18 educational apps and services with game mechanics

Routine memorizing words, repeating chords, or practicing math skills can all seem boring and get bored quickly. We found several applications that use game mechanics to help you stay motivated and not give up halfway through your passion.

1. Duolingo

Discipline: foreign languages.

The application has many thematic lessons for both beginners and those with a more advanced level. At the same time, Duolingo suggests not going through the topic at a time, but setting small goals daily.

When you practice for several days in a row, shock mode is activated. It allows you to save bonuses - due to them, the cost of an error made during the task is written off.

And the longer you can practice in this mode, the less you want to lose progress. Imagine: 30 days without stopping to study English and suddenly forget to devote at least 5-10 minutes to it. The shock mode will be reset and the countdown will start again.

Among other things, Duolingo has experience points, a map of levels (thematic lessons), leaderboards, in-game currency and much more to keep learning interesting.

2. Lingualeo

Discipline: foreign languages.

Lingualeo is often called the Russian analogue of Duolingo. They are really similar: they also have their own currency (meatballs) and experience points, communities of friends (prides).

An additional feature is the "Jungle" section. Users themselves add videos to it, podcasts, books and articles. Due to the built-in translator, unfamiliar words used in these materials are conveniently translated.

The basis of the game mechanics is feeding the lion cub. You need to exercise for at least five days in a row so that he is full.

3. Drops

Discipline: foreign languages.

Drops is not like many language tutorials. Memorization in it occurs through a series of mini-games. For example, such: connect the beginning and end of a word, combine it with the correct picture, or find the right option among random letter chains.

These game mechanics make Drops a kind of puzzle, which makes the learning process fun and interesting. What’s more, you can spend only 5 minutes a day on classes! When the time is up, the application will notify you about it. And you can safely close it, go to rest and not feel that you have done “not enough”.

4. beaker

Discipline: chemistry.

Application for future chemists. It does not contain elements of points, scores, ratings. The feature of Beaker is different: the process of chemical experiment here is as close as possible to the real one.

In the application, you can heat, mix, shake substances with different composition. It will even turn out to team up with a friend and pour liquids from test tube to test tube (from phone to phone).

This toy will interest not only teenagers who are starting to study chemistry, but also adults who, for some reason, neglected it at school. At least because it is very beautiful!

5. StudyGe

Discipline: geography.

In StudyGe, you can take quizzes and tests on the knowledge of the names of countries, their capitals and flags. The more correct answers you give, the more coins you get, which are converted into levels. Gradually, different game modes will become available to you: from individual to multiplayer, from easy to difficult.

6. Knowing

Discipline: history.

The application will help to form a general idea of ​​Russian history. The topics here are divided into cards, each of which briefly reveals a certain aspect of the policy of a ruler or a key moment in the life of society. At the end of the module, the user is waiting for a test, the results of which can be shared on social networks.

7. Frog Dissection

Discipline: biology.

It does not matter if you really want to feel like a biology student, but ethical guidelines do not allow you to conduct experiments on real animals. Because dissection of this 3D frog looks like a real dissection!

The program has a guide to the experiment, as well as a description of the anatomical structure animal. In addition, the application allows you to study in detail each of its organs. Unfortunately, it is only available on iOS.

You can find an analogue for Android, but, for our taste, the graphics in it are not so beautiful.

8. plants

Discipline: biology.

Plants will help you learn more about the ecosystems of our planet. The app looks like an interactive map where the player can control the weather, start forest fires, and watch animals in their natural habitat.

The game will be interesting for both children and adults. With the help of various eco-experiments, users will be able to better understand how everything in nature is interconnected.

9. Operation Math

Discipline: maths.

This is a real story game for kids. The main goal is to stop the machinations of Dr. Odd, who has been hiding from the protagonist throughout the whole time. Every mission here consists of completing mathematical operations.

For example, in order to prevent an explosion in the subway, you need to solve an equation. And to unlock the safe - find the answer to the arithmetic puzzle. All tasks are designed to train quick counting in the mind. The only negative is the lack of a Russian-language version.

10. Arrow Fest

Discipline: maths.

This application will help you master the art of mental arithmetic and gain the ability to quickly operate with numbers. Its essence is as follows: in one move, the user must increase the number of arrows in the virtual quiver so as to reach the end with them and pierce all enemies.

