Thanks to Mommy Parties and Dig-it Games, I was able to have a party based around a new computer game, Roman Town, by Dig-it games. As a homeschooler I am always looking for educational games to enrich my children’s schooling, so I was glad to get the chance to test this game out.
This game was developed by an actual archaeologist, and is designed to give kids a a first hand look into Roman life. In Roman Town you explore the 3D rendered town of Fossura, which is a real town that was destroyed in 79 AD by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. As the kids explore in the computer game they find artifacts, which include pottery, bones, coins, paintings. Then they play games that bring them to life. They are able to solve mysteries and discover the details of daily life centuries ago. Now both my 17 and 11 year old are studying Latin, so learning more about Roman history fits right in with our curriculum.
We had some kids come over for a party and try it out. I was also sent a bunch of stuff to go with the game, including Roman Town beanies and water bottles. As you might expect the kids loved getting “prizes” and they all especially loved the beanies. None of the older kids would let me take their picture in the beanies, but they were wearing them too!
We loaded the game up on my lap top and the kids took turns playing. It was a little awkward having them take turns with the computer game, because no more than 3 or 4 could really interact with it at one time, with one playing and the others watching and offering suggestions. The kids enjoyed the game and like discovering the artifact and putting the puzzles together. Their favorite part was excavating and finding the artifacts. They tended to skip over the parts that explained what the artifact were, but I think was partly because there with a bunch of kids around it just wasn’t a great environment for reading the screen and learning. We had some word searches and puzzles for the kids to do while they waited their turn, and of course we had snacks too.
The game was most popular with the 12 and under kids. The older kids found the game too educational. I guess they were looking for more action and less explaining! I thought the game was very well set up, it has good graphics and is very interactive. I’d recommend it for kids ages 7-12, unless you child is really into archaeology, in which case they’d probably enjoy it at any age. I think this game is going to make a great, fun addition to my son’s Latin studies.
You can buy Roman Town online, and Dig-it has provided me with a 20% off with coupon code BLOG20, which is valid through 1/31/11.
Disclosure: I was provided a copy of the game for review purposes. All opinion are my own.
About Annie
thanks