Why a Dog? The Story Behind EduBert

EduBert wasn't born in a corporate office. It wasn't invented by a marketing department, and there's no team of 50 developers behind it. It started at a kitchen table, from the need of one dad and one son.

A Simple Game That Started Everything

A few months ago, I built a very simple multiplication game. Nothing fancy — a few screens, random tasks, basic graphics. I made it for my 9-year-old son, who was struggling with the multiplication table. I was looking for something that would help him master it without endless worksheets — and couldn't find anything that truly engaged him. So I built it myself.

It worked. My son sat down to play it on his own, without being asked. Not because he had to — because he wanted to. He solved problems, celebrated correct answers, tried to beat his own score. He mastered the multiplication table faster than any of his classmates.

And then he said the sentence that changed everything: "Dad, when will the full version be ready?"

Why a Dog?

I hear this question often. Why is the hero of an educational game a little mutt with a backpack?

The answer is simple and personal: our family has wanted a dog for a long time. We'd talk about it at dinner, the kids would draw their dream puppy, we'd browse breeds online. For various reasons, we couldn't get one yet.

When I started designing the full version of the game and needed a hero, I thought: what if our dream dog came to life in the game? A white mutt with brown patches — exactly like the one our kids kept drawing in their notebooks. He got a backpack because he loves adventures. He got the name EduBert because he learns alongside children. And he got a heart because it's a little bit ours.

EduBert is the dog we don't have — but who is with us every day.

First App, New Tools

I have to be honest: this is my first application. I'm not a professional game developer. I don't have a team of programmers. A year ago, I wouldn't have known where to begin.

What made EduBert possible is new tools and artificial intelligence. AI helped me write code, design the architecture, create the story and dialogues, generate character art. It didn't replace my vision — but it gave me the tools to bring it to life.

Was it easy? No. Both the story and the technology have been enormous challenges. Every sprint (and there have been over 30 already) means wrestling with bugs, making design decisions, testing with kids, and fixing things. But it's also an exciting adventure — for our whole family.

A Family Project

EduBert is truly a family project — and everyone has their role.

Our son is 9 and at the multiplication and division stage. That's exactly why the first game, the simple one, was about the multiplication table — because that's what he needed. He's the primary tester and the most ruthless critic. If something bores him, we know instantly. If he doesn't want to replay a level — something is wrong.

Our younger daughter is 5 and just starting her adventure with numbers. She helps us create addition and subtraction tasks — because she sees them through the eyes of a child who's just learning. When she says "dad, that's too hard" or "that's boring" — we know we need to change our approach. Her fresh perspective is invaluable.

My wife actively participates in creating the game — from dialogues to testing to story ideas. Together we invent EduBert's adventures, discuss characters, and argue (constructively!) about whether Gosia the Goose is grumpy enough. We make a tight team.

When I was designing the Park characters — Gardener Henry, Zuzia the Squirrel, Gosia the Goose — I drew inspiration from people and animals the kids know from everyday life. The Gardener is part grandpa, part teacher. Zuzia is the energetic friend from the playground. Gosia is the strict but fair auntie.

Every dialogue, every task, every scene went through the "kitchen test" — does our son want to keep playing? Does our daughter understand? Does my wife smile? If yes — it stays. If no — we change it. Together.

What's Next?

The Park (Addition) is ready — 10 scenes, 100 tasks, 5 characters, a story from the gate to home. We're working on three more adventures: City (Subtraction), Beach (Multiplication), and Forest (Division). Each with new characters and a new story.

And the dog? Maybe someday we'll have a real one. But for now, we have EduBert — and he's our dog more than anyone could have expected.

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