Mary Flanagan - Adventures of Josie True
This web-based game is specifically designed for girls. It can be found at www.Josietrue.com. Mary Flanagan seems to be interested in developing interactive and educational games for younger girls. This specific program focuses on a young, Asian heroine who travels in space and time to try and find her teacher. Amongst the way contexts of math, science and history and integrated into her journey as a way to make the game educational. In addition this program seems to suggest role models for young girls as the characters that are encountered throughout Josie’s travels are amongst the famous and innovative women in history. In actually playing the game, scenes can be controlled by the click and direction of a mouse, each scene seems to last only a few seconds. The actual game is composed of bright colors and geometric figures. In addition, realistic motions are made by the characters. Josie’s communication and any communication between a character and the player is through a cartoon bubble. This program also includes audio under certain circumstances. In one instance clicking on a machine to use it and answer mathematical questions. It seems that this game resembles a puzzle and the only way to advance is through answering a series of questions that concern math or science. In addition, little facts of science and history are included in locations that the player is bound to find and with a click the images can be enlarged to be read and understood. I even learned a lot of information about science and history when playing this game. In the first level I encountered the Icat who takes Josie back in time and makes her record her experiences in a diary. Now that Josie has a diary, every detail of her experiences are recorded in this diary and the diary is made available for the player to read. In addition, by clicking on the Icat, options such as the use of a calculator, map, information for help, a database, and the journal are available. When using the map, if you click on a place that you have already been, you are immediately redirected back to that place. In using the right click option with the mouse, you also have the option to redirect your position in the game. The journal that is made available when clicking the Icat, allows the player to actually write in it any information that they please. Every time a question is answered correctly or a task is completed an award is given and the third time a sandwich is the prize. In returning to the main page, There are two different adventures for players to choose from. The first includes an experience with Bessie Coleman, while the second adventure is with Hatshepsut, and Josie and friends are once again in search for Mrs. Trombone, but this time in Ancient Egypt.
