FAQ: Upper Story Games

What are Upper Story Games?

Valkyrie Games is New Zealand's retailer for an innovative range of educational puzzle games created by Upper Story.

These award-winning STEM games combine hands-on problem solving, engineering concepts, logic puzzles, and storytelling to create unique learning experiences for children, families, schools, and curious adults.

Popular Upper Story products include Spintronics, Bridge or Bust, and Turing Tumble.

Where can I buy Spintronics in New Zealand?

Valkyrie Games is currently the only New Zealand retailer stocking the Spintronics range.

Spintronics is a unique puzzle game that teaches electronics through physical mechanical components. Players build working mechanical circuits and solve increasingly complex challenges while learning concepts such as voltage, current, resistance, and circuit design.

What is Spintronics?

Spintronics is a hands-on STEM puzzle system that allows players to experience electronics through mechanical parts.

Instead of using invisible electricity, Spintronics uses chains, gears, resistors, capacitors, transistors, and other components that physically move, allowing players to see and feel how circuits work. It is often described as the world's first physical equivalent of electronics.

What age is Spintronics suitable for?

Spintronics is generally recommended for ages 8 and up, although many adults, engineers, teachers, and hobbyists also enjoy the puzzles and educational challenges.

What is Bridge or Bust?

Bridge or Bust is a hands-on engineering adventure where players design, build, and test bridges to solve a series of increasingly challenging puzzles.

Using physical construction components, players must build bridges that are strong enough to support a weighted truck while overcoming a variety of engineering challenges. The game includes more than 60 puzzle challenges and over 30 hours of gameplay.

What skills does Bridge or Bust teach?

Bridge or Bust encourages players to develop:

• Engineering thinking
• Structural design skills
• Problem solving
• Critical thinking
• Experimentation
• Resilience through trial and error

Players learn by building, testing, failing, and improving their designs.

What is Turing Tumble?

Turing Tumble is a mechanical computer-building game that teaches the fundamentals of programming and computer science.

Players use ramps, switches, and marbles to build functioning mechanical computers and solve increasingly complex logic puzzles. It is widely used by families, schools, and educators as an introduction to computational thinking.

Are Upper Story Games suitable for schools?

Yes.

Many schools, homeschooling groups, libraries, and educational organisations use Upper Story products to teach STEM concepts in an engaging and hands-on way.

These products are particularly popular for introducing engineering, electronics, physics, logic, and computer science concepts without requiring screens.

Why buy Upper Story Games from Valkyrie Games?

Valkyrie Games is New Zealand's exclusive source for Upper Story products.

By purchasing locally, customers can access New Zealand-based support, local shipping, and expert advice on choosing the right product for their family, classroom, or learning goals.

Which Upper Story game should I start with?

• Choose Spintronics if you're interested in electronics and circuits.
• Choose Bridge or Bust if you enjoy engineering and construction challenges.
• Choose Turing Tumble if you're interested in computers, coding, and logical thinking.

If you're unsure, our staff can help you choose the best option based on age, interests, and experience level.