From 2008-2010, the author produced dozens of science education games and interactives at National Geographic’s The JASON Project. Created in collaboration with scientists from numerous agencies and universities, these games are currently being played in classrooms across the globe. Many of these games have gone on to win awards and several are currently available for free online. These successes, however, were purchased with fruitful mistakes. This paper presents the most productive failures during those two years and highlights guiding principles that informed more successful subsequent projects. I focus on science games in particular with the hopes of initiating a dialog about issues specific to science games and others relevant to educational game design writ large.
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