Scribblenauts Remix

As I research resources for the book I am working on, I come across some resources that I really want to share out. Case in Point: Scribblenauts Remix an iOS app for the iPhone and iPad, approx $.99.

SR is a sandbox game where players have to solve certain problems to unlock the star hidden on each level. They can type in or speak what they want to create in the game environment and <poof> it appears.

Need to get a star from the top of a Christmas tree? Simply type in axe, chainsaw, or ladder and give it to your character to use. The game recognizes, and encourages adjectives and descriptive terms as well. So why not create a giant hungry rainbow beaver? The real strength of the game is that how players solve the problem in the game is completely up to them.

While aimed at the children’s market, there were definitely several levels that were a challenge for me to complete which raises the bar on this fun and creative game. I give high marks to Scribblenauts Remix and look forward to updates that bring more levels to the game.

 

MIT Game Design Open Course Podcast and Ludology

I wanted to share two podcasts that has been in heavy rotation on my devices. The first is MIT’s Game Design class that explores the ideas and process of game design. It is a fascinating look into the process that goes into good game design and provides a great anchor point for looking at how games connecting to learning.

The other podcast is Ludology that explores the large topic of the study of games. Each week they focus on a topic and try to explore it in depth. It is a great reflective piece that looks at the history, process and experiences of play.

If you have space in your listening rotation, I highly recommend either one of these great gaming resources.

 

More Hybrid Game Experiences

I am becoming more intrigued by the potential of hybrid gaming. I think it is a natural progression toward a blending of the best of the two gaming mediums. This mixture maintains the social contracts brought about by the analog game space while making more complex and engaging game experience accessible to more players through rules facilitation, bits handling/clean-up, and language adjustments.

More and more companies are beginning to look towards this mixed media, though the quality of the game experiences are still lacking I feel but I am encouraged by the momentum. Here are a few more examples of resources out for the holidays (note the second video is in Dutch I believe but you get the feel for the game):

 

 

‘Tis the Season: A wonderland of new games for classrooms, libraries, or just for fun

A holiday gift buying guide I wrote for School Library Journal’s December Gaming Life Column. Some great recommendations of a few very good games.

 

‘Tis the Season: A wonderland of new games for classrooms, libraries, or just for fun.

 

Teach Your Kids to Game Week and Parsley Game System Update

DriveThruRPG is offering specials and highlighting RPG experiences for kids at their website. Their goal is to increase social interaction, critical thinking and problem solving skills amongst children; a cause I can very much get behind. I wrote about parsley games a while back and what a wonderful tool they are for group problem solving and reasoning as well as a space for collaborative projects between ELA and Math/Science for creative writing blended with logic/deduction. I discovered DriveThruRPG because they used to carry the Parsley line of games and have started exploring their resources since then.

Speaking of Parsley Games, they are kickstarting a new Parsley Game right now. Kickstarting is a newer way that people can get a project going. Many  smaller and independent board game publishers have been using it as a way to crowdfund their projects. If the project raises its target goal, it goes forward otherwise the backers get their money back. Flashpoint: Fire Rescue was a game that I Kickstarted a little while ago and did a preview video here on my blog. The new Parsley game: Z-Ward looks to be interesting. It would definitely be for high schools, though not necessarily for every school as it has a darker edge than many of their other titles. Still, it should be worth checking out for the more daring HS libraries and any public library as well.