Publish at February 05 2012 Updated November 20 2024
Genetics and heredity are complex subjects, especially for children. It's not easy to explain to youngsters what DNA is, what it's used for, or the principles of recessive and dominant genes. As part of a permanent exhibition entitled "Who am I", London's Science Museum has designed a serious game that takes a playful approach to all these subjects, and makes them much easier to understand.
A game of " Welcome to Thingdom " always begins in the same way: by choosing one of the many cute creatures on offer. Once selected, the creature finds itself in a special world. For around 2 minutes, you have to feed it, stroke it and entertain it. During this time, other "Things" (as the little creatures are called) join in. You can take care of them too. When the 120-second period is over, the bug is ready to mate. To progress through the game, the player will need to create offspring with specific characteristics. For example, the first level may require the offspring to be green or square-shaped. In this way, the player chooses the partner with whom he is most likely to meet the objectives. He or she will seduce the partner by playing various mini-games. Once the seduction period is over, mating takes place and a young Thing is born. And the cycle begins again: you'll have to take care of this creature and breed it with another Thing in order to accomplish another mission. Interestingly, the family lineage and "genetic" profile of the beast can be viewed at any time.
The principle is a little repetitive, but the creatures are so cute and the gameplay so fast-paced that there's never a dull moment. You can save your progress by requesting an e-mail code to continue playing later.
The only challenge is the English language, which may put off those who don't understand it. It's best to accompany children who don't master the language. Nonetheless, this great game takes a highly original approach to questions of genetics and heredity, and it would be a shame not to give it a try.
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