iCivics’ newest game, Investigation Declaration, won the Formal Learning category at the annual GEE! Learning Game Awards, which recognize excellence in educational game design.
Winners were announced on Aug. 21 at the Play Make Learn Conference, which is hosted by the UW-Madison School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the office of Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE).
“Play Make Learn is a fantastic opportunity to gather with folks that share a desire to create really great experiences for all kinds of learners,” said Senior Director of Digital Learning Carrie Ray-Hill. “It was incredible to hear our game announced as a winner.”
The game, developed in partnership with The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, challenges middle and high school students to track how Enlightenment ideas informed the Declaration of Independence, which then went on to influence declarations of rights and freedoms abroad. Its design takes notes from classic games such as Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and includes puzzle and strategy elements of more modern games like Case of the Golden Idol and Return of the Obra Dinn. This complexity aims to help students discover how the ideas that influenced and shaped the Declaration of Independence went on to shape global history.
According to the official announcement, Investigation Declaration impressed judges with its aesthetic, engagement, gameplay, and accessibility features. One judge noted, “I found this a clever way of drawing connections across history. Too often we learn about one country’s perspective, not realizing the global context.”
“I was glad to see the judges appreciated Investigation Declaration’s gameplay,” Ray-Hill said. “We intentionally designed it to embrace student discovery. Players may figure out how the game works before their teachers, and that’s okay! The game gives them the freedom to play through one ‘path’ or several, empowering them to create their own narrative.”
