Generally I agree that educational games are dreadful. The exception that proves the rule is Oregon Trail, which in its early hayday was one of the funnest games, educational or otherwise. To this day, gen-x-ers drink beer and debate the merits of buying bullets or food (hunting is fun, but watching your family starve isn't), or shelling out the money to pay a ferryman to get you across the river, or caulk or wagon and float (darn him and his exhorbitant prices!)

A few battle simulations are also useful. In my history classes, I"ve had students play simulations of the Battle of Gettysburg--generally they get a good sense of possible outcomes and considerations that prepares them for when I take them there on a field trip.

Totally agree. How could Oregon Trail have been left out of this article? To be fair, the fact that your family members in the game could actually die from cholera, and you could stop and time you wanted to shoot a buffalo did give the game a nice rough edge to it. I think if most "educational games" gave you the option of stopping what you were doing and blasting anything that moves (I learned that one should shoot rapidly and indescriminently to acquire more food!), then we could really get some learning done. Man I loved that game.

Oregon Trail succeeded by taking the 'educational' part out of educational games. Other than the setting, there was very little to be learned from the game.

Where in the World is carmen santiago was another fun educational game.

I think the sense of moving through space is what made Oregon Trail such a captivating game - the same thing which gives Grand Theft Auto such a wow factor.

Building death into the game was a genius touch as well - I nearly always named my "family" after my siblings. Watching them die (time and time again) despite my best efforts to save them, provoked a lot of thought about mortality in a ten year old's brain.

Mary Ann died of cholera.

You only gathered 12 pounds of meat.

You must ford the river bed.

hahahahaha!!!

god, I loved that game! =)

Nice.

You know, I was thinking of Oregon Trail as I read this article. That and the Carmen Sandiego games.