Word Tag: Epic Adventure Game is a free app that aims to teach vocabulary words to elementary- and middle-school-aged kids. Simple, word-related activities are interspersed throughout a virtual gaming world. Learners explore different settings as they collect word stencils and cans of spray paint so that they can “tag” the words on a wall. They also complete tasks related to using those words in context. For example, in one task, learners have to collect stacks of magazines hidden throughout the game setting and then choose the correct word to finish a sentence. Beware the street cleaners, which will remove all the spray paint cans. As learners play, they collect stars, which they can use to buy items in multiple virtual stores. Keep playing to level up to different settings, and review collected words from the main menu at any time. Learners can invite other players to join them in the virtual space to play together. A single download can support up to four player profiles. Five difficulty levels determine the words learners interact with; when creating a new profile, indicate the player’s birth year to place them in the appropriate difficulty level. There’s an educator guide on the developer’s website, though it contains mostly promotional information.

Use Word Tag: Epic Adventure Game as a fun supplement to other vocabulary activities. With its focus on gaming, this app may work best as an option for learners who have some downtime and need to fill it with something lightly educational. Since learners play with their own profiles, it may be easier if they each have their own device. Educators could consider having learners play in pairs or small groups (each with their own profile and device) and setting up some friendly competitions to encourage motivation for learning vocabulary words. Educators may consider reviewing the game’s word lists and incorporating those words into off-screen activities.

Studying words to increase vocabulary can be dry and tedious, so Word Tag: Epic Adventure Game gets credit for trying to make it fun. The game is rich and full of complexity — and features great graphics. Unfortunately, so much game is going on that it can take kids quite a while to get to the vocabulary part. And when kids get there, the vocabulary-related activities tend to be short, rote, and superficial. For example, learning activities ask learners to simply read the word’s definition or pick a word from a list of four to complete one sentence. Then kids are back in the game mechanics, looking for the next multistep task to complete. It’s a plus that word activities build on each other — first the definition, then using in a sentence, and so on — which is a nice way to introduce and reinforce new vocabulary. That’s a start, but educators shouldn’t expect it to be enough. Another aspect of being aware is that with the theme of graffiti tagging and avoiding the street cleaners, the game seems to glorify rebellious activity, which may rub some the wrong way. If more word-related activities were embedded into the game, kids could control the spray paint to help learn the words, and educators could input words they’re teaching; Word Tag would be an even stronger free option.

Website: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mrswordsmith.WordTag&hl=en&gl=US

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id1497569530?uo=4&at=10laCG&ct=website

Overall User Consensus About the App

Learner Engagement

A rich, complex game world is front and center. The rebellious feel to the tagging theme may appeal to some, though that’s not a given.

Curriculum and Instruction

Learners first learn the definition of new vocabulary words and then gradually interact with the words in different ways. Vocabulary content is secondary to the game mechanics.

Customer Support

Simple how-to instructions explain the basics but miss some important details. Learners track the words they’ve collected; no educator reports.