25 Apr 2025
Education Security Games

Cybersecurity and online safety and digital literacy for kids through ...

...games

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Freemium

People love using similar products but resist paying. You’ll need to either find who will pay or create additional value that’s worth paying for.

Should You Build It?

Build but think about differentiation and monetization.


Your are here

Your idea of using games to teach cybersecurity, online safety, and digital literacy to kids falls into the 'Freemium' category, meaning people are generally interested in the concept but might resist paying for it upfront. The good news is that there are a number of similar products already out there (n_matches = 10), suggesting a validated need for this type of educational tool. These products also have a high engagement (avg n_comments = 16). Given the 'Freemium' classification, it's crucial to think strategically about how to provide enough initial value to attract users while also incentivizing them to upgrade to a paid version. This is especially important given the competition.

Recommendations

  1. Start by deeply understanding which user segments (e.g., parents, schools, individual kids) derive the most value from the free aspects of your game. For instance, some parents in similar product discussions are looking for ways to protect their children from harmful content, so free features addressing this could be valuable.
  2. Based on these insights, develop premium features that significantly enhance their experience. Examples could include more in-depth cybersecurity modules, personalized learning paths, parental control dashboards with advanced reporting, or access to exclusive content/challenges. Consider what will make their lives easier and more secure. As the 'Safes' product launch revealed, parents are actively seeking such digital safety solutions.
  3. Explore the possibility of charging teams (e.g., schools, clubs) rather than individual users. Schools might be willing to pay for a comprehensive cybersecurity curriculum delivered through your game, which could offer a more sustainable revenue model.
  4. Consider offering personalized help or consulting services to schools or families who need more support in implementing cybersecurity best practices. This could involve workshops, webinars, or one-on-one coaching, creating an additional revenue stream.
  5. Experiment with different pricing models (e.g., subscriptions, one-time purchases, in-app purchases) with small groups of users to determine what resonates best with your target audience. Take note of what 'Guardey' is doing in terms of their Duolingo-like security awareness.
  6. Carefully balance educational content with engaging gameplay. Drawing from the criticisms of the 'storybook designed to teach kids about how computers work,' avoid making the game too technical or text-heavy for children. Focus on storytelling, analogies, and visual elements to make learning fun and accessible.
  7. Iterate based on user feedback and adapt your curriculum to address emerging cybersecurity threats and challenges. Regularly update the game with new content and features to keep users engaged and ensure that the information remains relevant.
  8. Consider the age appropriateness of your game and tailor the content accordingly. As highlighted in the discussions around the 'RISC-V assembly tabletop board game,' it's important to ensure that the game is neither too difficult nor too simplistic for the target age group.

Questions

  1. Given that similar products exist, what specific cybersecurity threats or digital literacy skills will your game uniquely address, and how will you differentiate yourself from the competition to capture the attention of your target audience?
  2. How will you measure the effectiveness of your game in improving children's cybersecurity knowledge and online safety habits, and what metrics will you use to demonstrate the value of your premium features to potential paying customers?
  3. Considering the 'Freemium' model, what is your strategy for converting free users into paying customers, and how will you balance providing valuable content for free while incentivizing users to upgrade to a paid version?

Your are here

Your idea of using games to teach cybersecurity, online safety, and digital literacy to kids falls into the 'Freemium' category, meaning people are generally interested in the concept but might resist paying for it upfront. The good news is that there are a number of similar products already out there (n_matches = 10), suggesting a validated need for this type of educational tool. These products also have a high engagement (avg n_comments = 16). Given the 'Freemium' classification, it's crucial to think strategically about how to provide enough initial value to attract users while also incentivizing them to upgrade to a paid version. This is especially important given the competition.

