Lab Notes

Today we are taklin’ science with the game Lab Notes designed by #DarrellLouder and published by @GreaterThanGames. I have always been a bit jealous of my colleagues in the science department (I’ve taught English for the past 22 years) because the subject naturally lends itself to games-based learning. A point that Lab Notes delivers eloquently. Lab Notes is a 2-5 player roll and write that plays in roughly 40 minutes.

The objective: create molecules using atoms of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. The game features a dynamic card market that adjusts the values of cards as they are claimed by players, and an attrite dice-rolling mechanism (the first player in the round gets to choose from six dice, the second from five, and so on). Players roll custom dice and claim atoms for use in building molecules bound by covalent bonds. Players aim to construct molecules featured on notecards for bonus points. Additionally, players receive three tools that they can unlock by completing molecules on the reverse side of the card. Lab fire cards and bunsen burner die introduce complications for the players by eliminating space in the lab (the community market) and spaces on the players’ note sheets respectively.

As someone with a limited understanding of chemistry, this game was easy enough to learn. The instructions define covalent bonds and explain the number that each atom can form. Where this game impressed me was its just-in-time learning. When I began this game, I started by matching the molecules and bonds featured on the cards. At some point during the gameplay, I found it easier to build molecules (through my newfound knowledge of covalent bonds) than to attempt ones on the notecards: nitrogen, with its three bonds, will always be between two other atoms, and that versatile carbon should always appear somewhere in the middle of a molecule.

Lab Notes has clear application in the classroom and I can easily picture a chem teacher modifying it to suit her own needs (additional atoms on polyhedral dice come to mind). A simple mod like creating notecards of molecules with the bonds removed could elevate this game at the higher levels.