Bongo Loves
the Bible
is a collection of 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.
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BONGO'S
FOUR GAMES
(or actually 8 games depending on how you count them)
Game 1:
Bongo Knows
the Bible
(Which is actually four separate games covering 80 total questions)
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.
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Game 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).
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Game
3: Bongo's
Books
of the Bible
(which is actually two different games you
can play: Old or New Testament books)
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.
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Game 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.
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.
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).

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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.
Our latest version
of Bongo has
a "Save Game" feature! ...so your
kids can save their spot and come back to finish if needed.
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