As regular readers know, I’ve been adding a number of online video games to my site that I think provide great English language development opportunities.     Most of the games I’ve highlighted are pretty accessible, and students can figure out how to play them.

However, I’ve placed a few on my English For Intermediate page that are more difficult.  In fact, some of these “puzzle” games have actually “puzzled” me.  Without obtaining the “walkthroughs”(step-by-step hints)  to some of these games I would never have been able to figure out what I needed to do, for example,  to escape from being Trapped (one of the games I’ve recently added).

I learned from Graham Stanley that one way to use these more difficult games with English Language Learners is to pair students up on one computer.  One has the walkthrough, and the other is using the computer.  The student with the walkthrough reads the hints to the student on the computer.  This kind of exercise provides speaking and listening practice in an enjoyable way.  Sometimes the partners work together to read the instructions, and it’s not unusual for partners to help others as well.

I’ve placed links to many games (besides Trapped) and their walkthroughs that would work in this kind of activity.  They include Peasant’s Quest and Mystery of Time and Space.  They are with most of the other online video games at the bottom of the Word Games category.

There are plenty of these types of puzzle games and their walkthroughs are available online.  Last week, my students particularly enjoyed Phantasy Quest and Bonte Room 2.