Secretly Educational Games to Play with Your Kids

Despite what society might believe, video games aren’t a mindless activity. Most games are extremely cerebral, requiring mental acrobatics to achieve certain goals in a creative way.

Ever since the game’s industry’s early days, game developers that try to create “edutainment,” mixing kid’s entertainment with educational materials. Unfortunately, these attempts ultimately failed to keep the player’s interest, due to poor understanding of what makes a game fun to play. An educational game can’t teach a lesson if it’s off.

This month, we’ve created a list of fun games that are secretly educational. They’ll love playing them — and might even learn a thing or two.

1. Scribblenauts

Scribblenauts is a series of “puzzle/action” games for the Nintendo DS and mobile devices. Players must use logic and problem-solving to guide the protagonist, Maxwell, through the game’s intricate series of quests. The player scribbles the name of an item on the DS’s touch screen and can use that object to solve the riddle.

Unlike linear puzzle games, Scribblenauts recognizes multiple solutions, allowing players to approach each problem from a unique angle and still hope to succeed.

2. Sid Meier’s Civilization (Series)

Civilization is a long-running strategy game series, created by Sid Meier. Each game gives the player a chance to rewrite history and make decisions that will change the foundation of their society. Gamers take control of a fledgling nation and learn about finances, strategy, and resource management as they steer it towards prosperity.

Civilization requires the player to look at the big picture, focusing on the macromanagement of their nation, with early game decisions leading to potentially massive consequences as the society ages. Players must balance the needs of their society with winning the game.

Recently, Sid Meier confined that a special edition of Civilization, CivilizationEDU, would be available for school use.

3. Professor Layton

The Professor Layton series revolves around the titular professor and his young apprentice as they roam the game world, searching for mysteries to solve. The player must collect clues and complete riddles to help the duo in their quest. With over 150 puzzles of increasing difficulty, Professor Layton gives a great mental workout.

The game’s storyline is entertaining, stimulating, and holds the player’s attention while teaching math, logic, and problem-solving skills. The third game in the series won a Parent’s Choice Silver Honors award in 2011.

4. Portal

The Portal series is a first-person puzzle game that tasks the player with manipulating physics to complete tests and defeat a malicious Artificial Intelligence known as GLaDOS. The player finds a Portal Gun, a device that opens one entrance and one exit portal at a time. Think laser tag, but with a gun that opens wormholes through space. The goal is to use these portals to make it through an increasingly complex obstacle course, before confronting GLaDOS at the center of the facility. .

Both Portal and its sequel are great tools for teaching physics, spatial movement, and creative thinking. While the game hints at a dark backstory, the actual gameplay and dialogue are exceedingly clean and witty.

5. Minecraft

The obvious inclusion on this list, Minecraft is already used in some schools (Mojang, the developers, even offers an Education Edition of the game with extras for classroom collaboration).

Minecraft is essentially the digital equivalent of handing your child an endless Lego set and telling them to go wild. They can build anything that they imagine, as long as they have the right components. The game teaches geometry, physics, and resource management all wrapped up in a blocky package. The possibilities of the game world are virtually limitless. Players have created everything from gigantic replicas of statues to fully playable video games inside the game.

Exciting GameTruck Events in Jacksonville

Social interaction is just as important for your child’s development, so gather a group of friends, and let them cut loose with a GameTruck party. We specialize in no-hassle party experiences that your guests will be talking about for weeks. For more information or to receive a quote, give us a call at 904-800-0880!

E3 2017 – GameTruck Approved Games

GameTruck was on hand at E3 2017.

As with previous years we handed out GameTruck Approved awards to those games that promote what we hold near and dear to our hearts; Couch Co-Op games. With the constant gearing towards online multiplayer, the simple aspect of having your friends over for hours of gaming has started to fall to the wayside. As the millions of our event-goers know, GameTruck is all about playing together with your friends, not over the internet but face to face. While online gaming is fun, it just doesn’t give you the same feeling of camaraderie that you get while sharing a screen/couch with a friend. Without further ado, the E3 2017 GameTruck Approved games are:

Dragon Ball Fighter Z

After many years, the Dragon Ball series has finally made it’s return to the fighting game arena. Boasting 1v1 battles with teams of 3, Dragon Ball Fighter Z delivers a fast paced fighting game that stays true to it’s roots. Look for Dragon Ball Fighter Z early 2018 on PS4 and XBox One.

FIFA 2018 for Nintendo Switch

While this award could go to the FIFA series as a whole, the true essence of playing together is found most in the version made for the Nintendo Switch. Allowing players to wirelessly connect consoles together via Ad-hoc is something that has been missing from the franchise. Not to mention that now you can play a round of FIFA while waiting for a Soccer game to start. Look for FIFA to drop on all major consoles September 2017.

Knack 2

The original Knack struck a cord with many gamers but multiplayer was only available on Easy Mode. It seems Sony took some of the criticism to heart and made a full fledged multiplayer game. Knack 2 has all of the crazy growing and shrinking of the first game, but now you and a friend can beat the game together on any skill level. Look for Knack 2 on PS4 this September 2017.

