PowerZ reconciles video games and education

As in any video game, the young user creates his avatar, by choosing his physiognomy and his clothes. Let’s go for the adventure! In a cartoon setting, and an atmosphere close to Zelda or Harry Potter, the player arrives in a medieval village, and chooses to speak to Gretchen or Marta. The trials and puzzles are linked, in fantastic universes, which stimulate the learning of mathematics, French, English, science, or mythology, with the reward, the desire to advance in history , learn and share knowledge, or access a mediation or yoga session.

“Why not develop a game that teaches children things”, asked Emmanuel Freund, observing his children of 5 and 8 years during the confinement of spring 2020, much more captivated by their console and cartoons than by existing educational applications. Developing an educational video game that would have the force of attraction of Fornite or a Japanese anime has become a challenge for this young entrepreneur, known in the tech world for having created the start-up Blade and developing the dematerialized computer. Shadow.

Designed with education specialists

Before launching, he wanted to check if a video game allowing to learn while having fun already existed, and, if not why? The world of “Tech” as that of education, confirmed to him that not, but that the idea was good. Supported by investors from Shadow, with five former colleagues, he therefore embarked on the project of PowerZ (pronounce: powersss) with the idea of ​​connecting these two universes. To design the game, the team also surrounded itself with education specialists, including sociologist Gérald Bronner, teacher Charlotte Poussin (Montessori referent in France), member of his “education board”.

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Publishers like Hachette and Nathan, who publish textbooks, and like Bayard, are also involved. “We are already integrating Bayard content such as the Hermès soap opera, or Yoga sessions”, preciseEmmanuel Freund. This educational video game is also free, while offering a subscription version, from zero to ten euros per month.