The science of pain isn’t an obvious starting point for an online game. But the Science Museum certainly has good form making tricky subject matter fun for all ages and I’ve written about some of those games before here.
On average, we each consume 373 painkillers per year. Perhaps more surprisingly, scientists have proven that our mood levels affect how intensely we feel pain, and that spider venom could hold the key to future pain treatment. All this and more is explored in a quirky new game called OUCH, part of the Science Museum’s latest exhibition, Pain Less.
The game begins by challenging players to inflict injuries on a loveable, unwitting protagonist. Using their arsenal of placebos, painkillers and spider venom, players then defend a pulsing brain against waves of pain signals.
The game’s a simple point and click game in the vein of games like missile command or space invaders. It would be a fun addition to a lesson about medicines and the body for KS3, and would serve as a good discussion about our use of painkillers.
You can access the game here : http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ouch
