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 Optimally for ages 7 to 17. See game, age, and tech specs below

Bongo's Four Games: (or actually 8 games depending on how you count them) 1.  Bongo Knows the Bible   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" about key stories and key Bible people every young person should know. The four levels play as actually four individual games and range from beginner to advanced. The 80 questions spread through these four levels were especially designed for 4th through 12th graders, though younger children can play them if they have some help. The beginner level question set is easy for younger children if they have help. Chasing Bongo through each jungle landscape is Bongo's annoying friends, Sid the Surf Mummy and the Bad-boy Bongo-eating Plants. Collecting bananas and slinging them with Bongo's slingshot takes care of them. See more details below about the four levels of knowledge.

2.  Bongo Needs the Bible Bongo Needs the Bible is a game about What is the Bible, 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. The game teaches the metaphors which the Bible uses to describe itself and the role of the word (a guiding light!) That's why this game takes place in a cave. Bongo must find his way through the darkness, find the lamp for his feet, and search for the Word... the Light of the World who is found just after the Isaiah cavern. Throughout the cave, there is fun stuff to solve and get across (like lava pits), and there are reinforcing Bible verses that appear in the landscape or pop-up on the screen. (They are great for discussion after the game).

3.  Bongo's Books of the Bible   Bongo's Books of the Bible Game is actually two games, --either Old or New Testament. Students jump Bongo from book to book IN THE CORRECT ORDER across several canyons in the correct order, or fall and be sent back six books. As Bongo runs between the canyons, SCROLLS appear in front of them showing them the correct order of Bible books in the next canyon.  In between canyons are giant rolling boulders. And flying across each canyon is a pesky raven that Bongo needs to avoid. As each book platform is jumped on, a short summary of that book's content or uniqueness appears on the screen.     Each canyon has 6 books at a time, meaning there are several canyons in each game to cross until Bongo finishes either the Old Testament or New Testament list. If Bongo jumps on the wrong one, he falls into the canyon, gets a scriptural encouragement, and it set back on the canyon's edge to try again. Some of the minor prophet's books are paired on platforms. In the "easy" option, Bongo has more "lives" and easier jumping ability.

4.  Bongo's Bible Background Bongo's Bible Background is a game in which students must find 7 panels of information about "how the Bible came to be" in the jungle, then use their knowledge to answer 10 questions, ...all the while avoiding Bongo-eating plants, and slinging bananas. (View/print this game's content) 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 scriptural point of view is ecumenical. You can view/print a copy of the game's study panels from www.sundaysoftware.com/bongo/bongobackground.pdf   It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to play this particular game. The reading level is 4th grade and up. Quite suitable for confirmation classes and young teens (who I had in mind when I wrote this game.  <>< Neil). 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. Pictured right: one of the verse pop-ups as Bongo collect Bible scrolls while running through the cave looking for the lamp for his feet.

Bongo's Basic Game Play:

Students navigate Bongo through either a jungle or cave terrain. There are waterfalls, rolling boulders to be avoided, streams to cross, canyons to jump, keys to find, plus "surf-mummies" and Bongo-eating plants to avoid. They can't complete the game without getting the content right.  

The player must read clues, answers questions, and figure their way through each game's terrain by paying attention, and remembering where they've been. This means the more they play, the better and faster your players will get better.

Because they like to "beat the game" they'll play it more than once, which means the content gets refreshed every time they play.  This has made Bongo a favorite "after class" activity in many Sunday Schools --after they've played a game in the context of a lesson, they want to play it again!

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 for younger players.

At the end of each game, Bongo is rewarded with a treasure chest full of God's Word (which fly out in the form of jewels to be collected). Bongo is then awarded a SCORE   Points are awarded based on how many answer attempts the player took to answer each multiple choice question. The player can then input their name on the game's scoreboard for other players (and the teacher) to see. The teacher can view the scoreboard to see how their kids have been doing.

Bongo Version 1.2 has a "Save Game" feature!  ...so your kids can save their spot and come back to finish if needed.

Bongo's Playing Time:

It takes the average 4th grader between 25 and 35 minutes to complete one of Bongo's games. Corollary: It takes the average adult "about a 4th grader" to show the adult how to play. ☺

Playing Time Variables include:  The player's age, their level of Bible knowledge, how much help they have, and how many times they've previously played Bongo. With practice, they'll get pretty good! Our printable student guide and teacher's guide are especially helpful to newbies and game-challenged teachers.

TEACHERS:

• Bongo Loves the Bible introduces and reinforces basic Bible knowledge...the kind every Sunday School teaches.
• Bongo gives you a tool to test how much your students really know about the Bible.
• Each game can be used within a lesson (recommended) and after the lessons are over.
• Bongo's gameplay and scoring system entice your students to play again and improve their score.
• And because the kids will play it again and again, Bongo will build & refresh long-term memory.

Some teachers schedule Bongo as part of a unit on "Bible Basics." Others use it to fill-in certain times on the calendar or to juice attendance and enthusiasm.

Some teachers have used Bongo as a summer program, building other Bible basic lessons around it (our guide has several ideas about this). 

GETTING STARTED:

Sometimes the person buying Bongo or trying to teach with it is not a "computer gamer" and their learning curve is steeper than the kids!  Thus, we recommend you preview Bongo ahead of time with the Teacher's Game Guide in hand. It will make you look like a genius gamer. 

Then, introduce Bongo to your older students first, before you try to use it with younger kids. In fact, you may want older students to come help with younger kids the first time they use it. Print the student's guide to place next to each computer.

If you are teaching with Bongo in a classroom setting, we strongly recommend introducing the game to them at a time prior to the day of the lesson so they can become familiar with game play. In a short time, they have the game controls and concept figured out, and even the younger ones will master it with practice. (Early elementary is pretty young for Bongo, but they enjoy the game IF they have help.)

More Details about Game #1...."Bongo Knows the Bible"

Bongo Knows the Bible is actually four separate games you can play... each featuring 20 questions about the Bible. Questions focus on MAJOR Bible content and structure, not trivia.

When you start "Bongo Knows the Bible" you select from one of four 20-question sets to play:

1. Beginner

2. Student

3. Scholar

4. Super Bible Freak

The 80 total questions in Bongo's four-level jungle game were researched, compiled, designed and tested. The questions were carefully chosen and written to test what students SHOULD know, and if they don't know it, to give students clues so they can LEARN the right answer. The game format and scoring is incentive for the students to keep trying and improving.

The Beginner Level questions are truly "beginner questions" which any young student of the Bible should be able to answer. The harder question levels are not more obscure. Rather, they are harder because they ask more detailed questions about the major Bible stories.

Bongo Knows the Bible's four game are something of a "Bible Proficiency Exam" game, (though don't tell the kids!).  By playing with your students and looking at their scores, you can get an idea of how well a class or individuals are doing with basic Bible knowledge. By playing Bongo again and again, their proficiency will rise.

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

VIEW more Bongo graphics, including a screenshot from Bongo Knows the Bible.