Recommendations

  1. Start by deeply understanding which user segments (e.g., parents, schools, individual kids) derive the most value from the free aspects of your game. For instance, some parents in similar product discussions are looking for ways to protect their children from harmful content, so free features addressing this could be valuable.
  2. Based on these insights, develop premium features that significantly enhance their experience. Examples could include more in-depth cybersecurity modules, personalized learning paths, parental control dashboards with advanced reporting, or access to exclusive content/challenges. Consider what will make their lives easier and more secure. As the 'Safes' product launch revealed, parents are actively seeking such digital safety solutions.
  3. Explore the possibility of charging teams (e.g., schools, clubs) rather than individual users. Schools might be willing to pay for a comprehensive cybersecurity curriculum delivered through your game, which could offer a more sustainable revenue model.
  4. Consider offering personalized help or consulting services to schools or families who need more support in implementing cybersecurity best practices. This could involve workshops, webinars, or one-on-one coaching, creating an additional revenue stream.
  5. Experiment with different pricing models (e.g., subscriptions, one-time purchases, in-app purchases) with small groups of users to determine what resonates best with your target audience. Take note of what 'Guardey' is doing in terms of their Duolingo-like security awareness.
  6. Carefully balance educational content with engaging gameplay. Drawing from the criticisms of the 'storybook designed to teach kids about how computers work,' avoid making the game too technical or text-heavy for children. Focus on storytelling, analogies, and visual elements to make learning fun and accessible.
  7. Iterate based on user feedback and adapt your curriculum to address emerging cybersecurity threats and challenges. Regularly update the game with new content and features to keep users engaged and ensure that the information remains relevant.
  8. Consider the age appropriateness of your game and tailor the content accordingly. As highlighted in the discussions around the 'RISC-V assembly tabletop board game,' it's important to ensure that the game is neither too difficult nor too simplistic for the target age group.

Questions

  1. Given that similar products exist, what specific cybersecurity threats or digital literacy skills will your game uniquely address, and how will you differentiate yourself from the competition to capture the attention of your target audience?
  2. How will you measure the effectiveness of your game in improving children's cybersecurity knowledge and online safety habits, and what metrics will you use to demonstrate the value of your premium features to potential paying customers?
  3. Considering the 'Freemium' model, what is your strategy for converting free users into paying customers, and how will you balance providing valuable content for free while incentivizing users to upgrade to a paid version?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 10
  • Engagement: High
    • Average number of comments: 16
  • Net use signal: 5.0%
    • Positive use signal: 7.6%
    • Negative use signal: 2.6%
  • Net buy signal: -0.4%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.4%
    • Negative buy signal: 0.8%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

Similar products

Relevance

Safes - Digital safety for children & families

Safes is a parental control app, exclusively designed for families, to safeguard digital boundaries,

The Product Hunt launch received overwhelmingly positive feedback. Users repeatedly congratulated Team Safes on the launch of their innovative digital safety solution for families, emphasizing its importance in protecting children from inappropriate online content and the dangers of smartphone/tablet use. Many expressed a personal need for such an app and gratitude for its creation, planning to use it to monitor their children's devices. The app is praised for its user-friendliness and potential to help children connect more with nature. Some users inquired about specific features, partnerships, and the balance between protection and privacy.

There was no criticism present in the provided comment, as it solely consisted of questions.


Avatar
179
38
15.8%
38
179
15.8%
Relevance

RISC-V assembly tabletop board game (hack your opponent)

29 Sep 2023 Games

I made this game to teach my daughter how buffer overflows work. I want her to look at programs as things she can change, and make them do whatever she wants.Building your exploit in memory and jumping to it feels so cool. I hope this game teaches kids and programmers (who seem to have forgotten what computers actually are) that its quite fun to mess with programs. We used to have that excitement few years ago, just break into softice and change a branch into a nop and ignore the serial number check, or go to a different game level because this one is too annoying.While working on the game I kept thinking what we have lost from 6502 to Apple Silicon, and the transition from 'personal computers' to 'you are completely not responsible for most the code running on your device', it made me a bit sad and happy in the same time, RISCV seems like a breath of fresh air, and many hackers will build many new things, new protocols, new networks, new programs. As PI4 cost increases, the esp32 cost is decreasing, we have transparent displays for 20$, good computers for 5$, cheap lora, and etc. Everything is more accessible than ever.I played with a friend who saw completely different exploits than me, and I learned a lot just from few games, and because of the complexity of the game its often you enter into a position that you get surprised by your own actions :) So if you manage to find at least one friend who is not completely stunned by the assembler, I think you will have some good time.A huge inspiration comes from phrack 49's 'Smashing The Stack For Fun And Profit' which has demystified the stack for me: http://phrack.org/issues/49/14.html#articleTLDR: computers are fun, and you can make them do things.PS: In order to play with my friends I also built esp32 helper[1] that keeps track of the game state, and when I built it and wrote the code and everything I realized I could've just media queried the web version of the game.. but anyway, its way cooler to have a board game contraption.[1]: https://punkx.org/overflow/esp32.html

