Appealing, school-appropriate video game clip?

June 2, 2008 8:00 AM

I would like to find a link for a short video clip of a video game that meets certain criteria. It will go into a presentation to elementary school teachers, as a quick backdrop to a point about interactive games that will be used in school, and that will be fun while challenging kids to think and learn. (It won't itself BE that game; it just has to plausibly look the part.) It needs to have some connection to an outer space theme.

So to recap and clarify the criteria:
* At least a 5-second, decent quality clip available online.
* Looks appropriate for kids younger than 12.
* Looks appropriate for a school setting (so, no shoot 'ems, etc.).
* Look like it helps kids think and learn, but preferably not as explicitly as math sums that appear on screen or something - think more like 'puzzles and challenges,' less like 'pick the word that starts with A.'
* Looks interactive.
* Some connection to an outer space theme.

Suggestions would be great, links even better.

posted by daisyace to education (9 answers total)

Katamari Damacy! Google for clips. Puzzle and challenge based, with a bit of a space theme! So much fun!
posted by judith at 8:35 AM on June 2, 2008

Space Station Sim (demo & QuickTime preview available)
posted by designbot at 8:39 AM on June 2, 2008

A video for the upcoming game Spore might work. The latter part of the game will have an outer space theme. For example: this short video.
posted by Midnight Rambler at 8:47 AM on June 2, 2008

How about the Samorost games, or any of the games from Amanita Design?
posted by crios at 9:10 AM on June 2, 2008

This is what I immediately thought of: Molecularium

Be sure to visit http://www.molecularium.com/kidsite.html for the games and http://www.molecularium.com/nowplaying.html for the video clips.

Good luck!
posted by mcarthey at 9:27 AM on June 2, 2008

How about Fez? It's kid-friendly, non-violent, puzzling in a fascinating way, and the whole game takes place way up in the middle of the sky. It nicely recalls the older 8-bit platform games while giving it a cool 3D twist.

It's also an independent game, which is nice. Cool music, too.
posted by Rhaomi at 1:05 PM on June 2, 2008

(I should mention that the fun part of the game doesn't show up until about a third of the way through the trailer)
posted by Rhaomi at 1:09 PM on June 2, 2008

These are GREAT answers. Thank you so much. A number of them fit the bill, but Samorost 2 from the link crios pointed me to fulfills the combination of criteria even better than I could have hoped! Thanks for all the help.
posted by daisyace at 2:22 PM on June 2, 2008

I'm glad I could be of help.
posted by crios at 7:49 PM on June 2, 2008