Android keyboard games. Best Typing Games for Kids

How to Play Mobile Games on PC? Quick Solutions Here!

Playing mobile games on the larger screen sound amazing, right? However, not officially, the mobile games can be accessed by using either an emulator or casting applications.

There are countless programs that offer such services online, however, It is essential to know who to trust and how to use the offered services correctly. Great news, you are on the right track. In this article, we will offer some useful information about game mirroring and other methods to play Android/iOS games on PC/TV.

• 1 :Play Mobile Games on PC with AirDroid Cast
• 2 :How to Mirror Mobile Games to TV?
• 3 :How to Play Mobile Games on PC with Emulators?
• 4 :News. Google is Testing A Windows App
• 5 :Coming Soon. Play Android Games on Windows 11
• 6 :Final Verdict

Play Mobile Games on PC with AirDroid Cast

One of the best ways to have mobile-only games on PC is the use of the AirDroid Cast. And even great news is that they can be used on both Android and iOS devices.

It comes with controlling features that allow you to control your phone from a larger-screened device.

Additionally, the tool has a microphone and speaker, therefore you can use the two-way audio and communicate with your teammates from the computer.

Mirror and Control Mobile Phone on PC with AirDroid Cast

Step 1.Set up AirdRroid Cast Click download button below to download and install AirDroid Cast on both your mobile phone and computer

Wireless: Using the wirreless sharing method is the most chosen one among all. To use this method, you will have to either scan the QR code that is shown on the AirDroid Desktop tool or enter the code that is displayed underneath the QR code. After doing so, you have to grant permission to the application so that it can have access on both devices.

AirPlay: AirPlay is one of the ways to connect the desktop device to the iOS mobile phone using AirDroid Cast. For this particular one, both devices need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi and you will have to check whether the AirPlay server is up and running. Then you go to the screen mirroring settings that can be found on your phone, found the one that says AirDroid Cast, and start sharing.

USB: Find a USB cable to connect your mobile phone and computer, click on your phone from AirDroid Cast interface.This option is for both Android and iOS users. For the games, the USB cable option works the best. It ensures that the picture is shown in higher quality and requires faster frame rates, which is essential when playing video games.

Step 3.Start play mobile game on PC After successful connection, click on the hand icon to active the control feature. Then you can start to play Android/iPhone games on your PC.

AirDroid Cast Reviews

AirDroid Cast offers cross-platform compatibility. It can support the sharing of up to five device screens at once. Connection of devices can be possible even if the devices are not connected to the same network. However, this function requires a premium account. This feature gives the possibility to share the screen remotely even from a different location.

You can control the Android and iOS devices from a computer too by using the controlling gestures that are included in the tool and by use of mouse. Additionally, The tool has a user-friendly interface and is easy to use. People find it very helpful that it is possible to play multiplayer games without having any interruptions.

How to Mirror Mobile Games to TV?

Mirror iOS Games to TV

If you want to enjoy your iPhone games on TV, then here are two different methods for you to mirror your iOS games to the TV.

Apple TV – AirPlay Games to TV

• Connect your iOS device and Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
• Go to the control center on your iOS device.
• Click on screen mirroring, Choose your Apple TV.
• Your iOS device screen will be mirrored on your Apple TV; play your game on your iOS device and enjoy on Apple TV.

without Apple TV. Third-party Apps

If you don’t have an AirPlay compatible TV, don’t stress. You can still watch your game on the TV screen with the help of a third-party tool called AirDroid Cast Web. This method is also available for Android phone.

• First, of download AirDroid Cast on your iPhone from the official website and install it.
• Go to your TV, open a web, browser, and visit webcast.airdroid.com; here, you will reach the AirDroid Cast web interface; you have two options for contacting devices, first, scan the QR code which is given on the TV screen, and second, copy the code and add it on your iPhone AirDroid Cast Application.
• After casting the code, you will receive a permission request; click on allow option. Your iOS device will be mirrored; now open a game that you want to mirror on your TV, and enjoy your game on TV.

Mirror Android Games to TV

Android users have different options for screen mirroring games to TV, such as:

• You will have to turn on screen mirroring from your quick settings panel before opening up the game you are going to cast on your TV
• Open your notification panel and click on your arrow to expand the quick settings panel.
• Click the edit button.
• Now drag to add titles, drop the cast button into the top section.
• Open the quick settings panel and click on the cast button.
• A list of Chromecast devices will appear on your network.
• Click on Chromecast devices plugged into your TV, and your Android screen will start showing on TV; start playing your favorite game on Android and watch it on your TV.

