For parents & educators

“Tobias and the Nightmare” is a free platformer for kids, created as a family project by Dad Mario for his own children. Here is everything parents, kindergartens, schools and after-school care should know before kids start playing.

The essentials

Free

No in-app purchases, no subscription, no account. In the in-game shop you only pay with collected stars.

No ads

No banners, no videos, no tricks pushing kids to keep playing.

No tracking

No cookies, no analytics, no embedded third-party services. Progress stays on the device – unless you choose to create a family code.

From age 6

Recommended from 6 in “Easy” mode and from 8 in “Normal” mode; from 5 in “Relaxed” mode, ideally together with an adult. No blood, no jump scares.

Any device

In the browser on iPad, iPhone, Android, PC and Mac. Touch, keyboard or controller.

Offline too

After the first visit the game runs without internet, e.g. in the car or on holiday.

No chat

No contact with strangers, no messages, no online leaderboards. The game doesn’t connect to anyone – except, if you choose, via your own family code.

Short rounds

A level takes 3 to 6 minutes – easy to plan, ideal for “one more level, then we stop”.

Profiles for siblings

Up to three profiles with a name, an icon and their own save. Nobody overwrites anyone else’s progress.

What children practice along the way

Skill & reaction

Jumping, dodging and striking at the right moment train hand-eye coordination.

Logical thinking

Switches, crates on pressure plates, color blocks and sequence puzzles want to be figured out.

Reading

Short dialogs that beginning readers can manage themselves or have read to them.

Teamwork

In two-player mode siblings, or parent and child, help each other along.

Creativity

In the Level Builder kids design their own levels and share them as a code.

Perseverance

Fair checkpoints build courage instead of frustration. Anyone who keeps failing at one spot gets a signpost and may continue on an easier setting or skip the level.

Screen-time tips

Stop anytime: Progress is saved automatically – at checkpoints, at the end of a level, when pausing and when the app goes into the background. So stopping normally loses nothing.
Agree beforehand: Instead of counting minutes, “one more level” or “until the next checkpoint” often works better.
Play together: In two-player mode parents simply join in and see what their child experiences.
Use device settings: Screen Time (iPhone/iPad) or Digital Wellbeing (Android) can limit play time.
No pressure: There are optional daily goals with a few stars as a reward, but no streaks to break and no downsides if you don’t play for a few days.

Set up in a few minutes

Everything explained in detail – save code, family code, privacy, installing as an app and every setting: Help for parents →

As an app on the home screen

iPhone/iPad: open in Safari → Share → “Add to Home Screen”. Android: in Chrome → menu → “Install app”. PC/Mac: in Chrome or Edge click the install icon in the address bar.

Start with the tutorial

On the first start the game asks whether Lumi should show everything on her practice meadow: running, jumping, fighting, magic – no danger, in about two minutes. Available any time later in the options.

Choose a difficulty

A new game offers “Relaxed”, “Easy”, “Normal” and “Nightmare”. You can switch anytime in the options.

Several devices

Create a family code in the options and enter it on the other devices. Progress then syncs automatically. Alternatively copy the save code.

Accessibility

In the options: larger text, “Soften flashes”, “Extra slow enemies”. Dream shards come in three shapes so children with color vision deficiency can tell them apart too.