Below are some of the games, software, and instructional media I've designed. Click an item's image for more information; some are free!

I also just published a book with Teachers College Press called "The Educator's Guide to Designing Games and Creative Active-learning Exercises: The Allure of Play"; check it out here!

I've also designed a series of PowerPoint games and templates you can use to build in-person or online activities, and finished a video explaining these ideas. See my Allureofplay.com page, then scroll down to "Design For Online" and follow the link there.

If you'd like to take a look at my research on games pedagogy instead, visit my researcher page.

Speaking of designers, if you're seeking a graphic designer/illustrator, and you liked the art on my website, visit www.natsancreative.com to contact Nataliya or to see the rest of her work. She designed this website and works well with teachers or anyone who is creative.

Games for Professional Development or Team-building

Planning an event or conference? I created several non-digital games for educators, training managers, and instructional designers.

What's Your Game Plan?

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Description:
Turn any instructional idea into a quick, interactive game or playful exercise! This is my most famous creation: a brainstorming card game that is perfect for workshops (and has been used in over 150 of them).

Purpose:
Professional development; curriculum development; interactive pedagogy exercise; game design; team-building exercise

Complex Mechanics: 9 Gamed Up Teaching Approaches for Creating Rigorous Learning Games


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Description:
This game shows you how to adapt ANY of your existing lesson plans or instructional ideas into a creative exercise or game. It consists of 17 flashcards that break down my original theories for instructional game design, which I call “Complex Mechanics.” If you're read my new book about playful design, The Allure of Play, these cards provide excellent summaries of the concepts so you can have a quick way to apply the book's ideas.  It can be used as a stand-alone game, or together with my other instructional game “What’s Your Game Plan?” as an expansion.

Purpose:
Professional development; curriculum development; interactive pedagogy exercise; game design; team-building exercise

Games for Icebreakers

Conference Trading Cards: Complex Mechanics


Description:
Event attendees get flashcards that describe unique approaches for designing learning creative exercises or games (Trivia Questions, Cut-ups, etc.). But since no one receives every card, they must find other attendees to trade with--all the while discussing each card’s pedagogy!

Purpose:
Ice-breaker; interactive pedagogy exercise

Icebreaker Bingo

Description:

FREE. This popular ice-breaker gives attendees a Bingo Board full of social (and pedagogical!) questions to ask each other by category (Social Life, Professional Life). Questions and categories can be modified for your organization.

Purpose:

Ice-breaker

On the way (still designing):

If your organization is interested in using any of these ‘on the way’ games, contact me [click here]; it will spur me to finish designing them!

Let’s Get Things SWOTTED in Here!

The SWOT Analysis Card Game
 
Description: Attendees receive cards assigning them special questions, problems, and roles for assessing the Strengths/ Weaknesses/ Opportunities/Threats (S.W.O.T.) of any proposition from their shared organization. If attendees do not share an organization, everyone instead receives a case study and role within a mock company.
 
Purpose: program assessment; team-building exercise; professional development

Conference Trading Cards: Pedagogical and Technological Innovations

Description:
Attendees get flashcards that describe current high- impact pedagogies and technological developments in education (Cooperative Learning, E- Portfolios, etc). But since no one receives every card, they must find other attendees to trade with, while discussing each card’s pedagogy!

Purpose:
Ice-breaker; interactive pedagogy exercise

 

 

Games for Game Design 

Audience: Students, Educators, Training Managers, Instructional/Content designers, Game designers. Can be used alone, or in a workshop.

What's Your Game Plan?

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Description:
Turn any idea into a game! This brainstorming card game is used by individuals to generate ideas for creative exercises, games, or simulations.

Purpose:
Design educational or non- educational games; design games around class content; team-building exercise; curriculum development

 

Games for Composition

Parts of Speech Concentration

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Description:
Played on powerpoint software, this concentration game teaches students to identify and evaluate 3 parts of speech important to know for avoiding sentence boundary errors: coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, and transitions. But you can modify my template to teach any terms.

Purpose:
Grammar

 

Media about Game Design

Infographic: How to Create an Educational Game

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Description:
A highly visual, simple explanation of how to think about making an educational game. Printed on glossy cardstock. A great take- away for conference bags.
 
Purpose:
Game Design
 
Audience:
Event and Conference Attendees.

Book: A Guide to Game- based Learning

Description:
I’m working on a book about game-based learning pedagogy with my co-author Victoria Mondelli. The guidebook breaks down the deeper learning and assessment principles behind game-based learning, and offers very practical design theories for adding these principles (and game mechanics) to your lessons. We also include advice for curriculum directors trying to bring this novel pedagogy to your school. For more information about the book, click here.
 
Audience:
College and K-12 educators, administrators, and staff. Training managers.

Poster: “Nine Approaches for Designing Learning Games”

*Note: I'm still updating ordering information for this item, but it's roughly $30. If you're interested in ordering 3 or more, contact me.

Description:
Rather than the flashcards approach, i present my original theories for instructional game design (“Complex Mechanics”) on a large, beautifully-designed poster. Great for organizations or individuals who want to see a ‘big picture’ of learning game design.
 
Audience:
For anyone interested in turning instructional content into a game (non-digital or digital).