The easiest and most genuine way to connect an Android to an HDMI input on the TV. For this purpose, the following cables are used.

Mini/micro-HDMI to HDMI cable and USB to HDMI cable. Which type of cable you are going to select depends on your device. For older Android devices Mini or micro-HDMI devices are suitable. For newer Android devices, USB to HDMI is suitable.

• Pick a HDMI Cable.
• Put the smaller end into your device and the HDMI end into your TV.
• After connecting, your Android screen will be shared on TV. watch game on TV with friends.

How to Play Mobile Games on PC with Emulators?

Play Android Games on PC

Emulators are virtual devices that mimic Android devices. It gives the possibility to simulate the Android device program on the computer and use the applications that only offer mobile versions.

There are some very famous emulators that are used for gaming, including Bliss OS, Archon, and Bluestack. One of the most famous and mostly-used Android emulators is Bluestack.

BlueStack emulator is a free tool and even allows to run of multiple applications at once. It also offers an Android GamePop console with virtualization. There are a few system requirements that your device has to have in order to use BlueStack.

• You need to have Microsoft Windows version 7 or up.
• The processor needs to be either Intel or IMD.
• The memory of At least 4 GB of RAM.
• 5 GB free space on the hard disk.
• You have to be an administrator of your desktop device.

Installation process of BlueStack

• First, you will have to download and install the tool from its official website.
• Then open it and just like on the phone, log in to your google account. The “Google Play Store” can be found in the “My Library” section.
• After these steps, you will have an access to the Google Play Store and can download any game you want.

Generally, playing video games on the emulator can be one of the finest ways, however, it can come with a few errors such as lagging. Emulators are very quick to open and launch but browsing actual games can take a while. Another thing with Android emulators is that they can take a lot of hard disk space and therefore, slow down the performance of your computer.

Use Android-X86 to Run Android Directly on Your PC

Another way how to play Android games on PC is by use of Android-X86. Android-X86 is the operating system that allows installing the Android mobile apps on the Indel and AMD devices.

The installation process is a little more complicated in comparison to other programs. However, it comes with a self-explanatory GUI. Normally, most people install it by burning Android-X86 on the bootable CD or USB memory stick.

Additionally to that, the Android OS has to be installed on the hard drive. This application makes it available to create an “Android device” on any PC. This tool offers an almost complete stock Android.

You can use the Android-X86 on PC to play any game you want that is available on the Google Play Store. Android Pie which is the newer release of Android-X86 can run most high-resolution games. However, the choice can be limited and you may not find the exact game that you are looking for.

Find Android Games Apps From the Amazon Appstore

Some people wonder how to play mobile games on PC, and if they can be downloaded by the Amazon App Store. Amazon app store is available for all Amazon Fire devices. The list also includes Kindle Fire and Fire Stick.

Additionally, the applications can be downloaded from a web browser and Android Devices. Amazon Appstore has almost the same purpose that Google play does. Therefore, similarly to the Google Play Store, it offers Android Game Apps too.

Amazon Appstore even released the Standalone application for Android devices and mobile phones. It allows users to enjoy the Android Games App which is located under the “Games” option. Or you can simply type your favorite Game’s name in the search and if they offer it, the game app will eventually appear on the screen ready to download.

Play iOS Games on PC with iPadian

If you have ever wondered how to play iOS games on PC, There are several tools that might help you. However, One of the most widespread solutions is iPadian. iPadian is an iPad simulator that makes it possible to play iOS applications and games on desktop devices.

By use of this tool, you can play the games that are intended for iOS devices on the PC. To do so, first, you will have to download the tool application. After the download is done, then install it by following simple instructions. Log in and open the App Store. Woala, there you will be able to find any game you wish and play it on your PC.

News. Google is Testing A Windows App

According to the recent news, Google started to test the Windows app that will bring Android games to PCs. The Game app is thought to be available in 2023. According to Google’s Product director, the Windows application will make gaming easier by having the possibility to do it on various devices including phones, tablets, and Chromebook.

Coming Soon. Play Android Games on Windows 11

Because of the collaboration that happened between Microsoft and Amazon, soon Windows 11 will give the possibility to play Android apps on the PC. The Game apps will be available on Amazon’s app store. Even though recently released versions do not support this feature, it is planned to come soon. Currently, you can archive this only if you are Window Insider wither in the beta, dev, or other release channels.

