It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, the holiday season is upon us again. If you clicked on this post, we’re guessing you’re on the hunt for high-quality and educational gift ideas for the gamer in your life. We know that December can be as hectic as it is cozy, so naturally, your friendly neighborhood educational game developer is here to help. One of the best things about giving a video game as a gift is that it can be bought last minute. No matter how many seconds are left on gift-giving your countdown, here are ideas for a variety of ages and interests!
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Whether you’re searching for more digital gift ideas or just want to learn more about the educational power of video games, make sure to check out Filament Games on Facebook and Twitter!
Dot’s Home is the 2022 Games for Change Awards Game of the Year winner and one of the Apple App Store Awards Cultural Impact winners. The game, developed by Weathered Sweater, Aerial_Knight, and Titan ARX Interactive, is a time-traveling narrative journey. Players take on the role of Dot, who lives in her grandmother’s home in Detroit. As the player unravels Dot’s family history, they are faced with a series of choices.
On the game’s Steam page, the creators write, “Dot’s Home allows players to see the harmful systems that dictate our relationship to race and place, through the eyes of those that are most impacted. By inserting the player into scenarios where they have to make choices about how and where to live in the midst of redlining, urban renewal, and gentrification, we ask a fundamental question: ‘How did your family end up where they are today, and how much choice did they really have in that journey?’”
For gamers who like meaningful storytelling, history, and social-emotional learning, Dot’s Home is the perfect game! You can download the game for free on Steam or itch.io, or play it on mobile devices through the App Store and Google Play Store.
Created by The Young Socratics, Odyssey – The Story of Science is a great game for adventurers, puzzle-solvers, and STEM enthusiasts.
13-year-old Kai and her family are stranded on a Caribbean island after being attacked by sailors and forced to hunt for treasure that’s supposedly somewhere on the island. While reading Kai’s journal and solving science-related puzzles, players learn about astronomy, mechanics, physics, and more! Odyssey – The Story of Science is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, and is recommended for ages 11+.
You can buy it on Steam for PC or Mac for $14.99.
So far, we’ve listed a narrative game and an adventure game – now let’s introduce a platformer! Ava, developed by Social Cipher, is a one-of-a-kind social-emotional learning game for neurodivergent youth.
Recommended for ages 10 to 15, players take on the role of Ava, an autistic star mapper, as she navigates social interactions through dialogue choices and facial expressions. The pandemic still does, in some cases, limit social interaction between young people. Ava was created to fill that gap and give players an opportunity to increase their social-emotional competencies, such as self and social awareness, self-regulation, and self-efficacy in a safe and welcoming environment. Ava also happens to be a 2022 Games for Change Award winner in the Best Learning Game category!
The game also includes a companion app for counselors to monitor a player’s progress. Ava is currently available for sale via a subscription to the Social Cipher website and comes with a built-in curriculum.
Reading a textbook isn’t the only way to learn about biology! In a review from Game Luster, Creatura is referred to as “The Most Adorable Genetics Lesson.”
This indie sandbox game allows players to design and care for their own ecosystems. According to the game’s official Steam page, in Creatura one can do the following: “Make an epic journey over epochs of evolution, from single cell organisms sharing water with algae, to complex animals living in lush gardens. Manage and recreate fully customizable vivariums, while carefully balancing biomes characteristics to sustain perfect ecosystems. Fulfill unique almanac with species yet to be discovered, and edit your own fauna & flora with an authentic DNA editor, learning how modern tools and techniques like CRISPR and GMO work in detail.”
Nature and biology fans won’t be able to get enough of this genetics engineering game! You can purchase it from Steam for PC for $14.99.
Did someone say indie sandbox game?
RoboCo, developed by yours truly, is the perfect gift for the engineering wizard in your life. In RoboCo, players can build any robot imaginable, personalize it with cosmetics, paints, and textures, and customize it with a variety of parts, controls, and properties. Whether players want to unleash their creativity and build a masterpiece or prioritize strategy and conquer all of the challenges in the RoboCo warehouse, they can do it all! Find secrets, automate robots with Python code, and more with this wholesome yet robust engineering game.
You can buy RoboCo on Steam for PC for $19.99. Look out for RoboCo in VR, coming 2023!
Thanks for stopping by and happy holidays, Filafamily! We hope you found the perfect fun and educational gift for everyone on your list this year.
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