Games and Simulations

Beat the Heat

Play Beat the Heat

Staying safe in the heat is more than just a game, it can be a life saver. Luckily, you can see if you have what it takes to stay cool in a hot situation in this game. Tackle quests, find tips, and learn about heat strategies while you keep your cool in Beat the Heat.

Also in: Español

Bee Learning Lab

Visit the Bee Learning Lab

Take a trip with us today into the Bee Learning Lab. Train bees in your very own experiment and see how you can make them learn faster or slower. Ready to get started?

Bee Waggle Dance Game

Play the Bee Dance Game

Did you know that honey bee workers tell their sisters where to find the best flowers and nectar with a dance? It is called the waggle dance. You can now learn the dance and find out if you have what it takes to be a bee.

Beetle Dissection

Explore the Beetle Dissection

The outside of beetles can be shiny, dull, or extremely colorful. But what is going on inside of beetles? Take a virtual look inside the body of a beetle with this Beetle Dissection Tool.

Explore on your own or follow our Beetle Dissection Activity. Visit Beetle Dissection Central for more.

Busy Bones

Explore the Bone Anatomy Viewer

Ever wonder what’s inside your bones? Here’s your chance to find out! Dissect a virtual bone and learn about the busy world of bones. You can saw, cut away layers, scoop, and zoom into the different parts of a bone.

To learn more, visit Busy Bones.

Cell Parts Game

Explore the Cell Viewer Game

Cells are the basic building blocks of life, but what all do cells hold? You can now look inside of cells to learn more about their parts in our Cell Viewer.

To learn more about cells and cell parts, visit Building Blocks of Life for more of the story.

Also in: Suomi

Cell Size SIM

Play the Cell Size SIM

Certain cell types should have a general size and have proportionate parts. But what if those sizes and proportions are different than they should be? The size of the nucleus versus the size of the cytoplasm in a cell is an important measure – it can tell us if something might be wrong with that cell. Explore more about this "NC ratio" in Cell Size SIM.

To learn more about cells, visit The Building Blocks of Life.

COVID SIM Pandemic Simulation

Explore COVID SIM

In the COVID-19 pandemic, how much does wearing masks and distancing matter? How important is it to get vaccinated? You can now explore and visualize these questions as you figure out how you could slow the pandemic.

To learn the latest about the COVID vaccines, the number of people who have been vaccinated, and more, visit our story page COVID-19 Vaccines.

Also in: Español

Cracking CRISPR

Play Cracking CRISPR

DNA is the key to life, so it's no wonder that we've been working to crack the code. With the tool CRISPR Cas9, we've been able to efficiently edit certain DNA to have specific changes that we want. CRISPR is an important tool, so understanding how it works will be a great addition to anyone's tool belt. Learn about DNA basics, CRISPR Cas-9, and other tools that are used in the process of editing genes by playing Cracking CRISPR.

To learn even more about CRISPR, from edits to ethics, visit Cutting DNA with CRISPR.

Desert Survivor

Play Desert Survivor

In this story-based game, you are a young rattlesnake learning to survive in a harsh desert environment. You'll search for food and water, avoid predators, and use smart strategies to cope with extreme heat and limited resources. See if your choices and luck will be enough to help you survive.

Visit Focusing on Physiology to learn about animal physiology, or visit Controlling the Code to learn more about epigenetics on Ask An Anthropologist.

Doctor Know

Play Doctor Know

Play doctor in the 21st century! Practice modern medicine by examining all dimensions of the body, from organs to molecules, as an interconnected system in Doctor Know. Use innovative tests and treatments to heal your patients in this medicine-based game.

To learn more, visit the Doctor Know Companion Section.

EcoChains: Arctic Futures

Play EcoChains: Arctic Futures

EcoChains: Arctic Futures is a game that introduces you to arctic life and ice that is so very important for survival. This is a fun way to learn about the food web that includes living things from very tiny to the very large and those in between - like humans. Learn more about EcoChains: Arctic Futures.

You can also dig further into cooler life in Life In The Arctic.

EcoChains: Coral Futures

EcoChains: Coral Futures

In EcoChains: Coral Futures, your mission is to build and protect a thriving coral reef ecosystem. You’ll build your reef by adding plants and animals, respond to challenges, and make conservation choices that help keep your reef and community healthy.

