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Schell Games Awarded Best of Show @ 2015 International Serious Play Awards


Late June, the Serious Games Association disclosed the Gold,Silver and Bronze Medal winners of the 2015 competition, when we came to know that Schell Games was the deserved recipient of Gold Medal honors for two of its games: both The World of Lexica and Water Bears were recognized for their high quality of engagement and measurable learning opportunities.

At the 2015 International Serious Play Awards ceremony held last week, July 23, the SGA announced that Water Bears was also awarded the Best of Show.


Water Bears EDU is a 3D puzzle game that requires students to use spatial reasoning and color-mixing skills to redirect water through pipes in a grid-based environment, giving students hands-on experience with Systems Thinking concepts.

Developed by Schell Games in collaboration with the Creativity Labs at Indiana University, the Serious Game – or Transformational Game, according to Schell Games’ value proposition - is based on a prototype funded by the MacArthur Foundation.

Leveraging the expertise of all the involved parties to address the teachers' needs and create a quality product, the educational content of the game is curated by and based on the research of Dr. Kylie Peppler, Janis Watson and their team at Indiana University. The teacher tools and framework through which educators implement the game are developed by GlassLab Games, the nonprofit focused on creating a high-impact games (please find also ELA Serious Games Infused With Stealth STEM Content).

Intended for 6-8 grades, Water Bears EDU launched late March on the GlassLab Games platform and is available to educational institutions.

Each puzzle starts with a set of water bears that are sad dehydrated and desperately in need of some water! Players use pipes, along with spatial reasoning, color mixing, and systems thinking skills, to redirect the water until all of the water bears are hydrated and happy.




You can have a taste of it at https://vimeo.com/121799097 with the uploaded video "Introducing Water Bears" on VIMEO. The game comes with real-time reports, a teacher’s guide, and sample lesson plans that can easily complement or supplement your existing curriculum.

About Schell Games

Schell Games is a full-service game design and development company with a focus on creating transformational games and innovative, interactive experiences. Founded in 2002 by world-class game designer and renowned author Jesse Schell, the studio, based in Pittsburgh, PA, heralds a highly talented array of artists, programmers, producers, and game designers.

Schell Games specializes in creating memorable experiences through mobile, PC, console, handheld, online and social games, interactive theme park attractions, internet-enabled toys and virtual worlds. The company counts some of the world’s most respected brands as clients, such as Amplify Learning, The Fred Rogers Company, Yale University, SeaWorld Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company and Microsoft Corporation.