If you’ve been following the learning games space this fall, you’ll notice it’s brimming with new projects. Like freshly raked autumn leaves, the new developments are piling up. 🍂 A Japanese language RPG is about to make the leap to Switch, students at Michigan State are strapping on headsets to learn finance, and collegiate bookstores are becoming esports hubs. Meanwhile, community spaces from Seattle to Phoenix are finding fresh ways to teach coding and game design. Below, we highlight seven standout initiatives shaping September.
Rice Games’ Shujinkou has already made waves on PS5 and PC, but the October 2 launch on Nintendo Switch expands its reach with new tools for handheld play. The game blends traditional JRPG adventuring with mechanics that help players practice kana and kanji in context, and the Switch version adds touchscreen writing practice for more immersive study. Rice Games is also splitting the story into arcs to lower the price of entry and rolling out all the quality-of-life upgrades players have requested since launch. Preorders open September 18 with a discount across editions, underscoring how Shujinkou continues to merge serious language learning with the joy of exploration and storytelling.
At Michigan State University, students are learning about money management in a format that looks more like a campus tour than a classroom lecture. The MSU Federal Credit Union has partnered with the Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab to create Campus Explorer Experience, a short VR adventure that takes players across familiar landmarks while weaving in financial lessons. Learners paint “The Rock,” play frisbee with Zeke, and unlock interactive activities that introduce them to key student services and payment options. It’s designed to take only five to fifteen minutes, but the effect is lasting: a playful, memorable orientation to real-world financial choices.
The push to bring scalable AI into game-based learning is getting a boost from a new partnership between Aethir and Arizona State University’s Endless Games and Learning Lab. Aethir, known for its decentralized GPU cloud network, is providing compute resources that will enable faculty and students to build and test AI-driven learning games at scale. For Aethir, it’s the company’s first higher-ed pilot; for ASU, it’s a chance to give students direct experience designing with advanced AI infrastructure. Together they’re setting the stage for prototypes that could influence how classrooms use generative AI for interactive learning in the coming years.
Local coverage of ASU’s Endless Games and Learning Lab shows how the partnership is anchored in a vibrant culture of making. Students participate in hackathons, develop VR experiences, and manage projects in settings that mimic real studios, ensuring they leave with not just technical chops but also collaboration skills. Events like Tech for Change open the lab’s doors to the broader community, challenging participants to design playful solutions to pressing social issues.
In Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood, Code Ninjas has debuted a new location where kids can learn to code in a setting that feels downright dynamic. Learners ages five to fourteen earn belts as they progress through a structured curriculum, tackling building games in Roblox and programming drones and microcontrollers. With guidance from coaches and clear milestones, kids see their progress pay off in tangible ways, including publishing apps to app stores. The center combines the motivation of play with the rigor of skill-building, giving families a way to make coding both accessible and exciting.
Esports is gaining a new foothold on campuses nationwide through a collaboration between GameSquare and Barnes & Noble College. Together they’re rolling out competitive gaming programs across more than 1,100 campus bookstores, with events planned throughout the 2025–2026 academic year. The initiative will reach nearly six million students, combining local qualifiers with national-stage finals and giving esports a place alongside textbooks and school merch. By embedding gaming into everyday campus life, the partnership is positioning esports as both a cultural and educational activity, creating new opportunities for students to connect and compete.
Riot Games has renewed its partnership with DonorsChoose for a third year, pledging to match up to $200,000 in donations for public-school gaming and esports projects. The focus this year includes rural classrooms and equity-driven initiatives, ensuring that access to technology and play reaches students who might otherwise be left out. Since 2023, the program has already supported hundreds of teachers with hardware, software, and curriculum tools that connect games to teamwork, problem solving, and career pathways. The renewed investment signals a long-term commitment to making gaming part of the educational landscape in schools across the country.
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Another month, another wide variety of game-based learning updates. These efforts are grounded in real institutions and communities, but they share a common goal: making learning more engaging, meaningful, and accessible through play. If you’re ready to explore how games can reach your learners, our team would love to start the conversation. Contact us today!