A New Game is Nearly Here

I have nearly completed work on a new game that I am calling The Library Adventure Game. This game will hopefully be even more flexible and useful. The idea of the Library Adventure Game is it provides a way to offer a wide variety of training experiences, from simulations of patron encounters to interactive tutorials to a more game like Choose Your Own Adventure milieu.

I (along with co-conspirator Margaret Gregor) will be presenting on the game at Computers in Libraries 2010 in just a few weeks. And this summer, we'll have a poster session at ALA.

All the files and stuff is not ready quite yet, but if you'd like to play the game, you can go here and try it out.

Keyword Konundrum

I have just completed work on another library game, entitled "Keyword Konundrum." The game intends to teach that search engines do not always produce the results you intend. The game shows 10 images downloaded from Yahoo! Images and 5 words, one of which was the word used to produce the image search results you see. Just click on the right word.

The game gets harder as you go as you are given less time, shown fewer images, and the words get closer in meaning.

If you choose the wrong word, you can click the "Show me the Pictures" link and see the images you would have gotten if your word was used to do the search.

Play Keyword Konundrum

If you would like to have your own copy of the game, you can get all the game files here. Note that you will have to get your own Yahoo! Application ID. This is free and simply requires filling out a form online. Instructions for using and changing the game are included with the game files.

At this point, I am considering this the beta version of the game. If you would send me feedback and ideas for improvements, that would be great!

Another Tweak to the Game

I've made another slight change to the game, updated a few links on the left, and put up a nice little ad for our book, "Gaming in Academic Libraries."

The change I made to the game is that it is now possible to have less than four choices for each question. Before, if you tried to add a true/false question, for example, you would have a mysterious 3 and 4 appear as choices. This won't happen any longer, but you will need to keep all 4 choices in the XML, just use text="" instead of putting any information there.

Here is the link to the new improved game files.

New Game version(s)

Hi all,

In response to some problems people are having with adapting the game, I've made a few more changes.

The first is that I've created a version of the game using JSON instead of XML. The importance of this is that those people having trouble with the XML files can now use simple text files which should fix most of their problems. JSON is just as easy, if not easier, to read and write than XML, so you should be able to change the format of your questions rather easily. I changed the format of all my questions from XML to JSON by simply using a series of find-and-replace.

The second change I've made is making it possible for those people not wishing to use the website evaluation questions to use that space for regular questions. Although I suggest using some kind of challenge questions, as the game will still assign a light of any color for a correct answer or remove a light for a wrong answer. Instructions on how to make these changes are in the gamedirections.txt file.

Here is the zip file: game.zip

Let me know how it works!

Working Games?

If anyone has their version of the game up and running with no problems, please let Amy or I know. I'd like to put a link to it up on the left hand side here, as well as the thrill of just knowing that someone actually got everything working.

I only hear about it when y'all have troubles!

Scott's new job

My big news this month is that I am the new e-Learning Librarian at Appalachian State University. I started here on November 12 and I am still supporting the Info Lit Game and will hopefully be making it even better in the future.

Time for Another Update

The Information Literacy Game has a new update and a bunch of new features.

Get the zip file

• You can track results using a parameter in the URL


• You can use alternate question sets by using a parameter in the URL


• There is a new optional image for the game board


• There is a new set of optional images for the dice


• You don't need to run the game in a window of fixed size any longer, it adjusts to the size of the window you have open


• This is Version 2.0! I'm going to start using tracking numbers so people will know if they have a new or older edition

The new board looks like this:


Stay tuned for future information and updates!