PLAYBOOKS: FOR THE PC or mac

Ikariam

Join thousands of players in this massive multiplayer online simulation game set in ancient times. Assign workers to various tasks, build ships, and even pillage other players’ towns.

Game play alone results in modest improvements in real-world executive skills. Please refer to our Playbook Tutorial, general coaching and comprehensive guides to transfer game skills to sustainable real-life behaviors.

QUICK FACTS

Game Type: Massive Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG simulation)
Platform/Console:Any recent operating system will work (Windows XP, Vista, Mac OSX) System Requirements: A web browser is required as is an Internet connection.
Number of Players: Thousands of players may be logged in at once.
ESRB Rating: No ESRB rating.
LWK Recommended Age:9+
Play Now: Ikariam.org

 

This Game is Good for Kids Who Need Help With:

• Setting aside time to focus on one long or drawn out task (planning)
• Managing all major aspects of life equally (metacognition)
• Knowing when they are spending too much time doing a single activity (metacognition)
• Working out arguments using kind words (social thinking)
• Money management (organization)
• Sticking with an activity even if it takes time before it is in full swing (sustained attention)

What You Need to Know About the Game:

Reading and reading comprehension abilities are definitely required for this game. Players will need to read unit and building descriptions as well as other messages that come up, including messages from other players.

To construct a building in "Ikariam" could take 20 minutes of real world time to complete. This is not a problem, because time in the game goes on even if the player logs out. Play sessions in "Ikariam" are going to be very short at first, but as players build up their city and begin to expand, they will have more than enough to do. Premium features are available for "Ikariam" through a payment system, but none of those features are covered in this guide.

Controls, game basics, and instructions:
The game is played entirely with the mouse. This is not an action game, so the player does not need to worry about recalling complicated controls in the heat of battle. More information on game basics can be found in the game by clicking on the “help” tab at the top of the screen.

Solutions:

"Ikariam" is a Massive Multiplayer Online Game, therefore no set path must be followed to beat the game. In fact, "Ikariam" is an ongoing game, never really finished until the player gets tired of it. For these reasons, no walkthroughs exist for Ikariam, but detailed beginner instructions can be found in the help section and in the “library” once the player builds an academy.

This Game Helps Your Kids With Planning:

This game is good for kids who need help with setting aside time to focus on one long or drawn out task, because they must:

• Devote time to erecting one structure at a time. In "Ikariam", only one project can be constructed or expanded at a time. Therefore, players must plan out the order in which they will need the buildings based on what they want to accomplish. For instance, if players feel that the other players on their island are getting restless or angry at them, they might expand their barracks (to create soldiers that will protect their city from other player's troops). This prevents focus on other areas such as research (using their academy). Buildings (see the one in the screenshot) in "Ikariam" can take 20 minutes of real time to complete, so effective planning is paramount. Ineffective planning will cause the player to waste valuable resources and time.

Talking Points:

• What did you decide to build first?
• How did you use your planning and prediction skills to decide which building to construct first?
• How is planning out which building to construct next in "Ikariam" like deciding which homework assignment to fully complete first?

Making It Real:

• Discuss the pros and cons of choices. Encourage children to make a written list of positive and negative effects of a choice. This can be done with a variety of everyday experiences such as choosing clothing to wear; picking out a game or movie to rent; or sequencing homework, chores, and play. Most importantly, review the results of your child’s choices with an eye on future planning.

This Game Helps Your Kids With Metacognition:

This game is good for kids who need help with managing all aspects of their life equally and knowing when they are spending too much time on a single activity, because they must:

• Monitor all of the different aspects of their town. If they put too much time into research, then their military and/or trading posts will suffer and vice versa. In "Ikariam", the town is an extension of the player. The different aspects of the town--the three research areas, building new structures, and harvesting resources--are like the different areas of the player's life. (For instance, social time, family time, computer time, homework time, etc). In "Ikariam", just like real life, the player must balance his/her involvement and monitor his/her progress in these areas in order to be successful. If the player notices a weakness in the town, he/she must put more effort into strengthening it.


• Assign workers to do tasks such as research, resource harvesting, and much more. As in the first example, players must know when they are focusing too heavily on a single task. If they send all of their workers to harvest lumber, none will be available to do valuable research. The player will have plenty of lumber but no one to research advanced structures to build using said lumber. Just as in real life it would not be productive to spend all your time studying or all your time out with friends, resources and activities must be balanced to build a town in the game.

Talking Points:

• Managing all aspects of life equally
• When were all aspects of your town at equal advancement “levels”?
• How did continually monitoring the progress of your town help you to keep all buildings at or around the same level? Did you notice that you needed to advance some buildings faster than others?
• How is monitoring your town in "Ikariam" like making sure you are doing well in all of your school subjects?
• Knowing when they are spending too much time on a single activity

• What tasks did you assign your workers to do?
• How did monitoring the advancement of your town help you to decide what to assign your workers to do? Did you keep your workers balanced in the different aspects of your town?
• How is making sure your workers are evenly spread throughout the different tasks like making sure your life is balanced between school, social time, sports, music, etc?

Making It Real:

• Managing all aspects of their life equally
• Encourage estimation and prediction skills. Ask children how they might do on a test at school, how long it might take them to complete a task at home, or how they might perform in a game or sport. Have them record their estimates and later step back and determine the accuracy of their predictions.
• Knowing when they are spending too much time on a single activity
• Encourage children to describe personal likes and dislikes. Help them to see these preferences as important components of self-awareness. For children with difficulties in this area, start with simple, direct questions such as, “What are your favorite foods, desserts, sports, TV shows, etc.” and then move on to more complex preferences and questions, such as favorite seasons, school subjects, and friends. Follow up by having children explain why they feel as they do.