Bean Merger is an interactive learning game that promotes mathematical thinking and logical reasoning through play.Players select two numbered “beans,” combine them using a mathematical operation (+, −, ×, or ÷), and create a new bean showing the result. The goal: end up with just one bean!
- Strengthen mathematical reasoning and planning skills
- Practice the four basic arithmetic operations in a playful way
- Develop problem-solving and combination strategies
- Foster motivation through visual and interactive feedback
The game can be used in mathematics or technology lessons to support logical thinking and decision-making.
It’s particularly suitable for:
- Elementary students (grades 3–5)
- Inclusive classrooms (low entry barrier, visual feedback)
- Self-guided learning or station-based activities
Conceptually, the game can be extended to highlight its AI relevance:
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Children plan their moves to achieve a goal (merging beans into one).
→ This corresponds to state-space search in AI:
Each state (arrangement of beans) can be transformed by an action (operation). -
Every combination of beans represents a node in the solution tree.
→ Children choose heuristically (intuitively) “good moves” — similar to how an AI selects optimal actions.
The game can serve as a stepping stone to AI concepts, especially:
- Rule-based systems: Making decisions according to fixed rules.
- Heuristics: “Which combination brings me closer to the goal faster?”
- State evaluation: Which step brings the system closer to the target state?
Children practice algorithmic thinking and strategy development, which are fundamental skills for understanding AI.
- HTML – provides the game’s structure
- CSS – defines the design, animations, and layout
- JavaScript – controls the game logic (creating, merging, and storing beans)
- LocalStorage – saves the player’s progress in the browser
- Click on two beans to select them.
- Choose an arithmetic operation.
- The two beans merge into a new one with the calculated result.
- Repeat until only one bean remains — you win!
- Automatic save and load of game progress
- Reset option for a fresh start
- Animated “You Win” popup
- Clean and responsive design
Click here to try out: BeanMerger Demo
Developed by Mustafa Bilgin as part of the FUTURE-STEM-HUB project.
The game is designed to combine computional thinking with inclusive and playful educational approaches.
This project can be shared and adapted for educational and non-commercial use under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License.