Phonics AI Docs
Games Guide
Learn about all the fun games in Phonics AI
Overview
Games are a core part of the Phonics AI learning experience. They appear in the Play phase of each lesson, helping you practice and reinforce the sounds you've learned. Games are designed to be fun while building essential reading skills!
Pro tip: You can replay games as many times as you want to improve your score. Higher scores mean more XP!
Phoneme Pop
🍩 Pop the Bubbles!
Worlds: All | Skills: Sound Recognition, Quick Thinking
How to Play
- Bubbles float up from the bottom of the screen
- Each bubble contains a letter or word
- Listen for the target sound at the top
- Tap/click bubbles that contain the target sound
- Avoid popping bubbles with the wrong sound!
Scoring
- +10 points - Correct pop
- -5 points - Wrong pop
- Bonus points - Speed bonus for quick pops
Tips for Success
- Listen carefully to the target sound before starting
- Focus on the beginning sound of each word
- Don't rush - accuracy is more important than speed
Word Builder
🔨 Build Words from Sounds!
Worlds: 2+ | Skills: Blending, Spelling, Word Formation
How to Play
- See or hear the target word you need to build
- Letter tiles appear at the bottom of the screen
- Drag and drop tiles into the correct positions
- The word lights up when you've built it correctly
- Click "Check" to verify your answer
Scoring
- +20 points - Correct word on first try
- +10 points - Correct word after hint
- Combo bonus - Build multiple words in a row
Tips for Success
- Sound out the word slowly before placing tiles
- Listen to the audio pronunciation multiple times
- Look for familiar letter patterns you've learned
Sound Match
🎲 Memory Matching with Sounds!
Worlds: All | Skills: Sound Recognition, Memory, Concentration
How to Play
- Cards are arranged face-down on the screen
- Click a card to flip it and hear its sound
- Click another card to find its match
- Matches can be: same sound, rhyming words, or word-picture pairs
- Clear all matches to win!
Scoring
- +15 points - Correct match
- Time bonus - Finish faster for more points
- Streak bonus - Multiple matches in a row
Tips for Success
- Pay attention to card positions as you flip them
- Say the sounds out loud to help remember them
- Start with cards in the corners - they're easier to remember
Sound Race
🏃 Race Against the Clock!
Worlds: All | Skills: Quick Recognition, Sound-Symbol Association
How to Play
- A sound plays at the top of the screen
- Multiple letter/word options appear below
- Quickly tap the correct answer before time runs out
- Each correct answer adds time to your clock
- See how many you can get in a row!
Scoring
- +10 points - Correct answer
- Speed multiplier - Faster answers = more points
- Streak multiplier - 2x, 3x, 4x for consecutive correct answers
Tips for Success
- Trust your first instinct - it's usually right
- Practice individual sounds to increase speed
- Focus on accuracy first, then work on speed
Sentence Scramble
📝 Unscramble the Sentence!
Worlds: 3+ | Skills: Sentence Structure, Reading Comprehension
How to Play
- Word cards appear scrambled on the screen
- Listen to the complete sentence audio
- Drag words into the correct order
- Pay attention to capitals and punctuation
- Read the completed sentence aloud to check
Scoring
- +25 points - Correct order on first try
- +15 points - Correct with hints
- Length bonus - Longer sentences = more points
Tips for Success
- Start with the capital letter - it's the first word
- Look for the period - it marks the last word
- Read the sentence aloud to check if it makes sense
Karaoke Challenge
🎤 Read Along!
Worlds: 3+ | Skills: Fluency, Expression, Pacing
How to Play
- A sentence or passage appears on screen
- Words highlight in sequence as the audio plays
- Read along with the highlighting
- Record yourself reading the same text
- Compare your reading to the model
Scoring
- Accuracy score - How many words read correctly
- Timing score - How well you matched the pace
- Expression bonus - For reading with feeling
Tips for Success
- Listen to the model reading first without reading along
- Practice the tricky words before recording
- Take a breath at commas and periods
Story Adventure
📖 Interactive Story Reading!
Worlds: 4+ | Skills: Comprehension, Extended Reading, Critical Thinking
How to Play
- Read through an interactive story
- Answer questions as you go to continue
- Make choices that affect the story
- Complete comprehension checks at the end
- Earn rewards based on understanding
Scoring
- Comprehension points - Based on correct answers
- Completion bonus - Finish the whole story
- Exploration bonus - Discover hidden story paths
Tips for Success
- Read carefully - details matter for the questions
- Think about what characters might do next
- Try different choices to explore all story paths
Game Comparison Chart
| Game | Main Skill | Difficulty | Available From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoneme Pop | Sound Recognition | Easy | World 1 |
| Sound Match | Memory & Recognition | Easy | World 1 |
| Sound Race | Quick Recognition | Medium | World 1 |
| Word Builder | Blending & Spelling | Medium | World 2 |
| Sentence Scramble | Sentence Structure | Medium | World 3 |
| Karaoke Challenge | Fluency | Medium | World 3 |
| Story Adventure | Comprehension | Hard | World 4 |
Earning XP from Games
Every game awards XP based on your performance:
- Base XP - Earned just for completing the game
- Performance XP - Based on your score
- Bonus XP - For perfect scores, streaks, and speed
- First-time bonus - Extra XP the first time you play a game
Maximize your XP: Replay games to improve your score. The higher your score, the more XP you earn!