Science learning games that put content and pedagogy first
Who we are
We are a devoted team of educators, scientists, designers, animators, and developers on a mission to bring game-based learning experiences into high school science classrooms. We’re passionate about learning, especially when it comes to the student experience. We also love to have fun—we eat good food, play lots of games, and enjoy spirited brainstorming sessions.
We are proud of the products we make to enrich science and math learning. Browse our range of resources at playmada.com.
Our mission
To teach fundamental science concepts on an intuitive level in a fun, challenging, and engaging way
To give high school students deepened, enduring understandings of key concepts
To seamlessly merge game play with science content to create rich game-based learning environments
Our approach
At the heart of everything we do is the desire to help students understand fundamental ideas in science by understanding the “why” behind these ideas. In order to develop rich, engaging content based on sound pedagogy, we first curate the content based on our own set of criteria.
Then we:
Determine which concepts to address and how best to organize and present them by asking ourselves and others many, many questions.
Ideate game-based experiences using interactions and rules that are grounded in the actions and rules of chemistry.
Playtest repeatedly with each other, with students in small focus groups, and then finally in real-world classrooms.
Continually iterate and playtest until we’re satisfied the experiences are fun, engaging, and result in fundamental understandings.