Cell Strike has much potential to educate and involve students in their biology lessons. Be sure to play the game yourself first, to develop some strategies for helping your students later. In class, begin by giving students a background in how the immune system and infection work with and against each other. Then, go over the Help section of the app with students, orienting them to the game mechanics and goal and some basic strategy. Next, allow them to play the game through Level 2. Going over the Help section again after Level 2 will mean more to students since they'll now be familiar with all the game components and how they move. After they're completely oriented, have them play through the other levels. Since these are much more challenging than the first two, students can share strategy tips and compete to see who can complete levels in the fastest times. They can also replay the first two levels to practice using the different kinds of cells.
Continue readingCell Strike is a biology app that models the immune system of the human body. Its 3D environment simulates the immune response that occurs when the body has a small wound. Bacteria can enter the wound, and the body's immune system reacts. Players act as that immune system in this real-time game, sending out helper cells to kill the bacteria and heal wounds. The immune system response cells ("good guys") are round and blue while the bacteria ("bad guys") are prickly and purple. Players also collect antigens with their "good guy" cells, saving them up to make more specialized cells that fight infection. Once students collect enough, they can train adaptive Specialists, who are the most effective way to defeat the bacteria. Other cells in students' arsenal are Scouts, who travel quickly and pick up antigens; Engineers, who seal open wounds; and Killers, who are easier to make than the Specialists and are also designed to defeat the bacteria.
The game screen includes a map in the corner, showing players where their cells are and what areas still need to be uncovered. More than one cell can be moved at a time, and students will need to establish more than one front to defeat the bacteria. The learning curve here is pretty steep, and students need to work quickly to send out enough immune cells to complete the level. Levels 3-5 give star ratings based on how long it takes to finish each level, but even if students don't complete levels fast enough to earn a star, the next level will still unlock. After completing each level, players unlock a new data card, giving more detail into one of the major cells in the game, including a picture from a microscope.
Cell Strike is a fantastic and enjoyable opportunity for learning in two main ways. First, it's a lesson in how the immune system works, focused on bacteria entering wounds and the response to fight it off. Students get to know each kind of cell very well as they customize their offensive and defensive strategies. Second, since levels 3-5 are quite challenging, students will need to develop several different strategies for killing the bacteria and completing the levels. Students will likely need to play each level more than once before they master the controls and optimize their game strategy and skills. Through this repetition, they will internalize the inherent biology lessons. Younger students may need help with their strategy development, though students with experience in real-time resource management and battle game tactics will have a head start.
As students play, the game doesn't give much feedback on how to improve. That will take some trial and error, but the game could be enhanced with an option during gameplay that would give tips for when students are starting to lose ground.