Dianne Brauner, who publishes regularly for Perkin’s Path To Technology, recently reviewed Blindfold Doggy.

Here’s what she wrote:
Blindfold Doggy is a free app with in app purchases for more features and additional food, etc. (The game ends when you run out of food typically – in a day or two. An in-app purchase is required to continue playing.) This app is self-voicing and can also be played with VoiceOver On.

Purpose

Blindfold Doggy is an auditory virtual pet game. The object of the game is to care for your pet. Earn points with good care and lose points if your dog runs away or is not cared for properly. This game encourages children to listen carefully to directions, reinforces right, left, up and down concepts, sequencing, and problem-solving. The game provides opportunities for young students to use a variety of basic gestures (one-finger swipes, two-finger swipes and double tap) and is a great game to introduce the concept of navigating through menus. Blindfold Doggy has highly motivating sound effects!

Play

The game is played in portrait mode. Tap the Switch to Full Screen Mode button in the bottom right corner, if desired. The Main Menu has these options:

• Learn Sounds
• Practice Game with Explanations
• Simple Game with Explanations
• Simple Game
• My Scores
• Help
• Settings
• Get Upgrades

The free version of the game includes Learn Sounds and Practice Game with explanations.
Learn Sounds is a list of what your dog does and what he needs. Tap on each sentence to hear the dog’s sound. Example: “Your dog pants because he needs water.” When you tap on that sentence, you hear your dog panting. Your dog will make thirteen different sounds.
Practice Game with Explanation: Start the game with a right or left swipe to hear the “menu” or list of options. These options are:

• Kibble
• Play
• Whistle
• Leash
• Door
• Brush
• Pooper Scooper
• Water

Note: A swipe down is the door to go outside. Swipe up brings you back home.
Select your desired option by double tapping. Listen carefully to the directions – they are different according to what option you pick. If you feed or water your dog, she will need to go outside. Be careful – your dog needs a leash before you can open the door! Your dog will make noises to alert you of her needs, including the need to go outside. Guess what happens if she is not taken outside. . . (You will lose points if she poops in the house!) Taking good care of your dog will earn points.
It takes 100 points before you have access to the Adventure Game, which includes shopping for toys and taking your dog to the vet. Another option in the paid version of Blindfold Doggy is caring for two dogs!
Teacher Hint: When playing Blindfold Doggy, discuss digital menus and how a right swipe moves through each choice and a double tap selects the choice. Allow your student to make mistakes and to learn through trial and error. The student may try to go out the door (right swipe down) without first opening the door and he will hear the hint that the door is closed. The student then has to problem-solve and go back to the menu, select door, and open the door before he can go outside. The student will quickly learn that he has to first put on the dog’s leash, before opening the door. This game provides many opportunities to problem-solve and to figure out the correct sequence of steps!
Note: Even when not playing, your dog needs you! She will periodically make noises indicating that she needs care. For players in a school setting, turn off notifications when the app is first opened or in Settings, if you do not want these notifications. You can also set “sleep” hours so that the game does not make any sounds at night.

Additional Commands

The basic commands

• Right or left swipe: move through menu to hear choices
• Double tap: select desired choice
• One-finger swipe down or up: depends on situation; can be to go to the door/come back home or to walk away from home/walk towards home
• Two-finger swipe down or up: depends on the situation; can be put on the leash/take off the leash
• Three-finger swipe up: go to Main Menu

Additional commands

• Three-finger swipe down: hear everything about your dog
• Three-finger tap: hear a list of what you have and how much is left
• Three-finger double tap: hear why you have lost points

Summary

Blindfold Doggy is a highly motivating virtual pet app. The sound effects are terrific! Example: When you water your dog, you hear the water pouring in the bowl and then your dog happily lapping up the water. There are a variety of things to do with your dog to keep the game challenging and points are awarded which open additional activities.
The game prompts students to play, as the dog barks, whines, and pants to indicate what she needs. Students relate to the various activities and always laugh at the dog pooping. As an educator, I love that my students have to think when playing this game! Simple problem-solving and sequencing are embedded into the game play; young students are learning critical skills through game play. Brilliant!
Did I mention this is a really fun game for students who are learning basic VoiceOver gestures?
To download Blindfold Doggy, tap here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blindfold-doggy/id1435160109?mt=8