I am horrible at chemistry, so when I was approached by ACE EdVenture Studio about a mobile game called ChemCaper, I was more than intrigued. In essence, ChemCaper is an indie RPG game that aims to teach chemistry the fun way. With renowned composer Norihiko Hibino – which provided music for AAA video games such as the Metal Gear Solid series – on board, ChemCaper is a very interesting indie game, and I had the opportunity to spend some time with it.
Known to be one of the toughest science subjects (which I can personally testify), chemistry is a hard concept to grasp for many students. Based on Cambridge University’s IGCSE Year 7 chemistry syllabus, ChemCaper is meant to be an introduction to the science subject. Many concepts of chemistry are present in the game, such as the main character Roub Idyum – a play of word on the element rubidium – and the mini games in ChemCaper, such as tracing through the many apparatuses used in chemistry.
As a game, ChemCaper plays just like your typical RPG game, and it’s very polished for an indie game. I’m rather impressed, considering the fact that I tested the beta version of the game. On top of that, the soundtrack is immersive (it’s provided by Hibino, after all), the graphics are appealing, and the story is pretty endearing as well. I also like the many chemistry jokes found on the loading screen; they’re actually pretty funny.
I’ll be honest: it’s been some time since I’ve played an RPG game, and ChemCaper definitely piqued my interest in the genre again. Despite the fact that it’s a mobile game, it really has the potential to be much more than what it really is. In fact, I would love to play it on my PlayStation Vita; it’s not just your typical mobile game, that’s for sure.
Okay, it’s a promising RPG game, but does it teach me anything regarding chemistry? Definitely. While the “Chempendium” – which is filled with many useful information – is not completed yet in the beta of the game, I did learn the chemical composition of salt (NaCl, I believe?), and I now know that it is an ionic compound. Yes, these are the basics of chemistry, but that’s what ChemCaper is all about – an introduction to Chemistry.
ChemCaper is slated to launch on mobile – both for iOS and Android – sometime in March 2016. You can also back the game on Kickstarter now if you’d like to get the educational game on PC, and it’s very close to being funded. After spending some time with the beta version of ChemCaper, I can safely say it’s an indie game well worth your consideration.
