A few weeks ago, I started tinkering with the idea of a classroom videogame as a way to get more use out of the arcade computer peripheral device I made last year. After trying it out in a few classes, I began to realise the game had potential so I recruited an artist to create proper graphics (the kids who playtested it really cared about visuals) and got some feedback from friends.
So today, I’m officially announcing the launch of WordStrike. It’s a fast-paced classroom game that’s now available for free on itch.io (link to my game). You can play it with just a normal keyboard.
The idea of the game is simple: each player flies their plane into the cloud that matches the correct word. What I think sets it apart is the competitive multiplayer element and how easy it is for teachers to customise the content to fit their exact lesson completely free of charge.
It has been a real joy to see kids genuinely enjoying a videogame I’d made. I hope other teachers can use it in their classes too. It’s designed to be easy for kids to learn and quick for teachers to set up. Two students can play at once, but you can also split the class into teams to keep everyone involved.
I’ve made videogames before for my own enjoyment, but this is the first one I’ve polished to this standard and felt happy to share with the world.
Eastward Ho! 