Very 'Spatial' Games

This weeks blog looks at the use of spatial games and how they might be used to expand geographical knowledge. There are a number of games that utilize maps as part of a game but were did this idea originate? What culture fisrt thought of incorporating a map element into a game ? The question is a trick, no one really knows which culture first incoprorated maps into their games. According to Elloitt Avedon determining the exact origin of map games as well as any game for that matter for more details go to http://www.gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/About%20Games/origins.htm

and see what Elloitt has to say about games and their orgins.

In terms of modern gaming nearly every game now incorporates a map element of some type. Some really good map-based games can be found at http://www.mywonderfulworld.org/toolsforadventure/games/index.html

These particular games utilize various aspects of a map such a direction and location and help develop basic map reading skills.

One of my favorite map-based games is a popular U.K. game called Hapland. There are three series of games that increase in difficulty as you advance. The principle idea of the game is to explore your environment and try to figure out how to get your stick figure to interact with the environment so accomplish a particular task (which remains unknown until you finish the puzzle). For lots Hapland fun go to: http://www.foon.co.uk/farcade/hapland/ and see if you can meet the challenge.

One of the best aspects of interactive map-based games is that they force the user to develop mental analysis tools that solve particular tasks. The use of interactive maps fundamenatally utilizes our natural urge to explore the unknown and rashionalize time and space.