What if the video game you wanted to play didn’t exist yet? With Pixicade, you can draw it yourself.

Pixicade is a creative gaming system that turns drawings on paper into playable video games. Kids start by designing their characters, platforms, obstacles and other game elements using the included markers. Then they take a picture of their creation with the Pixicade app and watch their artwork become part of a game they can actually play on a phone or tablet.

There’s no coding required, which makes the idea surprisingly accessible. Instead of having to understand programming, kids can concentrate on designing how their game looks and, more importantly, how they want it to play.

There are several different types of games to experiment with, including platform games, mazes, brick-breakers and multiplayer games. Once kids understand the basics, they can start changing the difficulty, adding obstacles and enemies and experimenting with their own ideas.

The set includes five washable markers and a huge 108-page game design guide, with more than 30 activities and over 50 playable sample games to help get things started.

We particularly like the way Pixicade connects creative and digital play. Kids still get the fun of sitting down with pens and paper and actually making something, but there’s a big payoff at the end when their drawing appears on screen and becomes interactive.

It’s also a sneaky introduction to some of the thinking behind game design. Creating a level that is fun but still possible to complete means thinking about things like layout, obstacles, difficulty and problem solving – even if kids simply think they’re making a cool game.

You’ll need a compatible phone or tablet to use Pixicade, and the current app requires an internet connection. Parents should also be aware that the app now offers optional in-app purchases and subscriptions.

For kids who love both drawing and gaming, though, Pixicade brings the two together brilliantly. The best part is that you’re not simply playing somebody else’s game – you’re playing in a world you’ve created yourself.