Why a game?
A student may read the same page five times and forget it. But if they experience it as a journey, answer to pass a checkpoint, or lose an attempt and start over, the information sticks differently.
What is new is that you do not need to be a programmer to do this. It is a journey: you handle your part, the idea, content, and revisions, while AI handles the difficult part, the code, and keeps making your changes until you reach a result you are happy with.
Games made by Diploma students
- Present Simple: Islands and checkpoints. Students listen to a sentence, choose the correct answer, and collect stars and bonuses to open a new island.
- Learning Turkish: A journey to Istanbul, choosing the correct pronoun in each real-life situation.
- Tajweed rules: A quick reminder of the rule, then an adventure identifying it in Quranic verses, with a version for people who do not speak Arabic.
- Arabic grammar: A vehicle with two cannons, one for nouns with a sound final letter and the other for nouns with a weak final letter. A word drops down, and students choose the correct cannon.
What these examples have in common is that each started with a real lesson the teacher teaches and a game idea that suits their students.
The best tools for games
- Gemini (Canvas): Enable Canvas from the (+) icon to see the game running and open it in Full screen. You can upload content from your computer, Drive, or Gemini Notebook.
- Google AI Studio: Create a new app, with the prompt on one side and the game on the other. It suggests several interface designs.
- Claude: Strong design from the first attempt, and you can comment on a specific part of the game and ask it to change only that part.
- ChatGPT: Designs in the same way, and paid plans can also host the game with a link.
- Canva AI: Describe the game and publish it with a live link from inside Canva.
Choose based on your subscription. Use the strongest model available to you, such as Pro or extended thinking, because weaker models make more coding mistakes.
3 ways to start
- Describe what you have in mind: the game idea, who it is for, its appearance, and the content.
- Share the idea and have it ask you: “Here is the idea I have in mind. Ask me all the questions you need to design it.”
- Use a skill specialized in games: it asks you questions and follows consistent steps that produce a better result on the first try.
In all three cases, upload two things: the content (the lecture or file), and a visual reference if you liked a game, such as an image or screen recording.
Copy the prompt as it is, or tailor it with your details first.
Tailor the prompt to your workOptional: add your details and the prompt adjusts itself
View full prompt
From a lecture to a game in your students' hands
- Choose one lesson your students find difficult.
- Think of a game idea suited to their age: a journey, stops, or a timed challenge.
- Upload the content and a visual reference and request the first version using a strong model.
- Play it yourself and edit it until it is clear and enjoyable.
- Test it on mobile and share it with a small group first, and ask for their feedback.