When we hear the term ‘learning games’, we associate it with educational games for kids. Our minds wander to fun word games  and other educational games such as Math Ninja, Stack the Countries, Hangman, PBS Kids and, The Oregon Trail.

There are many learning games designed for the consumption of adults. Learning is an unending process. There is no age limit. We keep learning until we give up the ghost. There are several learning games for adults in the classroom, some good learning tools, and some not so good.

Here are our top ten learning games for adults in the classroom.

Learn Japanese to Survive – Hiragana Battle/Katakana Wars

We find it difficult to learn a new language that uses an alphabet system. We mix up our pronunciations and struggle to keep up with the language rules especially if it differs from the language, we are already fluent in.

Now, imagine how hard learning a language that does not use an alphabet system. It is like trying to interpret an ancient language like Egyptian hieroglyphics.

In this case, you are not learning an ancient and abandoned language, rather you are learning Japanese. Same thing, right?

Japanese has three distinct types of character. For someone with little or no knowledge of the language, this makes it tough to even find a starting point from which to start learning the language.

Try this cool Japanese battle learning game for adults. There are two cool battles: Hiragana Battle and Katakana Wars that teaches adults the Japanese language.

The game is set in a battleground. You have to battle the Hiragana and Katakana warriors. In the process of battling the warriors, you learn Japanese words and their pronunciations. You stand a better chance at defeating the warriors if you learn enough Japanese words. This learning game is fun to play. It is an easy way to learn an unfamiliar Eastern language.

It is a language learning game and a fantastic alternative to the tedious learning method of reading textbooks and using online language learning assistants such as Duolingo. Adults get to have fun in the classroom while learning a new language.

Age of Empire 2

Have you played the Age of Empire? Here’s another learning game from the manufacturers. This is a cool learning game for adults in the workplace and classroom. It teaches some history lessons.

The manufacturers still have to work on the game though, they do not always provide an accurate history. The game portrayed Cuauhtemoc as the nephew of Montezuma Emperor when in real historic terms Cuauhtemoc is the cousin of the Emperor and became his son-in-law when he married his daughter.

Another fact they didn’t get right is the timing of the dates. In the game, La Noche Triste was killed before Emperor Montezuma. This is not accurate, Emperor Montezuma was killed first, then La Noche Triste.

Despite the little flaws in the in-game play, the game is still a rich learning resource for adults. It is built with history as the building blocks. The game provides an in-game encyclopedia that offers accurate historical facts about rulers, battles, civilizations, important persons, and lots more.

The game sheds historical light on both big civilizations and lesser-known ones. The historic details of the various campaigns are accurate. Playing the game, you will learn about civilizations such as the Teutons, the Khmer, and the Saracens. These civilizations are small and not always accorded the respect they deserve.

It is a game that teaches you a lot of historical facts and sparks your interest in knowing more about history. It is not filled with textbook kind of history; it only gives you history in an interesting format. You will fall in love will this game and with history in general. It is a lovely educational game that teaches history through cool battles and challenges.

Never Alone

When we think of mythology and civilizations, what jumps into our minds are the Roman Civilizations, Egyptian Civilizations, or the Greek Civilizations. They are the popular ones out of a multitude. But what about other civilizations? We know fairly little about them.

The Never Alone learning game teaches other lesser-known civilizations but equally important civilizations such as the Alaskan Native cultures and the Iñupiat. If we did a basic history class in school or took it a bit seriously, it is easy to remember our teachers talking about the Native American cultures.

But the Alaskan Native Cultures? No one mentioned it like this to us. It’s probably the first time you are encountering the word and knowing that it is a thing.

Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) is a game designed to show the marvels of the Alaskan Native Cultures to the world. It has a beautiful story based on Alaskan Native folklore about an adventurous girl called Nuna and a Fox. They are on a mission to find the origin of an eternal blizzard and stop it from wrecking more havoc on their society.

If you think this is all the game has to offer, you are in for a surprise. As you advance into the gameplay, you will encounter Alaskan Native Americans sharing cultural and historical insights about themselves. The game is a rewarding historical adventure.

The game is set in Alaska, it has a beautiful storyline and great resource for learning the history of this unique culture. Enjoy hours of long gaming experience and develop your historical knowledge simultaneously.

