Lockpick Games started in our family living room. 

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Drake, my stepson, was starting his year 5 schooling. This meant we needed to start thinking about what high school he wanted to attend. The three of us brainstormed. What extra circulars were most important to him? What components of high-school life was Drake looking forward to? We settled our sights on a local Sydney Selective School. 

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And then came the realisation. He’d have to score well on the Selective Schools Test for this reality to actually come through.

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As a 10 year old, you can imagine his dismay when we asked him to add extra study on top of his homework. To take extra time away from playing with friends, video games, reading and soccer.

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So Jeff sat down with Drake for a brainstorming session. The questions he asked were:

“How do you like to prepare for a test?”

“What makes learning fun?’

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We all settled on that video games were fun. And even educational games are fun.

“BUT!” Drake told us, “You can’t let the kids KNOW it’s learning. It has to feel just like a regular video game.”

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And that’s how the first version of Marble Mansion was born.

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Tash (stepmum and CEO) watched in fascination as Jeff (dad, story designer and technical advisor) built the first version of the game. In the first session, Jeff and Drake played (and learned!) for four hours straight. And while there were glitches and bugs galore, they got through 60 questions from the NSW Selective School Test – and had a lot of laughs while doing it!

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The following week, Tash was accepted into Startmates’ inaugural Founders Fellowship program. This program encouraged Tash to solve a big, hairy, audacious problem she saw in the world. Inspired by Drake, she started to explore the issues young people faced when studying for standardised tests.

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The stated purpose of standardised testing is to level the playing field for students.

But we all know not every school is the same, and not everyone’s access to education is the same.

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Students from less privileged socioeconomic backgrounds may also face challenges with standardised testing. Tests like the SATs have been criticised as having implicit bias. Standardised tests are not designed for neurodiverse students. Taking these tests in English (if not a student’s first language) adds another layer of complexity. And what about those who just cannot afford the $2,000-$20,000 a year to hire professional tutors?

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So how can we level the playing field so every young person can UNLOCK their potential and ACE standardised testing?

By creating fun, inclusive and informative games, tutorials and resources for aspiring students. 

So we invite you to join us as we build Lockpick Games.

We invite you to join us in helping every student reach their full potential.

– Tash, Jeff & Drake.