Brain Works is an entirely unique “gaming” experience that probably falls more into the category of edutainment than games. It was originally released in 1998 after being developed by Synergistic Learning. The game’s strengths are not based on fast-paced action or stellar graphics, but rather on what you can glean from this program about yourself.
Brain Works is an analytical program, designed to help people better understand the way they think, what sorts of patterns they are predisposed to, and how they react to given situations. Brain Works begins with a short and reasonably simple to comprehend questionnaire.
The “test” is multiple choice, and features numerous styles of questions. The user may be asked to change a sentence so that it is most correct, in his or her view, or provide an opinion on a seemingly random graphic. The quiz itself is in the style of the aptitude tests and intelligence quizzes that were often administered early in school. The main difference is that in Brain Works, there is no right or wrong answer. The computer is just using the individual’s responses to determine how he or she gathers and uses information.
After the test is completed, a graphic of a brain will be displayed and the portion of the brain the gamer uses most will be displayed. Users can learn if they are right brain
dominant (a holistic learner, creative and intuitive) or left brain dominant (logical, linear and more organized) or some combination of both. It will tell the strengths and weaknesses of the individual’s learning style and accurately describe how the person responds to situations. It is a great tool for learning how we learn in order to improve study habits.
As a true game, this is not it. There are no sound effects at all and the graphics consist only of those necessary to complete the questionnaires. However, the game does offer a replayability factor. The bank of questions and graphics change with each quiz, and it is fun to try the test again to see if the results turn up the same and eliminate a certain margin of error. In all, Brain Works is not a fun game, but it is certainly an interesting and worthwhile educational tool.
