VXLVERSE — 45-minute lesson deck (17 slides)
Open this on the projector and press → to move. Press S for the teacher notes, Esc to go back to the lesson plan. Every slide is printed below if you would rather have it on paper.
1. Today you write a story. It becomes a 3D game.
No installs. No accounts. You type words, and a world builds itself while you type.
Teacher says: "Nobody here has to know how to code. Including me."
2. Watch this first
A forest. A girl called Mara. She wants a star. Find it and you win.
Teacher says: play the demo on the projector for 60 seconds — walk up, press E, grab the star, win.
3. That whole game was six lines
Win when: player has 🌟 star
World "forest":
Character "Mara":
say Bring me a star and you win!
wants: 🌟 star
item 🌟 starTeacher says: "Read it out loud. It says what it does — that is the whole trick."
4. Six words do all the work
World— where it happensCharacter— who is theresay— what they saywants— what they ask foritem— a thing on the groundWin when— how the game ends
Teacher says: "You will use all six today. There is no seventh secret word."
5. Join the class
Open vxlverse.com/class and type this code:
CLASS CODE: _______________Teacher says: write your class code on the board too — this slide is the backup, the board is the source of truth.
6. Pick a nickname
A made-up name only. Not your surname. Something you will recognise on the big screen later.
Teacher says: "No email, no password, no account. Nickname and you are in."
7. Step 1 — a world and a person
World "forest":
Character "Mara":
say Hi! I lost my star in the trees.
Win when: talk to MaraType it. Two spaces before say. Then press Play.
Teacher says: expect "it says my game can't be won" — that is correct and it is the next slide.
8. Walk up. Press E.
Arrows or WASD to move. Stand next to Mara. Press E. She talks.
Teacher says: circulate now — the two things that break are indentation and a missing colon after the name.
9. Step 2 — make it a game you can win
Win when: player has 🌟 star
World "forest":
Character "Mara":
say Hi! Bring me my star.
wants: 🌟 star
gives: 🏅 medal
item 🌟 starTeacher says: "Now something can end. That line at the top is the difference between a scene and a game."
10. Trap 1 — item lives on the far left
Indented under a character, the item silently disappears. No error. It is just gone.
Character "Mara":
wants: 🌟 star
item 🌟 star ← wrong, vanishes
Character "Mara":
wants: 🌟 star
item 🌟 star ← right, it existsTeacher says: "If you cannot find the thing anywhere in the world — check whether it is indented."
11. Trap 2 — wants is not winning
Delivering a wanted item gives points. Only a Win when: line ends the game.
Your game has no way to win yet — add a `Win when:`
line at the far left, or `win` under a choice.Teacher says: that message is the compiler checking the game can actually be finished — it is help, not failure.
12. Make it yours — change the world
Swap one word. Try desert, snow, volcano, jungle, beach, dungeon, swamp, cemetery.
World "volcano":Teacher says: "Rename Mara to anything you like — the wants and the win still follow her."
13. Add an enemy
Win when: player has 🌟 star
World "forest":
Character "Mara":
say Watch out — someone is guarding my star.
wants: 🌟 star
item 🌟 star
Enemy "Grumble":
kind: raider
tier: 3Trap 3: kind: raider goes on its own line. On the name line it becomes part of the name.
Teacher says: "Try tier 1 first. Tier 10 will end you."
14. Add a choice
Win when: player has 🌟 star
World "snow":
Character "Bo":
say Nice hat. Want a race?
if choice is "Yes!":
say Go! You are fast.
score + 10
if choice is "No thanks":
say Suit yourself.
item 🌟 starTeacher says: "Now your game asks the player a question — and remembers the answer."
15. Hand it in
Press Play and finish your own game once. Then press Hand in.
Teacher says: if it says "Almost there!", press Add a finish line — the computer writes the missing goal and hands the game in.
16. Arcade
Every game is on the class page. Press Start the arcade and they play one after another — the same order on every screen.
Teacher says: open the class page on the projector, press Start the arcade, sixty to ninety seconds a game, ask the author one question, Next game.
17. Everyone gets an award
Every game earns an award for what the child wrote — Storyteller, World Builder, Cast Director, Boss Maker. Nobody is ranked. Nothing counts plays or votes.
Teacher says: read the award out with the nickname as each game comes up. Every child has one.