RAD DAD
BASEMENT STUDIO

A cozy educational reading game made for our daughter

Penelope's
Game

A room to make her own. Stories to share. Plush friends cheering her on.

We began making this for our daughter, who finds reading hard. The hope is simple: give her a place she wants to return to, where a page feels like part of an adventure.

Explore her rooms

Working title · In development for family playtesting

A girl stands in a warmly lit pink bedroom filled with books, plants, a patchwork bed and plush friends
Her room · Actual game capture
Unicorn, a collectible plush friend Dragon, a collectible plush friend

Why we're making it

For the girl behind
the game.

Reading practice can feel like another task at the end of a long day. Penelope's Game is an educational game that puts reading inside a cozy world she can care about. She can spend time with her plush friends, make choices about her room, and come back to a story when she's ready.

It is a personal project first. We are building it with her reading journey in mind, then learning from how she actually plays.

Three rooms · Two ways to see each one

Watch the rooms
come alive.

Slide across each room to see its simpler starting look give way to the fully dressed build. The camera stays put while the room changes around her.

01 / The Bedroom

A little room becomes hers.

Starter Bedroom with a bed, bedside lamp and Bear and Bunny Fully dressed Bedroom with a canopy bed, layered lighting, furnishings, plants and plush friends

Look for the change

  • Sun pools and fairy lights
  • Canopy, patchwork quilt and soft seats
  • Books, plants and plush company
Full-size view ↗
02 / The Moonlit Study

A quiet corner for stories.

Starter moonlit Study with a fireplace and reading table Fully dressed moonlit Study with warm firelight, reading furniture and plush friends

Look for the change

  • Moonlight meets firelight
  • Bookshelves, armchair and telescope
  • Fountain glow and plush friends
Full-size view ↗
03 / The Star Loft

A hideaway with room for everyone.

Starter Star Loft beneath a pitched roof Fully dressed Star Loft with soft seating, string lights and plush friends

Look for the change

  • Warmer light beneath the rafters
  • Pink canopy lounge and soft cushions
  • Star chart, books and more plush friends
Full-size view ↗

Actual development build captures. Drag the handle or use the arrow keys to compare each room.

A growing plush collection

So many little
personalities.

Bear and Bunny greet her at the start. As she plays, she can meet more of the twelve plush friends, care for them and dress them up. Here are some of the cuties waiting beyond the first hello.

Cream Unicorn plush with a pink mane and gold hornUnicorn
Peach Owl plush with a cream face and round feetOwl
Small orange Fennec plush with oversized earsFennec
Round Penguin plush with rosy cheeksPenguin
Mint Dragon plush with tiny wings and golden spinesDragon
Pastel Caterpillar plush with a smiling faceCaterpillar

Stories have a place here

Sit down.
Open a story.

Reading takes her to a chair in the moonlit Study. Built-in stories use short pages and gentle practice: finding words, making sentences, putting events in order and listening for a word.

She can hear words and passages aloud, or play with the microphone off. A grown-up can also add a passage, spelling list or practice words from home, then review what goes into her game.

In-game storybook with an illustrated plush-bear story, a short passage and reading controls inside the moonlit Study
An in-game story, shown in the Study. Open to enlarge.

Made for her · Useful for you

Real reading practice.
Her kind of world.

Penelope's Game connects its cozy stories and word games to the reading your child is already doing. The grown-up controls live behind a parent gate, while her bookshelf keeps the experience inviting.

01

Choose a reading level

Parents can select one of three reading bands, Hangout, Stretch or Circle, for built-in practice. They are gentle game settings, not school grade labels or a promise about reading ability.

02

Upload school reading assignments

Bring in a reading passage, spelling list or practice words by typing, pasting, taking a photo or choosing a PDF, Word document or image. Files are processed on your device; the assignment is not sent to our site.

03

Review what she sees

Check extracted text, choose sentences and words, and add an optional due date before saving it to her Study bookshelf. She can read the passage, hear words aloud and play practice games with material you approved.

Parent reading plan in Penelope's Game, showing options for a reading passage, spelling words, practice words and adding photos or files
Parent reading plan · Actual game interface. Open to enlarge.

The reading plan and level choices are features in the current development build. Penelope's Game is in family playtesting; educational outcomes have not been established.

The little things matter

A good reason
to come back.

Story time sits alongside decorating, caring for her room and collecting plush friends. Reading can help her choose new touches for the room, dress her friends and fill a sticker book. The aim is a welcoming rhythm, with room for progress at her pace.

In-game sticker book offering bear, canopy bed and telescope stickers, with pages for friends, home and adventures
The sticker book · Actual game interface. Open to enlarge.

A little wave from you

Cheer on
Penelope's Game.

Would you like to see this educational little world grow? Show your interest and help us see how many people are following along.

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