Final Verdict

Since you came across this article, you may be wondering how to play mobile games on PC. We already discussed different ways to archive this and all of them have their pros and cons. After careful observation, the most viable tool that can be used to play mobile games on PC is AirDroid Cast. It offers several connection ways and can provide a fast frame rate, clear picture, and two-ways audio.

Best Typing Games for Kids

In today’s digital world, typing is an essential skill for kids. Typing games for kids are a great way to make learning to type easier and more fun. Typing games for kids encourage typing skills by using fun, mission, and accomplishment-based activities.

Does your child struggle to get the hang of touch typing? These are the best typing games we’ve found for helping kids learn to type, increase their typing speed, and develop good keyboarding habits. Plus, they make typing practice fun. Free typing games are available in this list to help improve their typing skills.

Here is the list of the best typing games that are designed for kids to improve their typing speed and accuracy.

TypeTastic

TypeTastic is an interactive typing game for kids. TypeTastic helps kids learn where all the letters are on the keyboard. With 13 fun games and 400 activities, kids will discover the keyboard layout, learn proper typing form, and practice their keyboarding skills.

This game provides a complete K-12 typing curriculum for kids to learn and practice typing skills. Kids are competing against their best time, so there’s always room for improvement. It is suitable for children who want to practice typing faster.

TypeTastic is completely free with ads.

Price: Free

Kids can play the typing games on this website: typetastic.com

Animal Typing

Animal Typing is a fun typing game for children to start learning how to touch type. It is accessible from complete beginner level and it matches the user’s typing speed to the speed of the animal it assigns them, so if you get a snail, you had better speed up!

This program effectively promotes typing skills by requiring users to use all keys on the keyboard, including space, return, and punctuation. It also provides users with visual guidance on where to place their fingers on the keyboard.

Animal Typing supports various keyboard layouts and languages, including QWERTY, Dvorak, and Colemak. This typing game is best for older kids looking to improve their typing speed. You can download Animal Typing game on iPad and iPhone.

Price: Free

Dance Mat Typing

Dance Mat Typing is a fun and interactive typing game for older kids. Dance Mat Typing helps kids learn where all the letters are on the keyboard. In the first level, little typists familiarize themselves with the “home row” keys (A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L). With the guidance of some animal friends, kids then advance to the second and third levels, where they learn the keys above and below the home row.

In the final level, Claudette the Cat shows you how to add the letters X and Z, make capital letters with the “shift” key, and type the apostrophe, slash and period. This game can also help children learn the proper positioning of their hands on the keyboard. This is a valuable skill to learn at a young age, before children develop bad habits that are difficult to break.

Price: Free and Pro

TypingClub

Typing club is simple and easy to use online typing game for children. In this game, the aim is to work your way up to 100 words a minute. There are instructional videos, challenging games and anchoring lessons that ensure that kids place their hands correctly on the keyboard. This game teaches kids to never look down at the keyboard, whilst giving you guidance on proper finger positioning. There are different levels of difficulties kids can choose from.

Aimed at students in pre-k, kindergarten, and the 1st grade, Jungle Junior will also teach children to associate each letter on the keyboard with the correct finger while improving alphabet recognition, dexterity, and familiarity with technology.

TypingClub is free for both individuals and schools.

Price: Free and Optional paid school edition

TypeDojo.com

TypeDojo is a free website where kids (and adults alike) can learn touch typing. TypeDojo has lessons available for every skill level! They offer both typing practice, and typing test options.

TypeDojo offers four levels of typing lessons: Basic, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. TypeDojo focuses on accuracy as opposed to speed. They help children learn to type by touch typing, which is where you memorize the keys with your fingers to develop muscle memory.

Price: Free

Type For Fun

This typing game is great for kids just starting out with their keyboard journey. This one doesn’t have the ability to choose levels, so it’s best for beginners. To play the game, kids needs to type whole words before the aeroplane banner travels to the other end of the screen. The air speed can be increased as the user’s speed and accuracy improve.

The words range from very simple (3 characters) to advanced (up to 11 characters). The latest score is displayed on screen and you can view a range of data including highest score and words per minute.

Price: Free

Type for Fun can be downloaded for free on iPhone and iPad devices.

Type Defense. Typing Game

Type Defence is a fun typing game that brings a brand new approach to all typing games. You can either play it as a game or a fun way to practice typing. Type Defense will surely improve your writing skills. You have to write each word correctly if you want to shoot desert bandits.

