Venture Arctic
© 2008 Brighter Minds Media, Inc.
Did you know that a Caribou can migrate up to 1600 miles in a year? That's just one of the dozens of interesting facts embedded in this clunky, but fun one-player simulation about the Alaskan Tundra. Designed for Windows, this game lets you create and maintain the ecosystems of the Alaskan Tundra through four seasons. After you sign in (progress is saved) and learn how to move around the 3D world, you are given a challenge — such as to save a Caribou. In order to succeed, you must tinker with the environment by adding or melting snow, helping animals fall in love in the spring, or making them sick in the fall — it's all about balance, you see. For example, without snow in the Winter, you don't get grass in the spring, and then animals start to die. Content includes 22 types of animals such as polar bears, bowhead whales, arctic wolves, and orcas. If you move your cursor over any animal, you learn facts about it, such as its age, how much fat is on its body, or how much energy it has. Players can also experiment with extinction and deforestation while keeping the interests of the wildlife in mind. There are Normal and Kid challenge levels. Note that a good deal of reading is required, plus some of the content, such as the discussion about animal spirits, is not really scientific. This simulation could be useful for classroom use — despite it's clunky navigation and strange background music — to discuss such concepts as extinction or climate change. Developed by Pocketwatch Games in the Torque Engine (www.pocketwatchgames.com) for Brighter Minds Media, Inc.
$20, Windows, Mac OSX
Teaches: Science, maintaining life, ecosystems, reading
CTR Rating: 80%