21 TOOLS

Best Games for Perseverance

Some games are great at keeping players in the sweet spot between things that are too hard and too easy. And some games can challenge kids but keep them motivated and resilient, helping them build valuable, broadly applicable perseverance skills along the way. This list collects some of our favorite perseverance games that are tough but absorbing, giving kids the confidence to take on whatever comes their way.

Interested in seeing tips on how you might use some of these tools in the classroom? Check out our blog series We All Teach SEL: Inspiring Activities for Every Classroom

Minecraft: Education Edition

Stellar collaboration tools, controls make Minecraft classroom-ready

Bottom Line: An excellent tool to engage students in learning, collaboration, and critical thinking is now more accessible than ever to teachers.

Grades: K–12
Price:
Free to try

Kahoot! DragonBox Learn Chess

Gentle chess puzzle game ideal for young newbies

Bottom Line: For kids who are new to chess but want to learn how to play, this fun intro to the game provides a well-done tutorial combined with a light overarching storyline.

Grades: 1–8
Price:
Free to try

The Infinite Arcade by Tinybop

Simple game-design app has endless creative potential

Bottom Line: Letting students design, play, improve, and share their own games opens up opportunities for learning potential in many subject areas.

Grades: 2–6
Price:
Paid

Zoombinis

Classic logic puzzler gets a beautiful new look

Bottom Line: Promote powerful thinking skills, resilience, and decision-making through purely fun gameplay that will keep students begging for more.

Grades: 3–8
Price:
Paid

GooseChase EDU

Digital scavenger hunts provide dynamic, fresh learning experiences

Bottom Line: Students and teachers will enjoy the powerful learning of a modern scavenger hunt.

Grades: 3–12
Price:
Free, Paid

Minecraft

Spiraling sandbox of adventure and creation gets kids to dig deep

Bottom Line: An irresistible and seemingly limitless incubator for 21st century skills that, with a little guidance, can chart new courses for learning.

Grades: 3–12
Price:
Paid

Engare

Unique puzzle game's artistic geometry rewards and frustrates

Bottom Line: Play for the surprising geometry and beautiful art; consult the web or just walk away for a while when stuck.

Grades: 4–12
Price:
Paid

LittleBigPlanet 2

Accessible yet deep game creator will dazzle and challenge

Bottom Line: A deeply charming experience for teachers and students interested in pushing boundaries, making things, and participating in a healthy community focused on boundless creativity.

Grades: 4–12
Price:
Paid

Epistory - Typing Chronicles

Practice typing by exploring and defending a world made of paper

Bottom Line: Great for practicing touch-typing skills, this adventure game draws players in with a slowly revealed backstory.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Paid

FTL: Faster Than Light

Failure is frequent and fun in this strategic starship sim

Bottom Line: This starship simulator isn’t easy, but gritty kids will learn from failure and practice systems thinking.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Paid

Humankind

Refinement of strategy game formula supports historical exploration

Bottom Line: Like any consumer-oriented game, this experience will absorb and delight students far more than "educational" games, but it'll require open-minded and creative teaching.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Paid

Human Resource Machine

Addictive, unique way to supplement coding instruction

Bottom Line: A novel way to learn programming that will require student collaboration and extra adult support.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Paid

Papo & Yo

Powerful tale of alcoholism uses puzzles and metaphor to build empathy

Bottom Line: A beautiful game that's sure to build students' empathy skills and provoke deep conversations about alcoholism and abuse as well as metaphor.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Paid

The Pack - NYSCI

Deceptively gentle coding game really packs a problem-solving punch

Bottom Line: This gorgeous, immersive programming game encourages novel solutions.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Free

Tyto Ecology

Well-developed biome sim provides cheap, endless learning

Bottom Line: This affordable ecosystem balancing game teaches life science skills while keeping students engaged.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Paid

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Unique cooperative adventure with lasting social and emotional impact

Bottom Line: With good support, an extremely powerful game to build empathy.

Grades: 7–12
Price:
Paid

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

Best entry in classic strategy series might not be best for classrooms

Bottom Line: As with all games in this series, Civilization VI is a great learning experience with the right support, but older, cheaper versions may be more practical for classrooms.

Grades: 7–12
Price:
Paid

Kerbal Space Program

Design and launch a rocket into space in realistic astrophysics sim

Bottom Line: This accurate rocket sim encourages trial-and-error learning and makes for great (and often explosive) physics and engineering experiments.

Grades: 9–12
Price:
Paid

Please Knock on My Door

Effective and affecting game about dealing with depression

Bottom Line: A slow-paced SEL game for helping students understand the nuances of managing mental health.

Grades: 9–12
Price:
Paid

This War of Mine

Strategy game offers superb, mature take on war and civilian survival

Bottom Line: A stark portrayal of civilian life in a war-torn city that requires strategic thinking and invites repeated plays.

Grades: 9–12
Price:
Paid

Florence

Incredibly relatable story about navigating adult love and life

Bottom Line: This heartwarming game helps kids empathize with the highs and lows of romantic relationships.

Grades: 10–12
Price:
Paid

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