Mindcraft: Uncovering dyslexia symptoms through gaming

A game-based dyslexia assessment in disguise has been specifically designed for young people, using Minecraft to transform the learning experience.

French healthcare charity Puissance Dys was created in 1992 by neuropsychologist Béatrice Sauvageot, to help people with dyslexia through this innovative method. It mostly helps children and young people who have trouble at school and in their social lives.

Seeing dyslexia not as a disability, but as a super-ability.

The idea behind this is that people who manage to live with dyslexia have to come up with unique ways of developing skills like problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication that, in fact, gives them superpowers.

Many people are not aware that they are currently dealing with dyslexia. 

The game Mindcraft (released by Mojang Studios in 2011 and owned by Microsoft since 2014) is notorious in its appeal to people with dyslexia that enjoy exploring, interacting and modifying blocks into its lo-fi environment and 3D sandbox mode. 

The creator of Minecraft, Markus Persson aka Notch, himself revealed that he was affected by dyslexia.

That’s why, with the help of ad agency BETC Paris, Puissance Dys has created Mindcraft. 

The goal is to help screen for dyslexia while playing a custom map of the game and deliver a high level of enjoyment through inclusive learning.

In the Mindcraft experience, players challenge themselves and get to wander in a wonderful, immersive world built by dedicated members of the Minecraft community. They are greeted by an NPC (non-playable character) giving instructions and providing more information and they get to use their imagination and critical thinking skills while learning about themselves.