Each word typed correctly allows you to shoot-to-kill. With a rather nice dessert soundtrack and sound effects included, this neat little typing game supports multiple languages and is an extremely fun way to improve typing skills. This game is more suitable for older children who are familiar with the keyboard and would like to build on their muscle memory by learning to type without looking at the keyboard.

Price: Free

Get Type Defence game for iPhone, iPad and Android

Super Qwerty Tank Z

This retro-gone-educational game is so fun that kids won’t even realize they’re improving their typing while playing it. It’s a unique typing game which will keep kids totally absorbed and amused as they work on their typing skills by correctly typing the words displayed on screen in order to shoot them from their tank. We really like that to re-load your tank you have to shake your device, making it a rather multi-sensory typing game experience too. Tanks can be upgraded through in app purchases, but a lot of typing fun can be had for free.

Price: Free

Get Super Qwerty Tank for iPhone and iPad.

Typing Fingers

Typing fingers is a really fun and well-designed typing game that advances children’s touch-typing skills. The graphics are attractive and the features are pretty sophisticated. The main requirement is that you will need an external keyboard. This may seem a drawback, but it actually provides the ideal environment in which children can get used to a full-size keyboard. Typing speed can be increased or decreased to suit age and ability and it shows where to place fingers, even how to sit to maintain good posture while typing. Fun games make up the second part of each ‘lesson’ and kids will love them.

Price: Free

Get Typing fingers for Android, iPad, Windows Store, Mac App Store

Type to Run

This is a fast-paced typing game which helps to increase typing speed and accuracy while providing gameplay fun. It has the look and feel of a classic arcade game, alongside a cartoon-like soundtrack. The premise is simple: run away from the monster by typing letters to clear the pathway. Stumble on speed or accuracy at your peril! Be warned: the gun pops and slightly gruesome experience of ‘death by typo’ might be off-putting to some parents but certainly not for most kids, who will find this super-fun.

Price: Free

Get Type to Run for Android, iPad, iPhone

Alpha Munchies

Alpha Munchies is a free typing game for kids inspired by Atari’s Space Invaders. The point is to shoot the little pixel aliens before they hit the blocks protecting you and your items (in this case, your lunch). But in this version, you need to shoot them by typing the letters that appear above each alien. Alpha Munchies is perfect for elementary-age students learning the alphabet, but it is also great for older kids wanting to speed up their typing (you can pick the difficulty level).

Price: Free

2. ZType

ZType has the look and feel of an old-school arcade game along the lines of space invaders, only you have to type out the words heading toward you in order to survive. It’s a fast-paced typing game which kids will really enjoy, but the speed and word selection will make it more suited to older children. It measures accuracy as a percentage of total and also calculates the longest streak of words you have blasted, so it really feels more like a game than a learning app. There are many keyboards available but the ads are really rather intrusive, so you might want to upgrade to get rid of them.

Price: Free

Get ZType for Android, iPad, iPhone

3. Speedy. How fast can you type the alphabet?

If you have an older kid who’s already pretty good at typing but just wants to get faster, this is the game for him. In ‘practice’ mode you can type out all the letters of the alphabet in order and beat your time in this fast-paced typing game. This typing game records times to the milli-second for those who are trying for a personal best. In survival mode you need to type letters of the keyboard in order to survive and increase your score and work to beat your ‘record’. You can even share your results via email, which is a nice touch!

Price: Free

Get Speedy for Android, iPad, iPhone

Keyboard Climber 2

This typing game is perfect for younger kids as there is no timer in this game. So, it’s fun and appropriate for kids who are just learning the alphabet. In Keyboard Climber 2, a monkey is stuck in a cave. Kids help the monkey jump up rock platforms. They do this by recognizing the letters on the screen. With each letter kids type correctly, the monkey gets a banana bunch.

Price: Free

How to find good Typing Games for Kids

Living in today’s digital world, it’s pretty important that kids know how to type. But learning to type doesn’t have to be a chore. The above typing games will get your child’s tiny fingers moving. The typing games are meant to motivate and help your children to become typing gurus who confidently take on challenges at the keyboard.

Other top picks from our teachers:

How to play Android games on your PC

Smartphone games may be ways away from being at the level of the gaming console and PC. Things are getting better, though, with a slew of excellent games being released every year. In fact, it’s rather uncomfortable to play some of these newer titles on a touchscreen, and I’d much rather use a keyboard and mouse or a controller instead. Luckily, there are ways to play Android games on a PC!

