🚀 1. Getting Started
Welcome to MathQuest! Here's how to jump in and start practicing math:
- Open MathQuest in your web browser by going to timjmills.github.io/MathQuest
- You start in Student mode automatically. If you see "Student View" in the top bar, you're all set!
- The Quick Start grid shows skill cards right away — just click one to start practicing.
- Or scroll down and click "Start Game" at the bottom to begin playing.
⚡ 2. Quick Start Grid
The Quick Start grid is your launchpad! It's the first thing you see when you open MathQuest.
- Your grid shows math skills as colorful cards.
- Each card has a skill name, a grade circle (showing what grade level it's for), and a play button.
- Click a card to start practicing that skill right away!
➕ Adding New Skills
Want more skills on your grid? Click the "+" button to open a search window. Type the name of a skill (like "fractions" or "multiplication") and click it to add it to your grid.
✏️ Removing Skills
To remove a skill card, click the pencil icon (edit mode). You'll see an X appear on each card. Click the X on any card you want to remove. Click the pencil again when you're done editing.
💾 Saving Your Grid
Great news — your grid is saved automatically between visits! It's stored right in your browser, so the next time you come back your skills will still be there.
If your teacher sent you a Quick Start link, it may load specific skills for you to practice.
🎮 3. Game Modes
MathQuest has four awesome ways to practice math. Pick the one that sounds the most fun!
📝 Practice Mode
- Standard question-and-answer — simple and straightforward!
- Answer at your own pace — no timer pressure.
- Great for learning new skills or warming up.
- No pressure! Just you and the math. 😊
👾 Boss Battle
- Battle a monster by answering questions correctly!
- Your hero moves forward with each correct answer.
- Wrong answers let the monster push back — watch out!
- Defeat the boss to win the battle! 🏆
🏎️ Car Race
- Race against a computer car!
- Answer faster = your car goes faster!
- First to the finish line wins!
- Perfect for when you want a speedy challenge. 💨
📋 Worksheet Mode
- A batch of questions all at once — like a real worksheet!
- Answer them in any order you like.
- Click "Check All" when you're done to see your score.
- Great for practice tests or reviewing a whole skill.
✍️ 4. Answering Questions
Different skills use different types of answers. Here's how each one works:
- Text answers: Type your answer in the box and press Enter or click "Check".
- Multiple choice: Click the correct option from the choices shown.
- Ordering questions: Drag or click the numbers to put them in the right order.
- Dual answers: Some questions ask for two answers (like perimeter AND area) — fill in both boxes!
Helpful Buttons
- 💡 Hints: Click the "Hint" button if you're stuck — it'll give you a clue!
- 🔊 Read Aloud: Click "Read" to hear the question spoken out loud.
- 📖 Show Solution: After answering wrong, you can see the full solution steps so you can learn from it.
⭐ 5. XP & Leveling Up
You earn XP (experience points) for everything you do in MathQuest! Here's how:
- ✅ Correct answer: +10 XP
- ❌ Wrong answer: +2 XP — you still get credit for trying!
- 🔥 Streak bonuses: Extra XP at 3 in a row (+5), 5 in a row (+10), and 10 in a row (+20)!
- 🎁 Surprise bonuses: Random bonus XP every few correct answers — keep going!
- ⏰ Time milestones: Bonus XP for staying on task (3 min, 5 min, 10 min, and more!)
Your level and XP bar show in the top navigation bar. When you reach a new level, a celebration pops up! 🎉
🏅 All 15 Levels
| Level | Title | XP Needed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Math Starter | 0 |
| 2 | Number Novice | 100 |
| 3 | Problem Solver | 250 |
| 4 | Quick Thinker | 450 |
| 5 | Math Explorer | 750 |
| 6 | Skill Builder | 1,150 |
| 7 | Math Athlete | 1,650 |
| 8 | Brain Power | 2,300 |
| 9 | Math Hero | 3,100 |
| 10 | Math Champion | 4,100 |
| 11 | Math Wizard | 5,300 |
| 12 | Math Legend | 6,800 |
| 13 | Math Genius | 8,600 |
| 14 | Math Master | 10,800 |
| 15 | Grand Master | 13,400 |
🏆 6. Badges
Badges are special awards you earn by completing challenges. Here are all the badges you can collect:
| Badge Name | How to Earn It | |
|---|---|---|
| 🎮 | First Game | Complete your very first game |
| 🔥 | 3-Day Streak | Play 3 days in a row |
| 🏆 | Week Warrior | Play 7 days in a row |
| 👑 | Monthly Master | Play 30 days in a row! |
| ⭐ | Perfect 10 | Get 10 correct answers in a row |
| ⚡ | Speed Demon | Answer 20+ questions in under 2 minutes |
| 🧮 | Math Master | Earn 1,000 XP total |
| ➗ | Division Pro | Complete 50 division problems |
| ✖️ | Multiplication Ace | Master all times tables |
| 💪 | Persistent | Do 50 problems in one session |
| 🔄 | Bounce Back | Get 3 wrong, then 3 right in a row |
| ⏱️ | Time Champion | Spend 20+ minutes on task in a session |
| 📖 | Review Master | Complete a Smart Review session |
| 🌟 | Growth Spurt | Improve a skill's score by 20+ points |
| 🎖️ | Level 5 | Reach Level 5 (Math Explorer) |
📊 7. Game Stats Banner
The stats banner shows at the top of the screen during gameplay and on the home screen. Here's what each part means:
⭐ Effort Stars
Your effort score always goes up — it never goes down! You get points just for trying, answering, and being correct. It's all about how much effort you put in.
