Epistemic games are computer games that can help players learn to think like engineers, urban planners, journalists, lawyers, and other innovative professionals, giving them the tools they need for a changing world.
In epistemic games, players see what it is like to live in the world of adults. They learn ways of thinking that matter in the digital age, and have a chance to imagine the kind of person they might someday become.
Land Science
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Land Science extends the game Urban Science. In Land Science, players become interns at the office of a fictitious urban and regional planning firm. Players weigh the trade-offs of land use decisions in ecologically-sensitive areas, interact with virtual stakeholders and use iPlan, a custom-designed Geographic Information System, to develop land use plans for local and national sites. |
Nephrotex
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In Nephrotex, undergraduate engineering students role-play as professional engineers-in-training in order to develop the skills, knowledge, identity and values of engineers. |
Urban Science
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In Urban Science, players engage in the professional practices of urban planning and learn how to become ecological thinkers in the process. They work together to tackle the urban issues that face their city, using iPlan, a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool that helps them develop a comprehensive plan for their community. |
Journalism.net
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In Journalism.net, players become reporters working for an online newsmagazine. Working with professional journalists and interviewing community leaders, these young reporters learn about how journalists think about news and its important relationship to the community. |
Science.net
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In Science.net, our latest and best-developed Journalism.net game, players become science reporters. Working with professional journalists and interviewing local scientists, these young reporters learn about how journalists think about scientific issues and their important relationship to the community |
Digital Zoo
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In Digital Zoo, players become biomechanical engineers. Using Sodaconstructor, a sophisticated physics simulation, they design wire-frame character prototypes for an upcoming animated film. Players meet with clients and engineering experts, and present their work, developing real-world skills while learning concepts in science and engineering. |
The Pandora Project
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In The Pandora Project, players become high-powered negotiators, deciding the fate of a real medical controversy: the ethics of transplanting organs from animals into humans. Along the way, they learn about biology, international relations, and mediation. |
Escher’s World
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In Escher’s World, players become graphic artists and create an exhibit of mathematical art in the style of M.C. Escher. Based on an architectural design studio, the game helps players learn to think like designers about geometry and graphic art. |








