Languages: English
Developer: Nobel Media
Publisher: Nobel Media
Year Published: 2011
Platforms: Web / Flash
Genre: Simulation
Age Range: High school +
Subject: Science (medicine)
Blood Typing Game has players performing simulations of standard lab tests in order to conduct a successful blood transfusion on a series of patients. By comparing antibodies from a standard blood test and then balancing a transfusion, players move through a series of challenges designed to test their grip on the material. The game itself is well made and the interaction is sharp and responsive, so players shouldn’t have a problem actually completing the game’s tasks.
However, the subject matter is probably foreign to the majority of players and it can be daunting to just jump right into play. To access the tutorials which introduce the subject, players have to register an account with the website. While the process itself is pretty straightforward once players grasp it, without a tutorial or instructor orientation, the game can quickly descend into simple guessing.
Games that tackle serious medical knowledge like this are far and few between, and Blood Typing Game will serve well as a component of a broader lesson about physiology. While the game itself is about blood, the visuals are pretty harmless and often comic. The subject matter is quite complicated though, so it’s unlikely younger students will be able to follow along.