The Shivah

This is a short but interesting game. It is built around the Jewish Culture. It is a simple adventure point and clicks game that has several endings. For someone of Jewish origin and vast knowledge of Jewish Culture, the game is really easy and not much fun.

But for the majority of us who at best known only the basis of Jewish Culture (what we read in the Bible, watch in Jewish movies and from Bible stories), it is a fun and educative adventure game.

The game teaches a lot of interesting facts about Jewish Culture. It does not bore or overload you with information about Judaism. The plot and storyline although 100 percent based on Jewish religion is put in such a way the fun is not sacrificed.

The game does a great job of intertwining information and fun. You won’t get to the point where your interest and enthusiasm drops off. It is an intriguing click and point game.

If you want to learn about Jewish Culture and do not want to read the bulky Torah and other books, the game is a great alternative.

Endless Ocean 1 and 2

If you are looking for a game that offers you the twin benefits of relaxation and learning, Endless Ocean 1 and 2 is a fantastic choice for you. It is, without a doubt, the best relaxation game on our list for adults.

This game is intriguing, you will find yourself spending more time on it than you budgeted for. It does not only offer relaxation benefits; it is also one of the best learning games for adults with autism.

It is disheartening that the series stopped at number two for some reason the builders did not deem it fit to explain its fanbase. Well, that’s another talk for another time.

Both series are scuba diving simulators. The plot of the two series is similar, the second a sequel of the first. You do not have to play Endless Ocean 1 before you play Endless Ocean 2, the order does not matter or affect the gameplay. All that matters is you relax, have fun, and learn.

The Endless Ocean 2 is an improvement on Endless Ocean 1. The gameplay is better in this second version. The frustrating errors associated with the game are now absent.

The gameplay involves swimming underwater and meeting different species of fishes. Try and identify all the fishes in the game. I beat you, you can’t.

Don’t fret over it, there is an in-game encyclopedia for the two-game series to help you identify different species of fishes and exciting facts about them. The visual representation is awesome, the same as seeing the fishes live.

The game has a lot of levels you have to unlock to find more interesting fishes. The key to unlocking a new level is to correctly identify the fish at that level. It also has a lot of interesting side missions and rewards apart from the main missions.

Note that the field of marine biology is tricky and unstable. Truth changes and new facts arise to debunk old claims. So, the information contained in the game may be true at the time the game was developed but another counter-truth may usurp it.

Despite this issue, it is still a great learning game for adults.

Rider

This is a learning game for font lovers. Many people are not interested in typeface design and font. If you fall into the category of those who use fonts regularly such as graphic designers, user-interface web designers, and others, this adult learning game is great for you.

There are so many fonts available for designers to use. You learn about the history and the development of various fonts such as Times New Romans, Calibri, Cambria, Georgia, Bookman, and the rest as you play and unlock new levels.

If you find this boring, you can just play for the fun of the game and learn new things about fonts and designs.

Charades

This is a classic learning game that does not lose its flavor. It is the perfect learning choice for adults. It is a multiplayer game and encourages competition and teamwork. The gameplay is simple, a player writes out a word on a paper, hides it and acts it out. The other players from the gestures made by the player try to guess the word.

It is a fun and exciting game for the classroom. Adults learn to read body language better.

Puzzles

Who doesn’t love a puzzle game? Almost all the games we love involves us solving some mystery or problem. Puzzle games come in different forms: word puzzles, crossword puzzles, and trivia.

There are a lot of apps and online resources that offer learning puzzle games for adults. At lunchtime or at a less busy time, it can serve as one of the learning games for adults in the workplace.

There are simple and advance puzzle games. For adults, I recommend you try out the advanced ones to tease your brain. This type is the one that teaches you about new concepts, words, and ideas.

Chess

This is a popular learning game for adults. Many adults play this game. It is a game of strategy and intelligence. It encourages quick thinking, improves concentration, and helps in decision making. It is a lovely and suitable learning game for adults to play in a classroom.

There are so many lessons the game of chess has in its chest box. It is a wonderful alternative to video learning games.

Riddles

Riddles find expression in everyday life. The internet and game stores have a lot of riddle formats adults can enjoy in the classroom and workplace. The game improves memory retention, concentration, and attention skills. Depending on what the riddle is about, it improves general knowledge. It is a simple and convenient learning game for adults.

Anyone of these ten picks is worthwhile if you are looking to have fun or learn, or both. Long gone are the days when learning games was a kid thing. It is the new normal!