While the choices are somewhat limited, there are a few options available. You can now run Android apps on Windows 11 and emulators are another great option. Let’s jump in and take a quick look at the ways you can play Android games on your PC.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

Windows 11 and native Android emulation on PCs

Shortly after its release, Windows 11 gained one of its headlining features: native Android emulation. This feature lets you run Android apps without needing to install a third-party emulator. It’s now available in the latest Windows 11 builds, but only in a few regions.

This works by having the Windows Subsystem for Android, which is a virtualization instance of Android inside Windows. By having Android running inside Windows, it is possible to directly have Android apps, including games, running on Windows without having to install an emulator. The Subsystem gets the apps from the Amazon Appstore, embedded inside the Microsoft Store. For now, the officially supported app list is rather limited but you can also install the Google Play Store on Windows 11.

Bluestacks 5 / MSI App Player

Bluestacks was one of the first Android emulators I used a few years ago to play Android games on my PC. It remains one of the best options even today, with the latest version — Bluestacks 5 — getting even better.

Getting started

All you need to do is to download and install Bluestacks from the website to get started. Bluestacks 5 runs on an older version of Android. But before you reel back in horror at how old that default Android version is, keep in mind that it’s quite current as far as these kinds of emulators go. The good news is that you shouldn’t have any trouble running most apps and games either way.

You’ll need to sign up with your Google account, as you would on any Android device. You can download apps from the Google Play Store by going to the “My Library” section. However, after launching Bluestacks on your PC, you’ll see that it puts games front and center. The “Game Center” is packed with excellent recommendations, and you can also scroll through various collections and genres to find the best games. With Bluestacks 5, the company now boasts a game library with over 2 million apps.

Bluestacks also made the MSI App Player, which is another excellent emulator, but it is essentially the same thing with a different look. The interface is a lot cleaner, and you’ll likely need to know what to download beforehand. There are few game recommendations, but for the most part, MSI products are showcased instead.

Features

Unsurprisingly, you get identical features with both emulators. The gaming controls and keyboard mapping are highly customizable, so you shouldn’t have any trouble replicating a PC gaming experience. The good news is that the keyboard mapping is pretty solid, even without tinkering too much. Built-in modes for shooting and MOBA are a huge help in this regard as well.

A Multi-instance feature adds a new aspect to strategy and Gacha games by letting you play the same game with multiple accounts. You can also play different games from different “instances” to avoid any confusion. The emulator also comes with a recording feature and screenshot buttons built-in and is easily accessible.

As far as settings go, Bluetacks and MSI App Player let you adjust the display resolution from qHD to Quad HD and set the DPI between 160 and 320. If your device supports it, you can also change the graphics mode and set it to use dedicated computer graphics.

Performance

I played Asphalt 9, Madden NFL Mobile, and FIFA Mobile on both emulators, and had a great time. There were a few instances of lag, but not enough to cause any real problems with gameplay. The emulators loaded quite quickly, but launching a game took a while. However, once it started, it ran almost as quickly as it does on my phone.

In comparison to Bluestacks 4, the MSI App Player felt like it was the smoother of the two. Both Bluestacks 5 and the MSI App Player are fantastic options if you want to play Android games on your PC.

Nox Player

Nox Player is widely considered to be a really good alternative to Bluestacks and comes with similar capabilities. Like the competition, Nox Player also runs Android 7.0 Nougat and lets you download games and apps from the Google Play Store.

Getting started

Simply download the emulator from the Nox Player website and install it to start playing games on your PC. The Nox Player interface is similar to what you’d see on an Android tablet, albeit an extremely old one. The screen opens with some “pre-installed” apps, and it comes complete with navigation keys (back, home, and recent apps) tucked away in the bottom right corner. You’ll find the Google Play Store in the “Tools” folder and can download anything else after signing in with your Google account.

Features

The Nox Player isn’t as packed with features as Bluestacks, at least at first glance. It comes with its own version of multi-instance, though, or Multi-drive in this case. Keyboard mapping is highly customizable as well. However, while Bluestacks has some pre-loaded profiles set up, you’ll have to start completely from scratch with Nox. That’s fine since most people will set everything to their liking anyway, but there’s definitely a learning curve for a newbie.

Another aspect where Nox falls behind is that the display resolution can only be set to a maximum of Full HD. You can also choose a performance mode to decide how graphic-intensive it’ll be.

Performance

I played Asphalt 9 and Sniper Strike using Nox Player. There were a few instances of lag and stutter. The emulator launches quickly enough, but a game takes a pretty long time to load. While playing a game, it basically appears to take a bit to get into gear.

