In the ever-evolving realm of K-12 education, engaging students through interactive and immersive learning experiences is essential. As a leader in educational game development, we’ve spent almost two decades at the forefront of creating exceptional learning solutions for students of all ages. In this post, we’ll showcase some of our outstanding projects on various subjects designed to captivate and educate K-12 students. From exploring distant planets to engaging with civics, read on to learn more about projects we’re proud of – and maybe try out several of the games with your students or children!
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What’s your favorite K-12 learning game? Share your answer with us on Facebook or Twitter! Before we get into the list of games, be sure to bookmark this post so you can refer back to it when you need a high-quality learning game to educate and entertain K-12 students.
In collaboration with the Museum of Science, Filament developed an immersive Roblox experience that takes place on Mars. Players are presented with the exciting task of applying the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to overcome challenges and thrive on the red planet. The game’s central feature is a crafting system that empowers players to enhance their survival skills and venture deeper into the uncharted territories of Mars. Mission: Mars is free to play on Roblox and there is also a free educator’s guide available on the Museum of Science website!
Inspired by the PBS KIDS’ Hero Elementary animated series, the games we created in collaboration with Twin Cities PBS aim to develop STEM knowledge and unleash the Superpowers of Science to solve real-world problems. This series of games includes Super Seasons Snapshots, a puzzle game where players enhance their observational skills by capturing photographs of humans, animals, and plants throughout the changing seasons, AJ’s Recycle Rescue, where players develop a deeper understanding of conservation concepts and witness the effects of their actions on the environment, Push Pull Puzzles, where players delve into the world of physics and motion, and Properties of Matter, where players assist toads in navigating their environment by constructing bridges with various material properties.
Through the Twin Cities PBS game series, students engage with captivating gameplay while acquiring valuable STEM knowledge. These games encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of the world around us!
Mission to the Mesozoic offers an exciting time-travel adventure where players become photographers, exploring different epochs within the Mesozoic era. By journeying through the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, players have the unique opportunity to observe and analyze the diverse plant and animal life of each era. The game’s objective is to identify connections and relationships among these ancient ecosystems, challenging players to uncover links between plants, animals, and environmental elements. Success is achieved when students can successfully identify and understand the interconnections between different time periods, enhancing their knowledge of prehistoric life and the natural world. You can play Mission to the Mesozoic on the Field Museum website.
Created with Columbia University, Beats Empire is a game where players take on the role of a music studio and record label manager in a vibrant fictional city akin to New York. This turn-based game revolves around computational thinking, where players utilize market data to make strategic business decisions for their studio. By analyzing the musical preferences of citizens in different boroughs of the city, players gain insights that inform their choices. These decisions range from signing artists and organizing gigs to recording songs and fulfilling marketing requests.
Through these actions, players develop a solid grasp of computational thinking by employing data analysis and visualization techniques to generate revenue, attract a larger fan base, and ultimately top the music charts. Beats Empire combines the excitement of the music industry with the principles of computational thinking. You can play Beats Empire here, and learn more about the creation of the game in this interview with Nathan Holbert, Assistant Professor of Communication, Media, and Learning Technologies Design at Teachers College, Columbia University and the director of the Snow Day Learning Lab.
iCivics, founded by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, is a groundbreaking platform that revolutionizes civic education through interactive game-based learning resources. With over 20 web and mobile games covering various civic topics, iCivics is the largest and most active game-based learning platform globally. It is highly trusted by educators, with 95% of teachers recognizing it as a non-partisan resource that encourages civil discussions about current events in the classroom.
Check out their library of web browser and mobile-compatible games that cover topics such as the presidency, constitutional law, immigration, media literacy, elections, local government, branches of power, court cases, lawmaking, budget management, foreign policy decision-making, and more here!
In Junior Achievement’s RoboSellers, players assume the role of a savvy robo-entrepreneur on an intergalactic journey. In this game, players explore diverse alien worlds, engage in strategic buying and selling of robot parts, and build a successful custom robot business. As players traverse the galaxy, they encounter unique planets with rare inventory to acquire and sell for profit, all while delving into fundamental economic and entrepreneurial concepts.
