without some help.

There is also another strong limitation in that players must only draw shapes that use a single line, attempt to write your name on a flag or disconnect half-way through a line and the game gives some very strange results. It would have been very nice if the game provided a second pen just for decorating, but ItzaBitza will have none of that. This can get very frustrating and can even cause some rather broken results even when trying to draw rather conventional items.

As far as reading goes the game does feature a decent amount of text, but all of it is accompanied by a friendly voice-over that reads it out just slow enough to follow along with if you can’t read yet. Kids who can read well may find it a bit demeaning but it’s a necessary evil when producing a title that caters to all sorts of smaller people.

ItzaBitza is a very unique attempt in the world of edutainment. It doesn’t use facts or math the way most category games try to, and that could be the key to it’s enjoyment. Focusing on teaching basic reading comprehension, problem solving and creativity make for a much more fun experience than expected. The game’s engine is impressive if you play by the rules and can genuinely impress with it’s ability to decipher objects out of the most random scribbles. There is a definite lack of polish to the game, but it’s an enjoyable experience for any kid who likes drawing or experimenting. Parents with kids who are comfortable with computer games should take a look at this one.

ItzaBitza released in October 2009 on Steam for $9.99 and at SabiGames.com for $19.99 (there is a free demo available).

Contest:
The creators of ItzaBitza, Sabi Games, have been generous enough to provide an extra copy of the game to give away to one of our readers. To enter the draw simply write a comment below telling us about a time when you couldn’t successfully interpret a kid’s drawing, or an early memory of yours involving art. Winners will be randomly selected and announced in a post later on, so keep an eye on the site. Don’t forget to leave an e-mail address so we can contact you if you’ve won and as always, good luck!