Splatoon 2

Splatoon was a fun game that had a lot of things going for it. It was fun, vibrant, and full of crazy characters. While it found a great home with online multiplayer, it was severally lacking on the local play front. Enter Splatoon 2, a game that’s built from the ground up to allow large local play. Heck, they’ve even built in many mechanics for it to branch into a major eSports contender. Splatoon 2 hits the Nintendo Switch on 7/21/2017.

ARMS

Nintendo wanted to make a new fighting game to compliment it’s current behemoth Super Smash Bros. While Super Smash Bros has ruled the roost for fighting games on Nintendo Consoles, allowing furious paced 8 player battle royales, ARMS sticks to a more traditional 1v1 platform. Allowing a myriad of different play mechanics, players are sure to find a mode that fits any situation. ARMS dropped onto the Nintendo Switch the day after E3 2017 ended, so grab a copy today.

NASCAR Heat 2

With so many racing titles out there trying to push the envelope of resolution and detail, it’s very easy to lose site of couch multiplayer. While yes NASCAR Heat 2 will support a whopping 40 person online race, it will also support 2 player split-screen as well. If you’re a NASCAR fan, or just a regular race game fan, this is the game for you. Look for NASCAR Heat 2 to hit the PS4 and XBone One September 2017.

PlayLink for PS4

PlayLink is a very obscure gaming platform for the PS4 that did not get much fanfare around it. However, everything that it’s trying to achieve is exactly what GameTruck is looking for. PlayLink is a means of getting everyone in the room to interact together through game, utilizing what everyone these days seems to have as their means of control, a smart phone. There is so much going on with PlayLink that it’s best if you watch the video below.

The Metronomicon

The E3 Indiecade section usually has 1 or 2 bright gems in it each year and this year was no different. The Metronomicon is a very interesting type of game, part RPG and part rythm game, that allow up to 4 players to play simultaneously. If nothing else, they deserve an honorable mention for giving us a use for those darned gaming guitars. Look for The Metronomicon on PS4 and XBox One Q3 2017.

Lego Marvel Superheroes 2

Do you like Lego? Do you like Marvel? Well, this game should be a no brainer then. With the most extensive list of super heroes yet, Lego Marven Superheroes 2 is easily a must buy. Need more to entice you? Then I have 3 words for you… I AM GROOT! Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 drops on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and XBox One 11/14/2017.

Honorable Mention

Super Mario Odyssey

While yes they haven’t shown any multiplayer capabilities, Super Mario Odyssey was easily one of the best games we played at E3 2017. From Mario becoming almost anyone, so seamless 3D-2D-3D transitions, this game amazed us all! Heck, there is even a mode that let’s you play co-op, with the second player controlling Cappy. Look for Super Mario Odyssey on Nintendo Switch 10/27/2017.

GameTruck for Teens and Adults

At GameTruck Colorado Springs, we understand that video games are not just for kids. If you’re looking to entertain older gamers, we’re sure to have something for you, no matter your age. This month, we’ve decided to take a look at our most requested and played Teen and Mature rated games.

Teen Rated Games

Injustice 2

Injustice 2: The sequel to Injustice: Gods Among Us allows players to build and power up their favorite DC characters. With every showdown, players earn gear to equip, customize and level up their character which impacts not only how they look but also how they can fight. Players can choose from the biggest DC roster ever offered in a fighting game. Injustice 2 picks up right where Injustice: Gods Among Us left off with Batman and his allies working towards putting society back together, but having to fight off a new threat that will put Earth’s every existence at risk.

Star Wars Battlefront

With the long-awaited return of Star Wars films, EA has revived the beloved series with the hit next-generation reboot. Battlefront allows you to step into the shoes of heroes, villains, and foot soldiers alike to take part in iconic moments from the original Star Wars trilogy. Now you can recreate your favorite battles from a galaxy far, far away.

Mature-Rated Games

Call of Duty (Series)

GameTruck Colorado Springs carries nearly the entire CoD series in our collection, but Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty: World at War, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 are easily the most requested and played of the series. Say what you will about the single player story mode, you can’t beat CoD’s fast-paced multiplayer action. Whether your preferred game is Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch, or Free-for-all, load up your favorite map and let the (digital) bullets fly.

Halo 4 and 5

The famous Halo series can be seen as the Super Mario Bros. of 3D home consoles: the original changed the way that the average gamer viewed what a game could be, and set the standard for most games that followed it. Halo 4 and Halo 5 continue the grand tradition and high expectations set by the original nearly two decades ago.

Mortal Kombat X

The original “adult game,” Mortal Kombat shocked parents and politicians alike when it hit the arcade in 1992. Mortal Kombat X is the tenth main installment of the series and continues the long-standing tradition of intense action, bloodshed, and complex storylines. Story mode woes aside, the game features amazingly smooth gameplay and tight controls that turn your friendly deathmatch into a showcase for your “Kombat” skills.

Exciting Action Games for Teens and Adults in Colorado Springs

We believe that adults and teens deserve a fun-filled party, regardless of their age. GameTruck Colorado Springs is here to make your party an event that your guests won’t forget. For more information or to receive a quote, give us a call at 719-247-2664!