Make some room for edutainment! San Diego scientists presented a fun and interactive way to learn during Comic-Con week: “Microscopya.” The game saw its debut at the If/Then Pop-Up STEAM Fair in Balboa park. Creators Matthew Cooney and Beata Mierzwa developed the game over two years to help children who learn better with visual aids than reading or listening.
“Microscopya” allows children to take a customizable avatar on an adventure through the cells of the human body. How the body functions is presented as a series of puzzles. By solving the puzzles, children can learn how cellular biology works to make their own bodies function. With bright colors and original music, the world of cells players inhabit looks like a fantasy forest; a perfect learning environment for young minds.
The biggest motivation to create the game was to help children who can’t always learn in the current academic environment. Matthew Cooney, a conservationist and science communicator, says “I was a visual learner…if teachers were saying something, it really wasn’t getting absorbed — but, if you gave me a puzzle, I could get through the puzzle.”
Simplifying complex science into a digestible, colorful video game is the dream of visual learners and the neurodivergent sphere. Puzzles that encourage critical and creative thinking can make academically heavy subjects far easier to learn. “We want players to experience the wonders of biology in a more engaging way, so it was very important for us to focus on art and music…” Beata Mierzwa says.
Microscopya is available for free on Android and iOS and downloadable through a browser here.
