Level 0 · Artifact Hunt
Show a clue. Scan the right card. Reveal the next clue. Wrong and repeated cards get a funny line but no progress.
A child finishes without Wi-Fi or builder help.
A wrong scan advances or a reboot loses the clue.
Level 1 · Sidequest Beacon
Key 1 accepts. Key 2 asks for a hint or goes back. The matrix shows portal, progress, and victory.
Five fast presses become five actions and the matrix stays cool.
One press fires twice or the matrix runs hot.
Level 2 · Two-Agent Hunt
Add the second Cardputer and reader. One player decodes. One finds and scans. Paths meet at the ending.
Neither child waits more than one minute for a useful job.
One role feels like watching.
Level 3 · StackChan Spellbook
Use StackChan’s own NFC reader. A card summons a character reaction. The hunt still works if StackChan misses a message.
A reboot restores the current character.
Robot trouble stops the story.
Level 4 · Tab5 Quest Forge
Show the current scene, team progress, device health, and four clear controls. Add a tiny quest editor later.
Home Base restores the scene and can finish around a broken prop.
A missing device traps the players.
Level 5 · Connected quest engine
Move the shared truth into the quest engine. Add setup, snapshots, acknowledgements, retries, sequence numbers, reconnect, and offline fallback.
Restarts and late messages never duplicate or erase progress.
Two screens disagree about the current clue.
Level 6 · Victory machine
Let Catch lift a flag or release a paper gate. Keep hands clear. Never use it as a lock or lid.
Power loss, a jam, or repeat command cannot keep the servo driving.
There is any pinch point or no manual release.
Level 7 · Make your own stories
Make three templates: artifact hunt, mystery, and creative challenge. Let a grown-up choose safe places, props, time, reading level, and finale.
A kid can invent the next adventure in three blanks.
The hand-written version is not delightful yet.