Candy Depot is a unique math app that teaches problem solving through a role playing game, but students will likely require adult support to understand it and it could still be more frustrating than valuable. The app uses the theme of a candy company. The player is an employee in charge of deciding what goes in the truck for shipment. Users begin a round by choosing how many candy bars to pack per bundle and how many bundles per box, as they try to fill as many orders as possible using the fewest number of boxes. For example, a given order of 22 bundles would be 2 boxes of 9 bundles per box plus 4 bundles. On the second level, users see the order prior to packing so there is an element of strategy for added challenge. There are 16 orders per level, or 32 level in the entire game. The timer ticks throughout the round, and when the time runs out each order is graded as correct, wrong, or inefficient. Unfortunately, the users never see the best answer if they are wrong or inefficient. With support, this app could be useful to teach problem solving based on division, remainders and fractions but most students are likely to find it tedious and frustrating.

• Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
• Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
• Presents educational concepts accurately
• Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
• Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
• Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
• Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

• Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
• Subject matter and problems are relevant, interesting and authentic to students
• Visually appealing to children in the target age range
• Provides virtual rewards or incentives after meeting specified goals or objectives
• Provides a "break activity" between academic problem sets
• Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
• Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

• Has a free or trial version
• Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
• Provides an age-appropriate tutorial/first time users can work independently
• Student should be able to use independently after first use
• Has a multi-player option to foster in-person collaboration or cooperation
• Multiple users can save a profile
• Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
• Can play without sound and not distract others
• Students can save work between sessions
• Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
• Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
• Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
• Overall - Easy to use

• Abstract Reasoning
• Directions may be confusing for students using independently
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
• Requires multi-step mental math
• Anxiety
• Themes that might disturb sensitive students (death, blood, slime)
• Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
• Gives negative feedback (red X's, buzzer)
• A player's success depends on speed
• Timer cannot be hidden
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Attention
• Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
• Problems or examples are not interesting for the target age range
• Directions may be confusing for students using independently
• Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
• Flexible Thinking
• Directions may be confusing for students using independently
• Numerical Fluency
• A player's success depends on speed
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Requires multi-step mental math
• Organization
• Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
• Problems or examples are not interesting for the target age range
• Directions may be confusing for students using independently
• Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
• Processing Speed
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• A player's success depends on speed
• Timer cannot be hidden
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Self-regulation
• Themes that might disturb sensitive students (death, blood, slime)
• Gives negative feedback (red X's, buzzer)
• A player's success depends on speed
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Visual Discrimination
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• Words used during activity can be too small or difficult to read
• Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
• Directions are visually difficult to read
• Visual Memory
• Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
• Visual Motor Speed
• A player's success depends on speed
• Timer cannot be hidden
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Working Memory
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• Directions may be confusing for students using independently
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Requires remembering and completing a sequence of visual steps
• Requires multi-step mental math

CandyDepot is an educational game designed for elementary and middle school mathematics students and their teachers. The game invites players to work their way up the corporate ladder by managing the shipping department at Candy Inc..

CandyDepot supports students' development of units coordination — a mental activity that is critical for understanding whole number multiplication, fractions concepts, and algebraic reasoning. In CandyDepot, students are challenged to coordinate various levels of units: bars, bundles, and boxes, as well as fractions of those units.

Upon entering the CandyDepot, the benevolent President Carmello fast tracks you for promotion. She informs you that you are now responsible for shipping candy bars to customers across the United States. To prove your worth, you must package and ship the correct number of candy bars to fill customer orders.

You must first choose how many bars go in each bundle and how many bundles go in each box. Try all possible combinations of bundling and boxing to beat the game! In addition to correctness, performance is rated by how efficiently you package each order — using the fewest number of items (bars, bundles, and boxes) as possible. You must work quickly and efficiently to impress the ever-grumpy Boss Cog!