ChemChallenge: A Video Game for Teaching and Studying Thermodynamics Featuring In-Game Currency, Shopping, Customization of Laboratory, and Photochemistry

Digital learning and gamification make studying chemistry
more
exciting and engaging. Interactive digital tools allow students to
understand the fundamental concepts of chemistry more easily. However,
the application of this knowledge is hampered by the lack of user-friendly
chemistry simulators, in which students could apply their knowledge
in a creative way. This work describes the development of the application
softwareChemChallenge. This software is intended for use primarily
by undergraduate students studying chemistry and chemical engineers.
The goal of the game is to design reaction equations that describe
spontaneous chemical reactions. The application software has many
features of video games, such as a developed reward system, that is
based on principles of thermodynamics, customization of player’s
chemistry laboratory, and in-game currency. These features make the
gameplay less linear. As such, multiple solutions to the same task
are possible. A case study of using ChemChallenge to teach thermodynamics
at the undergraduate level is described.