Prodigy is the ultimate digital 'sugar-coated broccoli.' It works because it’s a legitimate game first and a math curriculum second. Kids love the monster-battling mechanics, and teachers love that it keeps a class quiet and 'productive.'

However, the monetization is where it gets greasy. The game is designed to make kids want the 'Premium' membership so badly it hurts, and they’ll see their friends with cool capes and pets that they can't get for free. If you can handle the constant 'Can I have the membership?' requests, it’s a solid way to keep math skills from rusting. Just don't expect it to turn a math-hater into a mathematician; it mostly just turns them into a Prodigy fan.