Good places
Dry, calm, reachable places with clear walking paths.
1 · Clear the power zone
HARD SURFACE · GOOD CABLE · ADULT NEARBYNo cloth · no food · no water
Charge on a clear, nonflammable surface. Use intact data cables and enclosed 5V adapters. Keep loose screws and open builds away from small children.
Check
Cool device. Normal smell. Flat battery. Cable undamaged.
Stop
Heat, swelling, odor, damage, or unstable power means unplug and retire the part.
2 · Make a safe clue map
BOOKS · PLAY AREA · TABLE · LAUNCH SPOTVisible paths · removable labels · cards in easy reach
Never hide near
Medicine, cleaners, tools, stairs, ovens, traffic, pools, windows, outside doors, or valuables.
Cards are props, not things to chew or bend. Keep them away from metal and thick boxes that block scans.
3 · Keep light and motion gentle
≈ 50% LIGHT · NO STROBE · MOTOR TIMEOUTAlways pair color with shape, words, or sound
Run Chain RGB near the published 50% brightness. Use slow patterns. Keep fingers out of StackChan and Catch joints.
Check
The matrix stays comfortable to touch. Motion stops quickly.
Fix
Power off. Lower brightness or motion range. Add a manual release.
Catch is a paper-prop helper.
Use only the documented 0-45° command range. It may lift a flag or release a light paper gate. It never holds a lid or closes on a hand.
4 · Make recording obvious
PRESS → CUE → CAPTURE → DELETENo always-listening mode
- Use a visible and audible cue.
- Prefer press-to-talk or show-to-camera.
- Delete raw clips by default.
- Never place camera props in bedrooms, bathrooms, or changing areas.
- Explain any cloud AI in plain view. Keep a local version of the game.
5 · Keep device doors closed
NO PUBLIC INBOUND ACCESSUnique credentials · reset path · secrets stay off the public
site
Use card UIDs only as game labels. They are not passwords. Each device needs its own credentials, a setup reset, and a replacement path.
6 · Protect the game
Hints stay free
No shame. No point loss.
Win together
Competition is optional. Cooperation is normal.
Stop means stop
Pause, skip, cancel, and finish are always available.
Essentials stay outside
Never tie food, affection, bedtime, bathroom access, or basic privileges to stars.
Watch the player, not the plan.
Stop when a child is overwhelmed, scared, tired, or simply done.
7 · Break it safely on the bench
Save progress before the success animation. Make repeat inputs count once. Then test:
- Wrong, repeated, and out-of-order scans.
- Card pulled away mid-scan.
- Low battery and reader disconnect.
- Corrupt saved state.
- Wi-Fi loss and server restart.
- Replacement device and factory firmware rollback.
- Motor reboot, jam, and repeated command.
Check
The story resumes. Motors return off. A grown-up can finish manually.
Fix
Keep the build on the bench until every unsafe failure becomes a safe stop.