Homeworlds

Lower Age: 8
Upper Age: 108
Website: https://store.looneylabs.com/products/homeworlds?_pos=1&_sid=deea4b722&_ss=r
Price: $22.00
Year Added: 2022
Homeworlds
This game from Looney Labs may come in a small box, but entire galaxies are contained within. Players (ages 8+) must develop strategies to fight over alien terrain while managing limited resources.

While the rules can be tricky to pick up, numerous tutorial videos are provided on the main website (https://www.looneylabs.com/video-index) to help explain the complexities. This game requires high-level planning and critical thinking skills. Users must make careful and thoughtful choices throughout the game to ensure their own survival and the protection of their Homeworlds. The game assigns specific criteria and constraints to each piece based on shape and color, and on each turn, players can iterate their moves before finalizing the turn. Engineers use the same type of planning and critical thinking skills on a daily basis. The special feature of Looney Labs games is that the provided pieces can be used for dozens of other games, with rules published online, allowing for nearly endless fun. - K. R. Schieltz, Purdue Reviewer

Framework Categories

Processes of Design (POD)
Engineering Thinking (EThink)
Spatial Reasoning

Moore, T.J., Glancy, A.W., Tank, K.M., Kersten, J.A., Smith, K.A., & Stohlmann, M.S. (2014). A framework for quality K-12 engineering education: Research and development. Journal of Precollege Engineering Education Research, 4(1), 1-13.