Jump down to Bongo Teaching Materials, Tech & Video Demo Links

Bongo Loves the Bible is a collection of  3D style computer GAMES for ages 7* and up featuring an orangutan named Bongo who your students navigate through jungles, canyons and caves learning and testing their Bible knowledge.

Bongo is designed to introduce, reinforce, measure, and have fun learning:

  • General Bible knowledge
  • Books in the Bible -order & types
  • Where in the Bible
  • Who's who of major Bible characters
  • and How the Bible came to be

Bongo's Four Games: (or actually 8 games depending on how you count them)

1.  Bongo Knows the Bible ~ is a four level Bible Knowledge game testing basic Bible content in a fun 3-D jungle game environment.  The questions are NOT trivial. They are Bible basics and questions about the key stories and key Bible people every young person should know. The four levels play as individual games and range from beginner to advanced. The 80 questions spread through these four levels were especially designed for 4th through 12th graders. The beginner level is easy for younger children if they have help.

2.  Bongo Needs the Bible~ is a game about the importance of reading the Bible, the benefits of knowing God's word, and things which will help you learn and follow God's word. It takes place in a cave where Bongo must learn to find the lamp for his feet and the true light. Great for discussion too.

3.  Bongo's Books of the Bible~ is a game where students guide Bongo across treacherous canyons by landing him on the correct books of the Old or New Testament -in order, while avoiding falling rocks and nagging crows. Players will run into scrolls that teach them the correct order prior to coming up to the canyons. As each book platform is jumped on, a short summary of its content appears. 2 Games: Players select from either Old or New Testament Books to play.

4.  Bongo's Bible Background~ is a game in which students find and study information about "how the Bible came to be" and complete a quiz about what they read, while avoiding Bongo-eating plants, and slinging bananas. (View/print this game's content as a pdf)

Counting the four independent levels of Bongo Knows the Bible, and the choice of working on either Old OR New Testament books, Bongo has a total of EIGHT GAMES -each designed to be played in 30 minutes or less (depending on student ability and age).

Available in a Site License Edition for 5 or more computer stations. See details below.
Also available in quantity as a "gift CD" to your students. Email for details.


Bongo's Basic Game Play:

Depending on which of the four game areas they're in, students navigate Bongo through a 3-D jungle or cave terrain in a style of play familiar to video game players. There are waterfalls, rolling rocks to be avoided, streams to cross, canyons to jump, keys to find, "surf-mummies" and Bongo-eating plants to avoid. Unlike "story" CDs, Bongo's terrain is game designed to challenge, and maybe even thwart Bongo from finishing. The challenges keep them coming back for more.

It takes the average 4th grader between 20 and 30 minutes to complete one of Bongo's games. AS they play, they'll get faster. And after they're done, they'll want to play it again.

Throughout each game landscape their are pitfalls, rocks, water hazards, Bongo-eating plants, birds and other fun stuff to be avoided. Bongo read clues, answers questions, and figures out his way through each game's terrain while learning about the Bible. In two of the games it's a good idea for Bongo to grab as many bananas as he can --they'll come in handy to put in his slingshot if the surf mummies and giant plants come after him. Both the keyboard and mouse are used to navigate Bongo and sling bananas, so two players can easily play together.

Players can select Easy or Hard Mode at the beginning of each game. "Easy" Mode is best for younger players, though their point totals will not be as high as those who play in "Hard" mode. Players enter their names on a scoreboard at the end of each game.

Content is blended with gameplay making Bongo an appealing way to study & learn BASICS about the Bible. The gameplay and scoring is designed to keep them coming back to improve their memory and game scores. This is not a trivia game about the Bible. We have identified four levels of core content every Christian young person should know. The game rewards them for accuracy and speed. So even your most proficient (or beginning) students will have something to strive for.

The content is accessible only through each game. Thus, your players must learn to PLAY the game. Because it is a game, it may take them some time to master Bongo's running, jumping and banana slinging skills.

This CD is for ages 7* to adult.
*
Non-readers ages 6 to 8 will enjoy Bongo if they have someone to read the game pop-ups to them, have plenty of time to learn how to navigate via the keyboard and mouse, and if they have an experienced Bongo gamer helping them. Read the notes below on this page for using Bongo with younger children.

Video Demo #1 --featuring: Bongo "Knows" the Bible

View the 1.6mb version (slightly higher resolution with sound)

View the 800kb version
(lower resolution, no sound)

View Video Demo #2 --featuring gameplay from Bongo's Books of the Bible game and Bongo "Needs" the Bible

View the 2mb version 

View the 900kb version (lower resolution, smaller)

System Requirements:

Window Me/XP/Vista only. Minimum: 500 mhz, 96 mb RAM, 8 mb videoram (3D capable accelerated graphics). Recommended 700+ mhz, 96mb RAM, 16 mb videocard.

