In Taylorsville, Utah, the nonprofit Waterford offers Upstart, a free, state-funded online reading program that helps 4-year-olds build early literacy skills through gamified lessons featuring Rosie and Rusty Raccoon. Parents like Brooke Hussey praise it for making learning fun and engaging while supporting readiness for kindergarten.
Read MoreFinland-based School of Gaming (SOG) has grown from three to nine staff in 2025, offering online after-school activities, clubs, and camps for children aged 7–18 using Minecraft and other games to promote learning. As a Microsoft-certified Minecraft Education Edition partner, SOG emphasizes game-based learning to develop personal and social skills while fostering positive gaming culture.
Read MoreArizona State University (ASU) has partnered with Aethir, a global leader in AI infrastructure, to advance the use of AI and blockchain in education through ASU’s Endless Games and Learning Lab. Aethir will provide up to $3 million in computing resources to support student-led projects and research beginning in 2025–26.
Read MoreRecent research suggests that traditional board games may help slow cognitive decline in dementia patients. A meta-analysis reviewing multiple studies found that mentally engaging games, such as chess, could benefit brain function, though results may vary depending on genetic and biological factors.
Read MoreIn spring 2025, Karolinska Institutet partnered with CAPTRS to introduce the AMR Knowledge Space Game into its biomedical communication course, marking its first use in education. Led by Dr. Giulia Gaudenzi and Dr. Matthew Kirkham, the pilot engaged Master’s students in exploring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through collaborative, game-based learning.
Read MoreA rediscovered 10th-century Viking game piece carved from walrus tusk suggests that Viking elites took great pride in grooming. The small figurine, possibly depicting King Harald Bluetooth, shows a neatly braided goatee and waxed, upturned moustache—an unusually detailed portrayal of facial hair for the era.
Read MoreA Canadian study published in Psychological Medicine found that school-age boys who spend more time playing video games show decreased academic motivation in reading, writing, and math. Tracking 1,631 children from ages 7 to 10, researchers observed that each additional hour of gaming at age 7 predicted a 2% drop in motivation by age 8, a trend not seen in girls.
Read MoreTCB Games, a beloved game store in Huntington, Indiana, has operated for nearly 30 years out of a historic Carnegie Library, recognized by its green dragon head, "Charlie." Owner Todd Nightenhelser has built the store into a hub for geek culture, hosting events like Dungeons & Dragons campaigns and Magic: The Gathering nights.
Read MoreCode Ninjas, a new learning center at 513 1st Ave. West in Seattle, teaches children ages 5–14 coding and problem-solving through video game creation. Owned by Atul Goyal and his daughters Kaia and Kyra, the Queen Anne location aims to make STEM fun and accessible.
Read MoreGamification uses game-like rewards, points, and goals to keep people engaged with everyday apps in fitness, finance, and shopping. While it appears fun and motivating, it subtly shapes user behavior through psychological triggers like reward anticipation, loss aversion, and FOMO.
Read MoreTeachers can enhance literacy by treating narrative video games as texts, much like books. Just as students interpret books with compliant, negotiated, or oppositional readings, games can spark similar critical thinking and emotional engagement.
Read MoreThis article explores solo journaling games through the lenses of environmental humanities, queer studies, and game studies. By analyzing The Crushing Dark and Dwelling, the author highlights how these games engage with themes of precarity, porosity, and subjecthood.
Read MoreIncorporating video games into K-12 classrooms can boost student engagement and foster learner-centered environments, says William Watson of Purdue University. With 85% of U.S. teens playing video games—many daily—Watson argues that leveraging this familiarity can enhance learning.
Read MoreThe PAX East 2026 panel explored how collaborative games function as powerful tools for learning, empathy, and social change. Panelists shared real-world applications across education, counseling, and community spaces, emphasizing teamwork, reflection, and perspective-shifting experiences.
Read MoreColonial Williamsburg and iCivics offer two educational games—Uncovering Loyalties and Investigation Declaration—to engage students with early American history. Uncovering Loyalties immerses middle and high school students in 1774 Williamsburg, where they use critical thinking to explore differing views on independence.
Read MoreThe Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has launched Aivilization, the world’s largest AI multi-agent social simulation platform, featuring 100,000 AI agents interacting in a dynamic, MMO-like environment.
Read MoreGame difficulty is a crucial factor in mobile game design, especially in free-to-play models. While traditional strategies increase difficulty to drive in-app purchases, research by Netzer, Ascarza, and Runge reveals that lowering difficulty boosts engagement, retention, and long-term revenue.
Read More“Regime,” a card game developed by the Bill of Rights Institute and Game Genius, earned a gold medal in the 2025 International Serious Play Awards for excellence in educational gaming. Aimed at middle and high school students, the game teaches political and economic systems while fostering strategic thinking, negotiation, and adaptability.
Read MoreThe article explores the concept of simulation theory through the lens of video games, posing questions about whether life is a simulation and how video games inform our understanding of reality. It highlights the musings of Leon Kirkbeck, who suggests that moments of coincidence could be “lazy coding” in a simulation, and imagines life as a user-generated content platform like Roblox or Minecraft.
Read MoreThis summer, two high school interns, George Siri and Julia Rose Palad, supported the LEAP into the Loop Summer Camp at Warwick Public Library through the PrepareRI internship program. Inspired by Lyla in the Loop, the camp aimed to teach children computational thinking, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
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