Learning and studying requires a lot of motivation, but students and new learners may sometimes feel like flashcards and study guides are not enough. That’s why we did some digging to uncover different ways students can learn in the 21st Century. And who knows? Even if you’re not a student yourself, you can exercise your brain, too!

Here are the five best educational games in 2017!

Osy Osmosis

Osmosis can be tricky to understand when reading a science textbook, but with Osy Osmosis, players can learn and understand the concept in fun way. The game offers 17 levels, where each level unlocks various functions and challenges. After those base levels, players will learn and understand the concept of Osmosis.

As for a story to help the learning process along, the game introduces Osy, a cell who must collect stars while maneuvering around her surroundings. Players must try to maintain this cell’s water intake by releasing and consuming bits of matter – or solute. If she takes on too much water, she might pop. But if she releases too much water, she shrinks. 

All in all, it’s a novel take on learning a fundamental concept in biology. 

QuizUp

Love watching trivia shows and learning random facts along the way? QuizUp gives you that opportunity in the palms of your hands. Just by playing this mobile game, players can learn a new fact each day, making this iOS and Andriod game a must-play for any knowledge seeker.

The game gives players topics to choose from, varying from art history to digital applications like YouTube. After choosing a topic, players can choose to play by themselves or with a random challenger. The goal of the game is to answer trivia questions under a set time frame. As you answer questions correctly, your stats go up alongside your level. 

Learn Japanese to Survive Katakana War

For beginners, learning Japanese seems intimidating, especially with its complex grammar, vocabulary, and three-written set characters: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. But by mixing in the concepts found in JRPGs with the Japanese language, players feel engaged and motivated to learn Japanese.

While focusing on Katakana, this Steam game puts players in a war between humans and Katakana creatures. Like a JRPG, players enter into a turn-based battle, where they must translate the character in order to defeat the enemies. As players progress, they will feel comfortable reading Katakana in the game and the real world.

BAIKOH

Want to feel productive? Exercise your brain by expanding your vocabulary and spelling skills while fighting against an AI called BAIKOH. This free iOS and Android game pushes players to quickly think and type out words based on tiles falling from the top of the screen. If the tiles reache the top, the players lose the game.

BAIKOH also comes with a feature where other online players can send items, like bombs, boulders, and freezing tiles, to help their friends during gameplay. On top of that, it also comes with small achievements called badges to collect while playing the game.  

Odyssey

Instead of reading a book about Galileo’s scientific discovery, play this Steam game! Odyssey mixes science history, puzzles, and narrative storytelling to make a new and unique way of learning. As players progress, they come closer to finding Kai and her family, as well as garnering a better understanding about historical science, facts, and concepts.

The game starts out with players traveling to a group of islands in order to find a young girl named Kai and her family. During their exploration, players find Kai’s journal filled with historical facts and mechanics about astronomy and physics. By using that journal, they can solve puzzles and riddles on each island. 

Learning and studying can be a drag, and it can sometimes be too much to handle. But with video games, students and incoming learners can tackle different subjects in a new and engaging way. And these five games are perfect examples of how games make it easier to motivate and learn. All it takes is a click or tap on your screen to enter into a new world of learning. 

Missing your favorite educational game in 2017? Let us know in the comments below!