Bongo's game engine can set itself "down" to run in 8 mb of videoram. It will look fine. For improved game performance, a 16mb videocard is recommended.

ORDER BONGO

 View More Bongo Game Graphics

Read Customer Reviews

Bongo Price Info

Teaching Materials, Tech & Video Demo Links

View Bongo's animated SCREENTEST



Bongo is great for home, church classroom, afterschool, children's fellowship,
youth room, and Confirmation use.

TEACHERS: Bongo Loves the Bible is a good way to reinforce your student's basic Bible knowledge, discover how much your students really know about the Bible, and give them a tool to continually improve their mastery of that core set of content. Bongo's games have scoreboards and various level's of achievement that will entice your students try again and again to do better. Bongo can easily be part of your lesson, or part of your before/after gameplay. Because Bongo is made with a 3-D Game Engine and plays like a Nintendo-style game, Bongo is quite suitable for home or game time use too.

Games take on average 35 minutes depending on which game you select and how good your students are at navigating and knowing the answers (if playing the Knowledge game). Gameplay will also be faster or slower depending on the age of the student, whether they've played it before, and whether they set the game to "easy" or "hard" mode. They'll want to play the games again to improve their score, and master the terrain challenges. If you are teaching with Bongo in a classroom setting, introduce the game to them at a time prior to the lesson so they can become familiar with the game play.

Bongo's Bonus Content: Throughout Bongo's games, scripture verses appear that illuminate, guide and reinforce the importance of reading, knowing & following God's word. By the time your kids are done playing Bongo's games, they know several of these key scriptures by heart.


Order: Bongo CD
$
25 for one copy
 
Two+ copies = $20 each
But check out the Site License edition below for 5+ copies

Site License Version:
Five to Ten PCs = $90; Eleven to 20 PCs = $120
21-30 PC license = $160

Windows 98, Me, XP, Vista compatible. We strongly recommend you have a PC with at least 600+mhz of processing power, 96 mb of RAM minimum, and minimum 8mb 3D capable videocard/chip. Will not run in Windows 2000 or Mac.


More Details about each game in Bongo Loves the Bible CD
 

Details About "Bongo Knows the Bible" --
This is not a Bible trivia game.
The 80 questions focus on MAJOR Bible content and structure, not trivia. Questions are about WHO, WHERE in the Bible, Order of events, what is it called, and WHEN. At the end of the game players are ranked according to accuracy and speed.There are four question levels to choose from in Bongo Knows the Bible. We have purposely made the "beginner level" pretty easy for younger students (or older students who don't know much about the Bible). Someone at the computer must be able to read the questions and answers for early-readers to be successful. Click here to view more Bongo graphics, including a screenshot from Bongo Knows the Bible.

The harder question levels are not harder because they test for trivial details. They are harder because they ask more detailed questions or about the major Bible stories.

Playing through 20 Questions in Bongo's Jungle takes about 25-35 minutes depending on age and skill. Younger kids will invariably fail the first time as they run into plants and pitfalls. They'll need at least 30 minutes to play each of Bongo's games. With a little bit of practice, they'll get the hang of it. We recommend introducing the game to younger elementary (1st-3rd) at a time PRIOR TO their need to use it in a lesson. We also recommend having experienced older "gamers" who have previewed Bongo be there as helpers. Version 1.2's SAVE GAME feature allows students and teachers to resume play at a saved location if they run low on turns.

[The questions and answers can be edited with some degree of computer graphics knowledge should you choose to do so. However, they are not text documents, they are editable bitmap graphics. To edit/change a question or answer you will need a simple graphics program, such as "Windows Paint" that can edit/create bitmap file format graphics. You can also change the correct answers by using notepad. See the Tech page for help.]

We spent months compiling, designing and testing our question content. Our questions were carefully chosen and then carefully crafted to help students discover what they DO know and use that information to help them answer the questions. Even our multiple choice answers help them think through a subject they may have little familiarity with. Our questions have been distributed into four ascending levels. The 20 questions in the Beginner Level are truly "beginner questions" any young student of the Bible should be able to answer.

In fact, our Bongo Knows the Bible game is something of a "Bible proficiency" game. It will help your students measure their knowledge and learn more, and it will also give teachers an indication of areas where their student need help.

