7 Video Games That Can Teach You About Biology

Why video games can be good for you?

Video games are good for you in a few areas. They can help develop various real-life skills and also provide a means of relaxation and feelings of achievement.

But, they should not be used to substitute real-life achievements and should not be used as your sole means of relaxation.

Are video games good for learning?

Yes, they are. Other than real-life skills they can help develop, educational video games can actually be used to learn things from science to a new language.

RELATED: 7 VIDEO GAMES TO HELP MAKE TEACHING MATH FUN

However, they should only be used a learning aid rather than as your sole tool for learning something new.

1. Immune Defense does everything it says on the tin

Immune Defense is another game that will teach you biology whilst having fun at the same time. It is a 2D real-time strategy game, where the player is tasked with taking control of the immune system at the molecular level.

Within the game, players learn practical knowledge of molecular cell biology by using cells, signals, and receptors as tools.

It has been developed by Molecular Jig Games and is available on Android, iOS, Mac, Windows and online.

2. Watch this space or Progenitor X

Progenitor X is a game that deals with various aspects of biology from body systems to regenerative medicine. The game is currently under development but should be available very soon.

The game takes a leap into the future and explores potential advances in Regenerative Medicine and Medical Device Engineering that will surely be of interest to the broad public.

Unlike other games on the list, this game is narrative-driven, and turn-based but does involve puzzle-solving games that help teach some aspects of biology. The game has been developed to be attractive to a broad audience from middle school students to teachers and the general public.

3. Tyto Online is a great multiplayer game

Tyto Online is a great quest-based, online role-playing biology game. The player takes on the role of an evacuee from a devasted Earth that must forge a new life on a distant planet.

Your character has settled on a new planet called Ovo to study at an academy called the Tyto Academy.

Throughout the game, you will need to complete quests that will teach you about some real scientific concepts as you establish a new life.

The game is aimed at middle school children and has been developed by Immersed Games. It is a paid-for game and it is only available online.

4. Guardians of the Genome VR is great fun

Guardians of the Genome VR is a fun game that will also teach you some fundamentals of biology. The game has been developed by AXS Studio and is available on Oculus and Vive.

The game is also provided under license for free to select educators and groups in exchange for feedback and testimonials.

Within the game, players learn about DNA in a fun and educational fashion. The player is tasked with repairing base-pairing errors along a strand of DNA in a virtual nucleus.

You will need to differentiate between DNA bases, play around with base pairing and identify enzymes and processes used for the repair of DNA sequences.

5. Cell to Singularity is more entertainment than educational

Cell to Singularity is a single player game that sees you evolve from a single cell to a cutting-edge technological civilization. The game is primarily designed to be entertaining, rather than an educational game per se, but will raise awareness about general scientific concepts.

You'll track your species from their origin 4.5 Billion Years Ago. You will need to gain entropy to unlock each new chapter and take the next step in your evolution.

According to the developer, the game takes you through "The epic story of evolution, technology, and humanity is yours to tap. It’s a breathtaking evolution game! Tap into the extraordinary tale of evolution in this cosmic clicker game."

The game is available online, on Android, on iOS and Mac, and Windows.

6. Evolve to survive in Niche - a genetics survival game

Niche - a genetics survival game is another fun game that will teach you about biology. Within the game, you will need to constantly evolve your species to keep them alive in different environments.

Find different strategies of survival and breed your animals smartly, all based on real genetics. Keep your eyes wide open and you will learn a lot about Biology while playing this game.

The game has been developed by Philomena Schwab and her team. It can be purchased on Steam, GOG or Humble. It is primarily aimed at middle to high school students but is enjoyable for anyone interested in evolution and ecology.

7. Bacteria Combat (Lite) is a card-based biology game

Bacteria Combat (Lite) is a thrilling card battle game that pits pathogens against each other and antibiotics. It also has period tests to track your learning development as you progress.

The game lets you battle friends and family in a fun and educational way. The lite version includes: 

- 8 Infectious Bacteria cards;

- 10 Health-boosting bacteria cards, and;

- Bonus antibiotic and immune cell cards.

This amazing science game was designed by real scientists working with real bacteria. All of the featured 'bugs' can be found in the human body too.

It is currently only available on iOS and Android.