✍️ CastDojo

Five steps: a concept, a cast whose actions are the rules, a first chapter, a playtest, a revision.

Getting ready…

Two designers, two lessons

A real case · you decide

Lio — a 16-year-old designing a fractions cast for his cousin

The idea in play: a character teaches a rule only if its ACT is the rule — a name alone teaches nothing.

Lio named his characters Half, Third and Quarter. His cousin liked them, but could not say what a third was.

Half, Third and Quarter all did the same thing in his chapter: they walked to a bakery and smiled.

Lio tried the swap test. If Third did what Half did, would anything break? No — nothing changed.

What should Lio change first?

Open the workbench →

A real case · you decide

Esmé — a 17-year-old playtesting her chapter with her 7-year-old brother

The idea in play: a playtest is for watching — wait before helping, and give the smallest hint first.

Esmé read chapter one aloud. Her brother stopped at the page where Splitter shares the berries.

He frowned and counted the berries again. Esmé wanted to explain.

She counted to three in her head instead.

He says, “It isn’t fair.” What does Esmé do?

Open the workbench →

Chosen from what this app is about. What you open is remembered on this device only.