Users are generally impressed with the game, noting its difficulty and the need to exploit every aspect, with some discussing the benefits of CHERI for heap temporal safety. There's interest in assembly language learning for young minds, with references to Raspberry Pi resources and historical programming games like Core War. The game's educational potential is highlighted, with some users considering introducing it at work or for their children. Debates arise about gender interests in tech and the influence of parents on children's hobbies. Questions about appropriate ages for the game and its inspiration from WarGames are also present.

Users find the game too difficult and not sufficiently different from existing offerings, with crude 3D graphics and limited options reminiscent of 8-bit days. It's perceived as too experimental and not ready for default use. Criticisms also touch on broader issues such as the high cost of software practice resources, the relevance of teaching certain skills, and the representation in system design. There's a sentiment that the game may not engage all demographics, particularly girls, and concerns about teaching irrelevant skills. Additionally, there are comments on the nature of competition in similar games and the impact of technology on employment.


Avatar
400
45
6.7%
45
400
6.7%
Relevance

I gamified learnpython.org and made a version for kids

05 Jun 2024 Education

Users commented on a Show HN product with inquiries about graphics and command naming, suggestions for more descriptive method names like 'move_forward', and positive feedback on the concept of learning Python through a game, especially for kids. The implementation and user experience were praised as 'cool', and the approach to learning programming was described as easy and playful. However, one user noted the lack of content.

Users criticized the product for having a command name that is too long, which requires additional typing. However, some users argue that the extra typing effort is justified by the increased readability it provides.


Avatar
9
6
16.7%
6
9
16.7%
Relevance

Guardey - Duolingo for security awareness

95% of hacks and data leaks are caused by human error. Guardey uses gamification to train your employees to recognize and report cyber threats.

Guardey's launch is met with positive feedback, highlighting its gamified approach to cybersecurity training as engaging, memorable, and effective for improving security awareness. Users appreciate the creative and interactive format, drawing parallels to Duolingo and noting its superiority over traditional, boring security briefings. Several commenters congratulate the team, inquire about trial periods and curriculum adjustments, and express eagerness to try the app. The underserved SME space and the crucial need for cybersecurity awareness, especially for remote workers, are also emphasized. Gamification's success in boosting threat recognition skills is acknowledged.

Users expressed concerns about the update frequency of threat scenarios and curriculum adjustments for specific security challenges. Many found existing security training programs to be boring and repetitive. There were also worries about the general ease of cyber hacks and doubts about the product's universal effectiveness in addressing security concerns for all users.


Avatar
278
29
20.7%
3.4%
29
278
20.7%
3.4%
Relevance

A storybook designed to teach kids about how computers work

I’ve been working on a unique storybook designed to teach kids about how computers work, and I would love to get your feedback.Set 500 years in the future, the story follows two kids – one a robot, the other a human – as they explore the workings of what to them is ancient technology: our present-day computers. I’ve aimed to keep each story short and engaging, sprinkling in humor and illustrations to captivate young readers.As an open-source project, you’re also welcome to check out the source here: https://github.com/yong/lostlanguageofthemachines

The Show HN product, likely an educational book or resource for children, received mixed feedback. Users found it too technical and complex for children, suggesting it might be better suited for young adults. Many comments advised using stronger storytelling, analogies, and less text to make it more engaging. The technical content, especially the focus on binary and higher math, was criticized as unsuitable for the target audience. Some appreciated the idea and encouraged improvements, while others questioned the relevance of certain topics. Feedback on presentation style and requests for more pictures were also noted.

The Show HN product is criticized for being too technical, complex, and sophisticated for children, with a lack of storytelling and engagement. Users find the language and content unsuitable for the target audience, with issues in tense consistency and unrealistic elements. The product is also said to have too much text, esoteric information, and a focus on higher math that is unreasonable for kids. There are also mentions of spelling errors, stereotype use, and a lack of simple examples and problem-solving skills teaching. Additionally, the product is not available in other languages and is considered irrelevant and boring by some.


Avatar
132
38
-18.4%
-5.3%
38
132
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