RoboSellers goes beyond entertainment by providing an experience that teaches players about evaluating costs and value, understanding the role of money in everyday life, and making sound financial decisions. By navigating market conditions, negotiating prices, and managing their resources, players develop critical thinking and decision-making skills.
They also gain insights into the importance of financial management, as every expenditure and investment impacts the success and growth of their enterprise. With its seamless blend of entertainment and education, RoboSellers allows players to improve their economic knowledge and entrepreneurial thinking while embarking on an exciting space adventure. Learn more about the game’s creation with this behind-the-scenes interview!
Scholastic W.O.R.D. offers an engaging reading and vocabulary program designed specifically for early learners in grades K-5. Drawing upon the extensive research conducted by Dr. Elfrieda Hiebert, the game focuses on the 2,500 high-utility word families that comprise 90% of all texts.
Through a combination of interactive games and written passages, students embark on a guided program that allows them to independently progress and gain repeated exposure to these essential words in various contexts. The program is structured by grade level and thematic modules, each accompanied by word lists. To personalize the learning journey, students begin with a placement test, ensuring that they encounter vocabulary at an appropriate text level that promotes their zone of proximal development. By immersing young learners in a personalized learning experience, Scholastic W.O.R.D. empowers them to build a strong foundation in reading and vocabulary skills.
mPower is an award-winning suite of free online learning games created in collaboration with Ontario teachers and students, with the goal of teaching essential math skills while promoting positive attitudes and confidence among players in grades K-6. Much like Scholastic W.O.R.D, this innovative educational tool incorporates assessment-driven features that adapt to individual students’ needs, providing a personalized learning experience.
Beyond mathematics, mPower also fosters the development of foundational STEM skills and offers insights into Ontario’s communities and environment. With its impressive track record and international recognition, mPower has successfully leveraged technology to make a meaningful impact on the learning outcomes of over 46,000 K-6 students across the province.
McGraw-Hill Education’s Inspire Science curriculum incorporates four engaging learning games we designed to align with the Next Generation Science Standards. Game-based learning serves as a vital component of the curriculum, promoting problem-based learning, literacy, math skills, and STEM concepts.
These games include Save Our Spheres, where players delve into the effects of atmospheric pollution on the environment, Animobile Adventures, where players explore the interaction between animal traits and their environmental contexts, Cosmic Pet Pods, where players observe how animal traits adapt to different environments, and Pinball Energy Challenge, which teaches players about energy transfer through captivating pinball-style gameplay. Through these four games, Inspire Science encourages experimentation, critical thinking, and self-guided learning by combining immersive gameplay with core science concepts.
RoboCo is a sandbox game that invites players into a futuristic world where they design and construct robots to assist hapless humans with a variety of different tasks. Through a step-by-step assembly process, players customize their creations with motors, gears, and wireless controls, bringing their robot designs to life. The game presents open-ended challenge courses that require players to utilize their engineering ingenuity to overcome obstacles and find unique solutions.
Inspired by makerspace programs and robotics organizations, RoboCo is a PC-first game with VR compatibility that aims to foster interest in STEM fields. By providing tools for problem-solving and unleashing creative potential, RoboCo offers players an engaging experience that encourages the exploration of engineering concepts and showcases the exciting possibilities of robotics. You can get RoboCo on Steam here!
From surviving on Mars to solving real-world problems with the Superpowers of Science, these games offer one-of-a-kind educational experiences. Whether you’re exploring prehistoric life, or making strategic decisions in the music industry, there’s something for everyone and every subject. And guess what? This is just a sampling of the projects we’ve created that bring fun and learning together for K-12 students. Check out our entire portfolio for more!
Looking to create an educational video game for a K-12 audience? As you can tell, we have the experience you need to develop something phenomenal. Reach out to us today and let’s harness the versatile power of game-based learning together.
More K-12 game-based learning resources: