I decided to make another post on Public Health Fun because, well, it is fun! Without further ado, here are my latest discoveries:
– I came across this website, from the School of Community and Global Health of the Claremont Graduate University. Amongst other fun links, they also list three more games. Yay!
Description: As you might have guessed from the title, in this game you are the owner of a diabetic dog. Do you remember the time when people used to have digital pets? It is similar in some aspects, as you have to make sure your dog eats, exercises etc; additionally, you have to provide him with his insulin! Apparently, there is a Swedish version available as well.
Review: I named my dog, read the information about his diabetes and what insulin helps him with, I made him chase a bird and gave him his insulin whenever his blood sugar reached dangerous levels.
What I liked: I can’t deny that this is a sweet game. You can even chose the dog’s name and resume the game where you left it (no registration needed; you just need to chose a name for you and a name for the dog). I don’t know if it is the dog’s face, or the fact that he goes to the toilet by himself (behind the bush, naturally) but it brought a smile to my face.
What I did not like: I also can’t deny that I got bored easily. Somehow I doubt that diabetic dogs need to take insulin as often as my virtual pet. And once danger is detected, a beeping noise starts that -although useful for prompting to action- it can be quite annoying as you cannot pause it.
The verdict: Sweet idea, I suppose, but the educational benefit is minimal. If you are around my age (let’s just say “adult”) you might get bored easily. Do not worry though. The dog will not die (I left him waiting for quite long, sorry dog!)
2. Tuberculosis: Experiments and Discoveries
This game is found on Nobelprize.org, the official website of the Nobel Prize.
Description: In this game you are Wilma, a virtual maid who will try to replicate Dr. Koch’s experiments and discoveries by using different methods (such as slide technique, staining and plate technique).
Review: I moved Wilma around two different rooms (did not manage to unlock more). You can grab certain items (while others not) and then use them in combination to replicate Dr. Koch’s experiments.
What I liked: There is information on TB and what Dr. Koch did, so there is some learning value on the game. Even with basic graphics, it is pleasant to play.
What I did not like: It was not very straightforward to understand what to do (and how).
The Verdict: I liked it and will probably go back to it at some point (and make sure I read the instructions more carefully this time). There are more rooms to unlock and possibly more things to learn!
Enjoy playing and let us know what you thought about this games!