⏱️ Timer
Tracks how long you've been actively working. The cool part? It pauses automatically if you stop for 90 seconds, so it only counts the time you're actually doing math!
✅ Score
Shows today's correct answers out of total attempts. For example, 15/20 means you got 15 right out of 20 questions today. This resets each day!
🔥 Streak
How many correct answers in a row you have right now. Get to 5 in a row and you'll see a fire animation! Keep the streak going for bonus XP! 🔥
😊 Mood Face
The face changes based on your accuracy. The more questions you get right, the happier it gets! Don't worry if it's not smiling yet — keep answering and it'll cheer up. There are 6 different moods from worried to super happy!
📈 My Stats Button
Click "My Stats" to see your daily, weekly, and monthly statistics. It's a great way to see how you're improving over time!
🧠 8. Smart Review
MathQuest has a built-in system to help you remember what you've learned! Here's how it works:
- The app remembers which skills you've practiced.
- After you've done 20+ questions on a skill with 60%+ accuracy, that skill enters the review system.
- Skills are scheduled for review at increasing intervals: 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 16 days, and 35 days apart.
- Click "Smart Review" to practice skills that are due for review.
- Completing reviews earns you the "Review Master" badge! 📖
📝 9. Taking a Quiz
Your teacher may send you a quiz link. Here's how to take it:
- Click the link your teacher sent you to open the quiz.
- Enter your name and click "Start Test".
- Answer questions one at a time.
- Use the Previous/Next buttons or the number grid to jump between questions.
- Flag questions you want to come back to (click the flag icon).
- When you're done, click "Review & Submit" to look over your answers.
- Click Submit to see your score!
- You can download your results to give to your teacher.
⚙️ 10. Settings & Customization
You can change how MathQuest looks and works to make it perfect for you:
- 🎉 Pop-ups toggle: Turn celebration pop-ups on or off using the toggle in the top bar. If you find them distracting, just switch them off!
- 🔊 Voice toggle: Turn question reading on or off in the top bar. When it's on, questions are read aloud to you.
- 🌙 Theme: Click the moon/sun icon to switch between light mode and dark mode. Dark mode is easier on your eyes!
🌟 11. Tips for Success
Want to get the most out of MathQuest? Here are some tips from top math students:
- 📅 Practice a little every day — even 5 minutes helps! Small daily practice beats one long session.
- 💪 Don't worry about wrong answers — you still earn XP for trying, and you learn the most from mistakes!
- 💡 Use hints when stuck — learning from hints is a great strategy, not cheating!
- 🔥 Build a streak — extra XP at 3, 5, and 10 correct in a row. Focus and take your time!
- 🎁 Watch for surprise bonuses — they appear randomly to reward your hard work!
- 🧠 Use Smart Review — review old skills to keep them fresh in your memory.
- 🎮 Try different game modes — switch it up to keep things fun and interesting!
- 👾 Boss Battle is great for a challenge — try it when you're feeling confident!
- 📊 Check My Stats — watch your numbers improve over time. You'll be amazed how far you've come!
❓ 12. Common Questions
I lost my XP and progress! What happened?
Your progress is saved in your browser. If you clear your browser data (cookies and site data) or switch to a different device, your progress will reset. Your teacher can't see your XP — it's just for you! Try to use the same browser on the same device to keep your progress.
How do I change my skill cards on the Quick Start grid?
Click the pencil icon (✏️) to enter edit mode. You'll see an X on each card — click it to remove a skill. Click the "+" button to search for and add new skills. Click the pencil again when you're done!
What does the timer in the stats banner do?
It tracks your active time — how long you've actually been working. It pauses automatically if you stop for 90 seconds, so it only counts time when you're really doing math. No need to worry about bathroom breaks or getting a snack! 😄
Why did my mood face change?
The mood face shows how your accuracy is going. The more you get right, the happier it gets! If you see a frown, just keep going — a few correct answers will turn it around. There are 6 different faces from worried to super happy!
Can I redo a quiz my teacher gave me?
Yes! Just click the quiz link again and you can take it again with the same skills. It's great practice to try a quiz more than once!
What's the fire animation on my streak counter?
That's your answer streak! 🔥 The fire animation appears when you get 5 or more correct in a row. Keep the streak going for bonus XP! The longer the streak, the bigger the bonuses.
How do I get more badges?
Check out the full badge list above — each badge has a specific challenge. Some tips:
- Play regularly to build up day streaks (3-day, 7-day, 30-day badges)
- Focus carefully to get a Perfect 10 streak
- Try different skills to grow your XP for the Math Master badge
- Use Smart Review to earn the Review Master badge
- Don't give up after wrong answers — the Bounce Back badge rewards coming back strong!
What if a question looks weird or broken?
Sometimes questions with big numbers or special visuals might not look perfect on every screen. Try refreshing the page (press F5 or Ctrl+R). If a question still seems wrong, just click "Skip" or move on — the next question will be different!
Can I use MathQuest on my phone or tablet?
Yes! MathQuest works on phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. It adjusts to fit your screen size automatically. For the best experience, try using it in landscape mode on a tablet.