A run-down on which games are trending and how they can be used for classroom learning, from Andy Robertson.
After the Christmas holidays, many children will be returning to school after spending more of their days playing video games. Some of this will be on the classic popular games like Fortnite, Minecraft and Roblox. But many will have discovered new favourites, or possibly even got new technology that grants them access to new options.
I run the Family Video Game Database where parents can check out the games that kids are playing. This gives me a unique window into what parents, guardians and teachers are dealing with, as 10,000 or so visit each day. I can see which games children are playing because parents are googling things like “Is Call of Duty OK for a 12-year-old?,” or “How old do you need to be to play Roblox?”.
Let’s take a look at some of the popular new games as well as some useful resources to help you understand the risks and opportunities.
Popular games right now
Osu: Osu is a rhythm action game where you tap the screen in time to the music (similar to the Elite Beat Agents games). This starts as a simple challenge but develops in speed and complexity. At higher levels, the game is an e-sport with people competing to get the highest scores.
Roblox Squid Games: Roblox Squid Games is a game that replicates ‘Squid Game’, the South Korean TV horror series about a fictional game show. This has spawned lots of Roblox Squid Game experiences. These games replicate challenges in the TV show for players to take part in: Tug of War, Simon Says (Red Light, Green light), Honeycomb Cut-Out, Marbles, Bridge Crossing, Hopscotch.
Valorant: A team-based online shooting game, where two teams of five compete under the role of agents with unique abilities. It’s designed to be competitive and requires considerable skill and practice to win matches. Between rounds, players spend money in the virtual economy system to buy utilities and weapons.
Adopt Me: Adopt Me is one of the most popular Roblox games. In a rudimentary way, it simulates daily life. You can build a home, look after pets and make friends. Like many Roblox games, it’s the combination of an avid community of players and freeform play that make it popular. As with the games children play in the playground, it evolves over time as developers add features suggested by the players.
Games with educational benefits
Along with those popular new games, there are some new games that actually offer great educational benefits:
Unpacking: Unpacking is a meditative puzzle game where you unpack belongings into a series of spaces, each representing a stage in life. You get to know the owner of the objects by their possessions and circumstances. This could lead into creative writing work where children tell stories using everyday objects.
Alba: Alba is an adventure game where you play as a young girl who starts a wildlife conservation club. When Alba visits her grandparents on a Mediterranean island, she is excited about a summer of exploring with her friend, Ines. But when she sees an animal in danger, she realises the island needs her help. This can lead into work about geography, map making and wildlife identification and habitats.
Everything: This is an unusual game that simulates a world where you can become any object. It sounds strange and not much fun, but the enjoyment is in discovering how small or how big a thing you can become – from tiny atoms to whole planets and everything in between. It can lead into work on scale, ecology and the environment, as well as some light philosophy, which is part of the game’s narration.
Author
Andy is a journalist and the author of the 'Taming Gaming' book. He also created the
Family Video Game Database.
