FAQs

What age range do your games target?

Our games are primarily designed for youth of all neurotypes ages 10-15. We find that middle school aged (American grades 6-8) get the most out of playing Ava.

What are your games used for?

Our games and curriculum are designed to center the neurodiverse perspective in social-emotional learning while providing a tool for professionals to teach SEL skills in an engaging way. The majority of these professionals are teachers, counselors, and therapists.

Our materials are not based around teaching kids how to emulate neurotypical behaviors and rewarding them for their ability to assimilate. Instead, we believe in developing SEL skills to help youth foster a healthy sense of self as a neurodiverse individual and construct positive boundaries.

Are your games only for neurodivergent kids?

While our games are created for neurodivergent youth, youth of all neurotypes can benefit from the SEL skills presented in our games.

Social-emotional learning can be difficult for adolescents for a multitude of reasons that aren't necessarily related to neurodiversity. So, although our material is designed with a specific audience in mind, it can easily be extended to benefit a broader range of people or contexts.

According to Microsoft, this 'solve for one, extend to many' concept is one of the core principles of inclusive design, as designing for people with disabilities presents unique constraints that tend to create solutions that many others can benefit from.

When will the game be released?

Episode 1 of Ava was released October 16, 2021. You can purchase your copy of Ava today!

How much do your games cost? What does it include?

Pricing:
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● $99/yr: 1-5 students per account
● $149/yr: 6-10 students per account
● Request a quote: 10+ students

Your membership includes:
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● Episode 1 of Ava – including a tutorial, 3 different SEL quest storylines, with 200+ dialogue choices for your students to play through
● 1 Facilitator Login (for setup and player management)
● Ava SEL Curriculum with learning goals and 10 session-length reflection/discussion activities

What platforms are your games available on?

Ava is available on web for PC, Mac, and Chromebook. The game will not work on mobile web.

How accessible are your games?

While we strive to create an experience that is inclusive to all types of disabled players, the game in its current form does require a certain level of facility--particularly when it comes to visual perception, fine motor skills/hand dexterity, and overall reading ability. We recognize that impairments in these areas are likely to be more common among our players; as such, our team is currently working on ways to mitigate these accessibility barriers in order to better serve all players.

If you have any disability-related comments or accommodation suggestions that you'd like to share with us, please send us an email! We highly value community input and welcome any feedback you may have about how we can create a more accessible experience.

What is the difficulty level of your games?

Our games are designed for both kids who are gamers and those who are not as much. Players should at least be comfortable with using a keyboard and mouse.

If the game is ever too easy or difficult, players always have the option to change the difficulty settings to match their skill level.

What inspired you to make these types of games?

Our CEO, Vanessa, sought to create Ava after finding solace in gaming as an autistic teen. Like many autistic individuals, Vanessa experienced a lot of shame surrounding her diagnosis due to external pressure from others to conform.

Through gaming, Vanessa was able to practice social skills on her own terms and build confidence in herself as a neurodivergent person instead of feeling like she had to hide or change part of her identity.

After spending some time as a neuroscience researcher, she set out with a goal that is now shared amongst the Social Cipher team: to create a game that helps neurodiverse youth see themselves positively, communicate their own needs, and find their place in the world.

How do you work with schools and mental health professionals?

We work closely with educators and mental health professionals to design and test the content in Ava. Our team consists of experienced psychologists and instructors who review and write the SEL content and curriculum.

We also regularly test the game with educators and mental health professionals to get their feedback on the game, the curriculum, and the companion app.

Do you have any efficacy studies?

We are currently working with researchers to create our first efficacy study.

Still have questions? Check the help center or email us at ahoy@socialciphergame.com