Game of Bones is an educational game for youth and families that allows players to experience what being a paleontologist is like by engaging with Museum research, collections and exhibits. Players unearth, prepare, and research important fossils showcased in the Evolving Planet or housed in the Museum’s research collections. Through these game mechanics, players gain insight into the nature of scientific inquiry and topics such as anatomy, functional morphology, and evolution.
Game of Bones
The game design and mechanics are targeted towards youth aged 9 – 13 (approximately 4th – 8th grades), but they will also appeal to family audiences. We envision the final game as having ten levels, each with varying levels of difficulty. Each level will correspond to a different period in geologic time, a different museum specimen or specimens, and the research and work of Museum curators and collections managers. The vertical slice that we are currently developing focuses on Edaphosaurus, a fossil mammal-relative from the Early Permian Period of Earth History (approximately 299 to 270 million years ago) and the research of Assistant Curator of Paleomammalogy Dr. Kenneth Angielczyk.