To learn more about the coral reef ecosystem, visit Cruising Around Coral Reefs.

Epic Mosquito Quest

Play Epic Mosquito Quest

Mosquitoes go beyond annoying, to being downright dangerous at times. How can you reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home, to protect yourself and your community?

To learn more about mosquito ecology and disease, visit All About Mosquitoes and Managing Mosquitoes.

Frankenstein's Lab

Play Frankenstein's Lab

Dr. Frankenstein needs your help to learn about how the bodies of different animals work! Build your own creature from 3-D printed animal parts and learn why some parts match up, but others don't in this physiology game.

Learn more about our tools that explore how animal bodies work at Frankenstein Central.

Genetics Game

Play Garden Gene Genius

Our genes control much of how we look and who we are. But do you really know how genetics work? Take a moment to gather some genetic seeds as you learn about Punnett squares, alleles, and more in Garden Gene Genius.

To learn more about genetics and DNA, visit DNA ABCs.

Give It A Shot

Explore Give It A Shot

As our lives become more affected by viruses and bacteria that cause disease, how much does wearing masks and distancing matter? How important is it to get vaccinated? Explore and visualize these questions as you figure out how you could slow a pandemic.

Learn more about vaccine history, testing, and more with our story, Vaccine Science.

Keys to the Ocean Game

Play the Keys to the Ocean Game

Our world is full of different plants, animals, bacteria, and other life. But how do we know which species is which? Scientists have built tools called taxonomic keys that help us do this. Take a trip to the ocean to help researchers identify different species of fish and zooplankton in Keys to the Ocean.

To learn more about taxonomy and species identification, visit our story page about Taxonomy.

Monster Maker

Play Monster Maker

Build your own monster by decoding the monster genome in Monster Maker, a DNA game. It is not very different from what happens in every living thing, using the tiny instruction manual called DNA, found in each of your cells. Decode the pattern of colored dots to see parts of your monster appear.

To learn more, visit Monster Manual.

Also in: Español

Nano Building

Play the Bionanoengineering Game

Basic building patterns can be used to think about how technologies are built at the nano-scale. Try your hand at building specific patterns, or explore how blocks can be used to make many different shapes in this bioengineering game.

To learn more about bioengineering, visit our story Nature's Tiny Machines.

Picking off the Peppered Moth

Play the Peppered Moths Game

Get your beaks ready, it's moth-hunting time. In the Peppered Moths Game, you take on the role of the hunter and learn at least one reason why you might eat one moth instead of another.

Learn more about associated stories and lessons at Picking off the Peppered Moths.

Also in: Español | Français

Skeleton Viewer

Explore the Skeleton Viewer

To explore the bones of the human skeleton, check out our Skeleton Viewer. Take a look further inside of a bone with our Bone Anatomy Viewer.

To learn more about bones, visit Busy Bones.

Using the Scientific Method to Solve Mysteries

Play the Training Room Escape Game

Put your detective skills to the test with our escape room! Use the scientific method and your problem solving abilities to get out. While you are in the escape room see what else you might uncover as you test your escape skills.

To learn more, visit Using the Scientific Method to Solve Mysteries.

Using the Scientific Method: The Case of the Mystery Images

Play The Case of the Mystery Images

Looking for another detective assignment? Practice all the new detective skills you learned in the Training Room Escape by solving The Case of the Mystery Images.

To learn more, visit Using the Scientific Method to Solve Mysteries.

Venom!

Play the Venom! Game

The shape of a molecule is very important. It’s what makes it possible for proteins to interact with other parts of the cell. In this invader game, you will defend the cells of the body against molecules of scorpion venom using antivenom.

To learn more, visit our story, Venom!

Virtual Reality Tours of Biology

Explore our Virtual Tours

See the world of biology through virtual tours. Visit different environments, travel through time, take a look inside a bee colony, or observe feeding hummingbirds.

Water Activities Central

Visit Water Activities Central

Water is an essential part of our lives. It keeps us alive, helps to grow our food, helps keep our cities clean, and supports the ecosystems around us. Water Activities Central includes four interactive games and simulations that explore different aspects of water.