Click here to view MORE Bongo graphics, including a scene from "Bongo Knows the Bible"

View & Print the Jungle Game Map for Bongo "Knows" the Bible (123Kb)
(this is the map for only ONE of the games in Bongo Love the Bible)

Details About Bongo Needs the Bible
"Needs the Bible" is a game about our need for the word of God to guide us. It encourages students to read the Bible. It is a game which teaches familiar scripture verses and familiar Bible imagery about the Word. It's also a fun adventure game! --Bongo must discover his way through a dark cave, and avoid lava pits, bats and rolling rocks. He must find the Lamp for his feet which leads him to the true light.

Along the way... Bongo learns about things that will help him or keep him from learning & following God's word. Scripture verses pop-up through-out the game reinforcing basic images and concepts of the word found in the Bible.

Details About Bongo's Books of the Bible Game
Players select either the Old Testament or New Testament books to play. There are several canyons in the jungle and the only way across is by jumping on the correct Book of the Bible ...in order across the canyon. The books are grouped in different canyons. Some of the minor prophet's books are paired at one location to jump on. The correct order of books is presented to Bongo as he runs through the jungle on his way to the canyons. The book platforms dump Bongo if he lands on the wrong one. Bongo can take his time but a faster crossing gets a higher score. In the "easy" option, Bongo has more "lives" and easier jumping ability. Oh...and there are giant rocks and nasty crows Bongo must contend with.

Details about Bongo's Bible Background Game
A lot of us teach "how the Bible came to be" and that's what this brief game is designed to do. Bongo must find 7 Bible stands in the jungle which reveal pop-up panels with info to be read. After reading the last panel, Bongo encounters 10 questions which he should now know the answers to!  The panels include several discussion questions for after-the-game use. The point of view is ecumenical. You can view/print a copy of the panels from www.sundaysoftware.com/bongo/bongobackground.pdf   It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to play the game. The reading level is 4th grade and up. Quite suitable for confirmation classes and young teens (whoI had in mind when I wrote this game). <>< Neil

Click here to view Bongo's animated SCREENTEST

 

Bongo is quite suitable for home use, Sunday School use, as a gift, or for use in a Confirmation class.

BONGO LINKS & RESOURCES

Read Customer Reviews

View the Bongo Gameplay & Teaching Tips (important for the teachers)

View More Bongo Game Graphics

Bongo Tech Page   Updates to older versions.

Preview & print a free color wall display w/Bongo Playing Tips

Preview and Print Map of Bongo Needs the Bible (cave game)

Preview and Print Map of Bongo Knows the Bible (jungle games)

Preview and Print a list of all 80 Bible Questions used in the Jungle game

View and Print the content of the Bible Background Game (986kb pdf)
 

VIEW BONGO VIDEO DEMOS

Video Demo #1 --featuring: Bongo "Knows" the Bible
1.6mb version | 800kb version (lower resolution, no sound)

View Video Demo #2 --featuring gameplay from Bongo's Books of the Bible game and Bongo "Needs" the Bible
2mb version | 900kb version (lower resolution, smaller)

Order: Bongo CD
$
25 for one copy
 
Two+ copies = $20 each
But check out the Site License edition below for 5+ copies

Site License Version:
Five to Ten PCs = $90; Eleven to 20 PCs = $120
21-30 PC license = $160

 

Interested in giving Bongo as a gift
to a group of students?

Email me at neil@sundaysoftware.com for a great qty price.

 

 

Sid the "Surf Mummy"
Sid is a funny guy. He tries to slow Bongo down. Bongo can launch bananas at him to make him run off (for a while). There's nothing in the game that's scary, just challenging, and plenty of fun stuff.

Bongo encounters bats, birds, Bongo-eating plants, giant rolling rocks and other fun things in the games on his quest to learn the content. It sounds just like a "videogame" --and that's the idea! We couldn't think of a better way to get them encountering Basic Bible Knowledge every kid should know, --and want to do it again and again, again and again.

The Bongo-eating Plants are tough to beat, but fortunately Bongo has bananas to sling at them and make them wither. See our all important Game Guide for tips on gameplay.

Take a peek at one of my favorite scenes in the program --the waterfall where Bongo finds true treasure.

Using Bongo with younger children:

All the Bible questions and pop-ups throughout the four games can be read to any child. But the gameplay may be too challenging for younger elementary children who don't have much time to learn how to play. Our Teaching Tips for Bongo give you lots of 'shortcuts' and helpful suggestions.

Maneuvering Bongo through the 3D landscape is easy --for older children and youth raised in this era of computers and video games. Adults may need a lesson or two. Younger children ages 6-9 may need a big kid to show them the ropes and help with the controls.

For younger children....We didn't design Bongo for unattended use by non-readers. But of course, our customers push the envelop!  In my own classes, 5 and 6 years olds enjoy playing Bongo but need help reading.

View the 80 Questions found in the four level Quiz game -Bongo Knows the Bible


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