Making applications and games for children can be a tricky business, as some parents believe a few of these merely exist to sap money out of their bank accounts, through a free-to-play business model. Kabir Seth and Rubina Singh, however, have something different in mind.

PSFK recently reported on a new tablet game called Storied Myth, which takes a very different approach to children’s entertainment. It’s based around a storytelling platform sold as a subscription service, one that enables children of all ages to explore the magical world of Pangea, through a series of puzzles and clues that are mailed to them. In addition, chapters of the story can be explored, and they can partake in digital activities as well.

“Parents today are conflicted” about the convenience of “guiltily (using) tablets as babysitters,” according to co-founder Singh, and letting the amount of “screen time” increase over time.

“We believe that active screen time is not enough,” continued Singh. “To truly spark a child’s imagination and create an immersive world, great storytelling needs to be combined with tangible activities. Storied Myth was brought to life to address this problem.”

In addition to involving kids in an interactive world, Singh explained that the service also helps improve vital developmental areas around its activities, including growing a child’s motor skills, logical reasoning and imaginative capabilities.

Storied Myth centers around the Pendant of Gyges, which itself has been involved in mythic lore. In an effort to save the world of Pangea after the head of the East Pangea Youth Games disappears, eight heroes emerge to hunt down the pendant, solving imaginative puzzles along the way.

The digital adventure consists of 12 different chapters that make up the first story (a second is currently in the works), and provides a series of puzzles sent through a monthly mailed package within the app. To solve them, creative thinking must be used, so missing elements can be found and the quest can continue. Singh added that readers will also “use the physical puzzles and activities to unlock augmented reality content that advances the story and creates an all-encompassing adventure.”

Both Singh and Seth grew up as “avid readers” of adventure novels, including Harry Potter and The Hardy Boys, but “were (also) exposed to many mythology stories that focused on universal values, too, like humility, trust and integrity.” This helped shape the story’s motto, “Be Truthful, Gentle and Fearless.”

The story “(captures) a child’s sense of adventure and then creates a connection between the e-story and a corresponding adventure kit they get in the mail,” according to Singh.

Those interested in learning more about Storied Myth – and how it differs from the usual downloadable fare – can check out the official page.