Country of Origin:  Netherlands Languages: Arabic Developer: Zinder.nl Publisher: Alif-Ba Education Year Published: 2013 Platforms: Android, iOS Genre: Puzzle Age range: 5+ Subjects: Language skills (Arabic) Targeting kindergarteners, Alifbaba teaches Arabic reading and writing through a series of gamelike experiences. Quirky animal characters invite users to engage listening to, reading, and practicing Arabic through spelling-puzzles […]

Country of Origin:  Japan Languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean (more possibly?) Developer: Level-5 Publisher: Level-5, Nintendo Year Published: 2007 (first release) Platforms: Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo exclusive) Genre: Puzzle, Adventure Barriers to entry:  Nintendo platforms only Age range: 8+ Subjects: math Games in the Professor Layton series are collections of logic puzzles, pieced together […]

Country of Origin: Uruguay Languages: Spanish, English Developer: LUDO Contenidos Publisher: LUDO Contenidos Year Published: 2009 Website: http://ludo.com.uy/cuco/en/ Platforms: Online/Browser, OSX, Windows Genre: Quiz Age range: High school + Subjects: Digital Literacy,Typing LUDO Contenidos, the game developer, argues that fear is the number one barrier that prevents adults from learning how to use computers. The Cuckoo […]

Country of Origin: US Languages: English Developer: Originator Inc. Publisher: Originator Inc. Year Published: 2013 Website: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/endless-alphabet/id591626572?mt=8 Platforms: iOS Genre: Language Barriers to Entry: Very low. Playable by kids as young as 2 2-years old. Age range:  Preschool Subject: Reading Endless Alphabet is a simple letter-dragging interactive app with personified letters. At the beginning of each […]

Country of Origin: United States Languages: English Developer: Evan Bissel & Erik Loyner Publisher: Radical Imagination Year Published: 2012 Website: http://knottedline.com Platforms: Web Genre: Interactive Narrative Subjects: Reading, Civics, Social Studies, History Age Range: high school + The Knotted Line is more of an interactive artwork than a game. Players navigate a kind of timeline, tracing […]

Country of Origin: Australian Languages: English Developer: Media Saints Publisher: Jacaranda Year Published: 2012 Platforms: PC, OSX Genre: Action Adventure Age Range: 11-13, 14-16 Subjects: English; Language skills Knowledge Quest brings together the worlds of education and gaming as a fun way to master key literacy skills in English, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and […]

Country of Origin: Japan Languages: Japanese Developer: Gakken Publisher: Nintendo Year Published: 2008 Website: http://www.gakken.jp/dc/ds/chinese/ Platforms: Nintendo DS Age Range: Adult Subject: Language Skills Gakken Chinese is a Chinese language learning game from Nintendo, designed to teach Chinese pronunciation primarily to Japanese language speakers. Gakken Chinese puts very powerful and useful technology into a low cost […]

Country of Origin: US Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch Developer: 5th Cell Publisher: Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment Year Published: 2009 Website: www.scribblenauts.com Platforms: Nintendo DS, iOS, Android, WiiU, Windows (Steam) Genre: Puzzle Barriers to Entry: Very low. Touch/stylus control only, readily available platforms. Age range:  Late Elementary, Middle School, High School Subjects: […]

Country of Origin: US Languages: English Developer: Jeff Kinney Group Publisher: Family Education Network Year Published: 2007-present Website: http://www.poptropica.com Platforms: Web Genre: Massively Multiplayer Platformer, Puzzle Barriers to Entry: A computer with a broadband internet connection and Adobe Flash capability (mid-range laptop or personal computer). Age range:  6-15 Subject: Digital Literacy Poptropica is a lightly educational […]

Year Published: 2011 Game Developer: Tiza Papel Byte Game Publisher: Tiza Papel Byte Country of Origin: Argentina Language: Spanish Platform: Web Genre: Puzzle, Quiz Age Ranges: 9-11, 11-13, 14-16, 16-18 Subjects: Civics, Social Studies Was slavery really abolished? That’s the central issue at stake in Humanos Recursos. The game starts by asking questions about the […]

Country of Origin: Kenya Languages: Kiswahili, English Developer: Afroes Publisher: Afroes Year Published: 2013 Website: http://www.afroes.com/games/ Platforms: Android, Java Genre: Puzzle, Quiz Subjects: Social Studies Haki 2’s simple puzzle and quiz mechanics challenge players to answer questions about political ethics and embrace Kenyan national pride. The game pits players against Mboss, an evil villain who is […]

Country of Origin: Australia Languages: English Developer: Australian Bureau of Statistics Publisher: Commonwealth of Australia Year Published: 2013 Platforms: iOS Genre: Simulation, City Building Age Range: 10+, even our adult reviewers found something to enjoy here. Subject: Social Studies Run That Town is a city-building game in the vein of SimCity or CityVille, but with […]