At first, only one arrow is issued, but then there will be pairs of mathematical operations along the game path that will determine how the final number will change. For example, if you have "-15" or "x3" in front of you, then the second option, of course, will be the best option: it will triple the number of projectiles.

You need to act with lightning speed so as not to lose all the arrows during subtraction and division.

11. "Dictations. Russian language"

Discipline: Russian language.

Inside there are many exercises aimed at improving various skills: punctuation marks in compound sentences, the use of numerals, the spelling of vowels, and so on. The tasks themselves look like ready-made texts with missing characters in words or between them - you need to substitute the correct value there.

For each student receives a grade, which is transferred to the application's electronic diary (almost like at school!). The mark can be corrected by replaying the mission. In total, there are 11 difficulty levels - from 1st to 11th grade.

12. CodinGame

Discipline: programming.

You need to write code here not just for the sake of virtual points, but in order for the main character to perform some actions and move on. For example, to find the nearest enemy and destroy it, you will have to edit the loop. The game has hints with ready code. It can be copied and pasted into the answer box, but do you really want to pass for a cheater?

However, this game is more suitable for experienced programmers - here you need to know the basics of syntax in order to write at least something. Plus, it supports more than 25 programming languages: from simple Pascal to exotic Haskell.

CodinGame →

13. Flexbox Froggy

Discipline: programming.

This is a simulator with a charming frog. It needs to be moved around the field using the Flexbox CSS module, which is responsible for the arrangement of elements on the screen. As soon as the user puts the frog in the right place, the next level with new tasks will become available.

The application simply and clearly explains the main commands and tells you if you make a mistake in the code.

The same studio has developed another similar simulator Grid garden - in it you need to water the carrots using CSS-grid commands.

Flexbox Froggy → 

14. Code Combat

Discipline: programming.

The main legend of the game: the warriors get into the dungeon, where you need to collect diamonds and fight with opponents. To perform various actions, you need to write code, just like in CodinGame. But this application is more accessible and lightweight. It is even used in some schools to teach students the basics of Python or JavaScript. Another plus: you don't need to register to start playing.

Code Combat →

15. Yousician

Discipline: music.

This service will help you learn to play the guitar, piano or ukulele. Many users praise the gaming component of Yousician: as students complete tasks, they level up and gain new skills that are recorded in their profile.

There are exercise recordings, ear testers and chords for many popular songs. The moderators are very helpful: they suggest what needs to be corrected if you make a mistake.

The creators of the application say that their mission is to make musicality was as natural as literacy. And it seems that they succeed: the service already has more than 20,000,000 users!

Yousician →

16. Art Quiz

Discipline: art.

An application for those who have long wanted to understand history art. There are many different sections here: "World Masterpieces", "XX Century" and even "Painting in Cinema". Each of them consists of a series of tests in which you need to correlate the work with the artist who created it, or the art object with the style to which it belongs. Also, each painting, sculpture, architectural structure is accompanied by a brief reference.

A particularly interesting section is "Art or not?". Here you need to guess whether the presented object is a creative work. Sometimes it's hard! You will come across photographs of cut wallpaper, seeds and paintings "that a child could draw."

Also, a feature has been added to the application - art puzzles, where you need to make a picture of a famous artist from disparate fragments. Some sections are available only in the paid version - for example, Surrealism and Russian Avant-Garde.

17. Speaker

Discipline: literature, stage speech.

The application helps to develop diction and improve memory. There are two sections: with poems and tongue twisters. Each of them has several levels that open gradually. For training, you need a phone with a good voice recorder: if the audio quality leaves much to be desired, there is a chance that you will not advance beyond the first level.

At each stage of the "Diction" section, you will be given a tongue twister that you need to say out loud to the recording. After processing the voice, the “Orator” issues a verdict: “Everything will work out!”, “We still need to practice!” or “Keep it up!”, and also gives little hints.

Despite the simplicity and ease of use, the application sometimes comes across bugs: for example, it can process sound for a long time or not give access to the voice recorder. All this is solved by rebooting.

18. Prompts for Writing

Discipline: literature, writing, screenwriting.

A useful app for writers and screenwriters looking for inspiration. Prompts for Writing is powered by artificial intelligence. It gives a few words to start the story or offers ready-made ideas that can be used to create genre literature: action films, comedies, detective stories.

It also helps you pick up a word or even a whole sentence if you get stuck while creating the text. And the program will daily remind you to write and show how much you have progressed towards your goal. The only negative: the application is only available in English.