PlusyThe games and when to use each
Plusy has five games, Multiple choice, Type it, Fill the gap, Matching and Speed run, plus Mixed, which plays them easiest first. A level on the road mixes the first three by itself; all of them can be picked on the Games tab.
What games are there in Plusy?
Plusy has five games and one mixed round. Each practices the same math facts in a different way, from recognizing the right answer to recalling it with no clues. The table shows what your child does in each and what it suits best.
| Game | What the child does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice | Picks the right answer from four. | A first look at new facts, when recognizing the answer is enough. |
| Type it | Types the answer on the number pad. | Recall with no clues, which is what a school test asks for. |
| Fill the gap | Finds the missing number, as in 7 × _ = 56. | Seeing how facts pair up: times with divide, add with take away. |
| Matching | Matches five facts to their five answers, one tap on each side. | A relaxed warm-up that costs nothing. |
| Speed run | Answers as many facts as possible in 60 seconds. | Building speed on facts already learned. |
| Mixed | Plays the games easiest first, like a level on the road. | Everyday practice when you are not sure what to pick. |
Which games are in a round on the road?
A round on the road uses three games: multiple choice, type it and fill the gap. In a part, each new fact is first asked as multiple choice and then typed, with fill the gap questions mixed in. All of them and the Test are typed. Matching and the speed run are not part of a road round. On the Fractions road a round is multiple choice and typing, with no fill the gap.
The wrong choices in multiple choice are mistakes children really make, such as a neighbor in the same table. A missed question comes back once later in the round: see what Plusy does after a wrong answer.
How do we pick a game ourselves?
Your child picks a game on the Games tab: first the game, then the facts. The facts can be one of your own lists or any world of any road, open or not, as All the facts or one level. The Fractions worlds are listed in Mixed, Type it and Multiple choice only. A Games round takes up to 12 facts.
Open the Games tab
It says Pick a game, then pick your facts.
Pick a game
Tap Mixed, Type it, Matching, Multiple choice, Fill the gap or Speed run.
Pick the facts
Under Which facts?, choose a list or a world. For the speed run, choose a road.
Playing on the Games tab is practice. Your child's place on the road stays the same, so there is no risk in trying a harder world here.
A list from My lists can be played in any game too: see making a list.
Which games use a heart and which are free?
A round uses one heart, taken once as the round opens, and wrong answers cost nothing extra. That covers a level on the road, a Games round, a list round and a speed run. Matching, tests and replays of finished levels use no heart at all.
| What is played | Uses a heart? | Pays coins and XP? |
|---|---|---|
| A new level on the road | Yes, one | Yes |
| A round from the Games tab or a list | Yes, one | Yes |
| Speed run | Yes, one | Yes, whatever the score |
| Matching | No | No |
| A world's test | No | Yes, when passed |
| A replay of a finished level | No | No |
Leaving a round with the X before the first answer gives the heart back. Hearts return on their own over time and with a new day: see what hearts are.
When does the speed run open?
The speed run opens on a road once your child has passed a world's test on that road. Until then it says Pass a test on the road to open the speed run. It asks only facts and two-digit questions from the worlds already passed, so it is always practice on what your child knows, never new material. The Fractions road has no speed run.
The clock starts on the first key press. There is no Check: a right answer is taken the moment it is complete, and a wrong one clears the box so the same fact can be tried again. The best score is kept for each road.
A two-digit question has a small Columns button for a child who wants the column grid. Columns are never penalised. A right answer worked in the head instead shows Mental math! +1 and earns an extra star.
Questions
Which game is best the night before a test?
Type it, because a school test asks for the answer with no choices to pick from. If the facts are on a homework sheet, put them in a list first. See getting ready for a test.
Is Matching worth playing if it pays nothing?
Yes, as a warm-up. Matching is free, uses no heart and saves nothing, so it suits a child who is tired or out of hearts. It does not count toward the streak by itself.
Can my child practice a world that is not open yet?
Yes, on the Games tab. Every world of every road can be picked there, open or not; the Fractions worlds are in Mixed, Type it and Multiple choice. It is practice only and does not move the road.
My child finds the speed run stressful. Do we need it?
No. The speed run is optional and nothing depends on it. Apart from it, nothing in Plusy has a time limit: rounds and tests are not timed.