Database Search: Adults

This 1993 text-based quiz game tests players’ knowledge of alcohol-related trivia. If a player misses a question, their character must take a drink and then becomes more inebriated. The more inebriated the character, the more difficult it becomes to read the text, which is increasingly interspersed with random garbled items as more drinks are consumed. Eventually it becomes impossible to get any answers right, and so the character finally passes out.

The suicide rate among U.S. soldiers has increased by 46 percent since 2003, and so the Army has produced a suicide prevention game to teach soldiers how to identify signs of depression in themselves and others, and how to seek help. Players watch a drama and are challenged to make effective decisions that will help prevent suicide. In addition to demonstrating the steps that soldiers can take when they are experiencing mental distress or see it in others, the game conveys the message that seeking professional counseling is a positive step and not a negative one.

"The object of the game is to score as many points as possible by matching the appropriate blood type of a donor to the blood type of a recipient. During each round, a total of 10 recipients will walk onto the screen. You then click on the donor you think is a match."

Available for free download, Catch the Sperm 2.0 is designed to educate players about the importance of safe sex, sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy prevention. Using a condom gun, players shoot and catch swimming sperm and viruses before they reach their destination.

DAWARS Ambush! is a military-based training simulation developed by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to educate and train military personnel on the rules-of-engagement. Players engage in real-life combat situations, infantry tactics, and other areas of military training.

Released in 1986, this trivia and quiz game is inspired by and features the famed sex therapist Dr. Ruth. Players must answer a series of multiple choice and true or false questions regarding human sexuality. The quizzes are timed and score is partially based on how quickly the questions are answered.

This set of free, online games designed to exercise adults’ brains and minds. Players can choose from a variety of games that, with practice, may help improve memory and cognition.

Hazmat: Hotzone is a simulation game designed to train first responders to handle emergencies involving hazardous materials. Players experience a real hazmat emergency and use appropriate procedures to contain the situation. This game was build for play on PCs but is not currently available.

In this free, downloadable game, a teenager is plagued with a rare immunodeficiency that causes the immune system to not work at all. As a scientist, players must come up with a solution that will help the cells regain their ability to defend against bacteria and infections.

"In this game, you are a trainee soldier of the Immune System Defense Forces, defending a human against bacterial infection. You have two missions to complete. In the first, you must command a team of white blood cells called granulocytes to fight against bacteria invading the blood system through a finger wound. In the second mission, you must command an army of macrophages and dendritic cells to fight the invading bacteria."

Inside and Outside is a web-based matching game that requires players to match the big picture in the middle of the screen with one of the smaller pictures that appear around the perimeter. This game is designed to test players’ ability to concentrate and focus their attention.

In the game Positive or Not, players must determine whether a person is HIV-positive based on a picture and few descriptors. After the player takes a guess, they are told whether or not the person in the picture is HIV-positive. If the person was positive, they tell a story about how they found out. If they were negative, players receive advice about how to stay protected from the infection. This free, online game was developed by MTV Networks on Campus.

"In this game your dog has type-1 diabetes. This is a very serious disease. With proper treatment, however, your dog can live a happy life for many years. Your mission is to take care of your dog and try to avoid letting him/her reach too high or too low levels of blood sugar - the more successful you are the more money you will get for which you can buy food and upgrade your dog's foodbowl or doghouse!"

Unreal Tournament is an interactive game published in 1999 in which players fight in arena matches against bots. Players can build a team and use bots as their teammates to help win matches. This game has been found to be a successful treatment for individuals with different types of phobias.

"Circle 1 Network is an edutainment company. As the publisher of KidsCom.com, KidsComjr.com, and ParentsTalk.com, Circle 1 Network is committed to developing engaging online communities where kids and families have fun while they learn in a safe environment. Circle 1 Network sites have been loved by kids and trusted by parents and teachers since 1995."

"Cognitive Labs has been conducting research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other independent organizations on its tests and games, which is ongoing. The result is a substantial body of evidence showing sensitivity and effectiveness. In selecting cognitive training games, validated science is important. We combine a casual game experience with top-flight research, reflected in the regard for our games, with mentions in virtually every major media organization."

"KidsHealth is the largest and most-visited site on the Web providing doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. As part of The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, KidsHealth also provides families with perspective, advice, and comfort about a wide range of physical, emotional, and behavioral issues that affect children and teens."