10 Great Free Games for High School Students

Chaotic game offers silly yet novel way to practice English vocab

Bottom Line: An irresistibly fun way for ELLs to practice high-frequency English vocabulary, but as an app it's a bit rough around the edges.

Addicting gameplay jazzes up geography

Bottom Line: Game-based platform can get kids interested in world geography and expose them to different cultures on a surface level.

Engaging games teach programming concepts from blocks to code

Bottom Line: These varied games are great for introducing the fundamentals and practicing but aren't sufficient as a complete curriculum.

Point-and-click story shares Native perspectives on forced migration

Bottom Line: Offers a valuable alternative perspective to the colonial history found in U.S. classrooms, through a familiar, Oregon Trail-style format.

Flex alchemical muscles in amusing, discovery-based puzzler

Bottom Line: This amusing puzzle game encourages creativity, perseverance, and systems thinking, and with creative integration it can build interest in math, science, history, and literature.

Play or design text adventures, but creation can get technical

Bottom Line: Text adventures can be a blast to play and make, but the Quest game-making tool, while offering some decent support, can be tough to use effectively without coding experience.

Card game gets students to wield the power of the Bill of Rights

Bottom Line: This is a high-quality, surprisingly fun way to see how the Bill of Rights relates to everyday situations.

Spot real stories, dodge fake news in cheeky media literacy sim

Bottom Line: A refreshingly modern way for students to explore how to filter and interpret info and media during breaking news events.

Stark, arresting game offers emotional perspective on war's human toll

Bottom Line: The short length and powerful themes make this an effective way to help students consider the brutal effects of war on families.

Dynamic interactive helps classrooms explore topics of bias, diversity

Bottom Line: A fascinating way to address how communities become segregated due to individual bias.