For example, when a race started on Asphalt 9, the lag was very noticeable. However, it got better quickly, and everything ran as smoothly as expected after that initial stumble. Things were much better with games that weren’t particularly graphic-intensive, even though these took a while to load as well.

Gameloop

Gameloop, previously known as Tencent Gaming Buddy, started off as the official emulator for PUBG Mobile. This might seem confusing since PUBG Mobile is a mobile version of the original PC game. But the former is also free, and with this emulator, some users can enjoy the best of both worlds. That said, there’s a lot more you can do with Gameloop as well.

Getting started

Again, all you have to do is download and install the emulator. Like Bluestacks, you’re greeted with a Game Center that houses a slew of excellent titles. Of course, given the company behind it, PUBG Mobile is showcased. However, you’ll find a lot of FPS, MOBA, and strategy games available too.

The app section includes some popular options like Whatsapp, Instagram, YouTube, and more. However, the Google Play Store isn’t easily accessible. You’ll have to switch over to the “My Games” tab and install it from the Google Installer option. Any games and apps you download from the Play Store have a “non-Gameloop” tag.

Features

Gameloop comes with the least features of the lot. There’s no multi-sync feature, and in fact, a non-cheating mode is automatically enabled when you load a game. However, usual features like taking a screenshot, recording your gameplay, and keyboard mapping are available.

The keyboard mapping setup is one of the easier ones to use. Something to remember is that the preset map is almost unusable, at least with the games I tried first, so you’ll have to customize it yourself. I prefer doing that anyway, so it wasn’t too much of a big deal for me. Everything is perfectly in place for PUBG, though.

Included options when it comes to display resolution go up to just 1,280 x 720. However, I was able to manually set it to Full HD, so that is an option. You can also switch the DPI between 160 and 480.

Performance

I played PUBG Mobile, of course, but I also tried Asphalt 9 and Call of Duty Mobile. Let’s start with the emulator, though. Of the four options, Gameloop was the fastest to start, and everything is really smooth when scrolling through the UI. You can see the minimum system requirements when you install a game, so you have a good idea of whether your PC can run it or not.

Gaming performance is all over the place. Asphalt 9, a “non-Gameloop” game, was practically unplayable. The game took a really long time to load, was extremely laggy, and there were a lot of frame drops. The opposite end of the spectrum was when I played Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG.

Both were fast to load, and the gameplay was smooth, with barely any lag or stutter. It was so good, in fact, that I went back and installed Call of Duty on Bluestacks to see if the performance was the same. It wasn’t even close.

Piano Hero Game Using Android Things

Learn to play the piano with a MIDI keyboard and Android Things that includes your favourite nursery rhymes and Disney songs.

Things used in this project

Story

MakeFest Liverpool is a family-friendly event celebrating low level technologies, hardware, hacking and making. We participated again with a stand at the 2017 event. We built two fun Internet of Things games to try and engage those attending, and learn more about Android Things for ourselves. Here’s our review on what we did and what we learned.

Three of us attended from Novoda. It was a crazy busy day with lots of people visiting us at our stand. Everyone had a wide range of knowledge, which made for some great conversations. People played the games and were really interested in what Android Things is all about. Most attendees of MakeFest were families with children aged 7–17, which is why we created IoT games to spark their interest.

Attending MakeFest had two aims. Firstly, we love helping the community, and seeing young people engaging with technology is inspiring. We enjoy helping to spark creative ideas and show how easy it is to get into technology. Secondly, we are always learning and trying to push the boundaries of our own knowledge. Working with hardware is not a daily occurrence yet for most of our projects, so MakeFest really pushed us to learn new things.

Our first project was a game based on the idea of Guitar Hero but using a piano. We used Android Things as our IoT platform, which meant we had to research how to connect an electronic piano (MIDI controller) with a Raspberry Pi 3.

Piano Hero uses a Raspberry Pi 3 running Android Things OS and our app. The app is available on GitHub here: https://github.com/novoda/spikes/tree/master/piano-Hero

The board has a Rainbow Hat plugged into it, because right now its a prototype. We use the Segment Display to show the current score of the game, and the piezo buzzer to play the notes from the keyboard.

The cool thing about this app is you can use it on Android Things Raspberry Pi with a keyboard and screen plugged in, or you can run the same app on a phone and use an onscreen touch keyboard.

Our game winners this year each won an Android Things Rainbow Hat case, which, when added to a Raspberry Pi 3, has everything needed to get started programming and hacking Android Things and similar IoT platforms.