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.

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 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.

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.

I just came back from the American Associations of School Librarian’s annual conference where I had the opportunity to to two pre-conference sessions on utilizing games as curricular resources. A big thanks to Playroom Entertainment as well as Hungry Robot for providing takeaways for the attendees. Each person at the elementary session got a copy of Number Chase and the secondary attendees got a copy of Strain

Each session was filled with hands-on time with the resources as well as a discussion on the value that games hold as resources and how they support AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner, the new Common Core standards as well as local state content standards.

I also was thrilled to take part in this year’s Exploratorium, a showcase of some of the best practices in School Libraries across the country. Christopher Harris and I shared our game library that we have worked on over the last four years. Talked about the methods and practice that we have found to work for introducing and making our program a success.

This year’s conference was a rewarding experience, with an opportunity to share gaming with a large audience of school librarians and administrators. Thanks to everyone who took part and I can’t wait to start building new programs to share in two years!

The game works on both Mac, Unix and Windows machines and requires a small download. To get started, the game has 32 starter “puzzles” that help you learn how to manipulate the proteins and amino acids within the game space.

Players can initially manually manipulate the shapes, but as they complete puzzles they get tools to help them  work through the problems. While having a very introductory understanding of the protein folding process and how different amino acids react, I was still very engaged throughout the game. The creators have presented the process in a way that is very familiar to any person who has played puzzle solving games. Learning is scaffolded, starting with small concepts that build to more complex ones so the players never feel overwhelmed just challenged.

Fold It is a wonderful example of taking steps back to when science was more accessible to everyone. When individuals were able to make contributions to its advancement. Give Fold It a try and you or your students may help advance the study of amino acids and proteins!

In Strain, students are building microscopic organisms with cytoplasms and organelles. The various cytoplasms and organelles add to the organism’s defense, toxins and Adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP). The students can use these elements to launch attacks at their opponents organisms and defend their own as they try to complete organisms to score points. Students can also infect other player’s organisms with viruses which the host organisms needs to remove using their supply of toxins. Most of these actions are done by spending the pooled ATP of the player’s organisms. ATP is the energy currency molecule of the cell so using it to purchase elements is nice thematic touch. That is what is so great about Strain, a lot of though was put into bringing the theme and the science through in the game.

A fast and fun game with some “take that” elements, Strain is a great addition to any game library. It is for 2 to 7 players and plays in a little over 30 minutes but that can easily be adjusted lessening the score needed or just playing for a set time.

My new School Library Journal Article is out on alternative social games to help students get to know each other and learn to work together.