Where Science Meets Play
A vision for transforming ModelIt from an educational platform into a full-stack science gaming company.
Science education is broken. Textbooks are static. Simulations are boring. Games are addictive.
What if we combined them?
ModelIt Studios builds video games that teach real science — not "edu-tainment" watered down for kids, but legitimate gaming experiences where mastery requires genuine scientific understanding.
- Original IP science games (PC, console, mobile)
- Educational licenses for schools
- Partnerships with museums, science centers, NSF
- Cell Collective → game-ified biology simulator
- Physics sandboxes (Kerbal Space Program for chemistry?)
- Earth systems modeling games (climate, ecosystems)
- Indie science game incubator
- Steam-style marketplace for educational games
- Direct-to-teacher sales channel
- NSF-funded game-based learning research
- Learning analytics engine
- NGSS-aligned curriculum packages
| Game | Genre | Science Domain | Hook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evo | Survival/Strategy | Evolution, Genetics | Breed species to survive climate shifts |
| Cell | Sim/RPG | Cell Biology | Run a cell like a factory, manage organelles |
| Circuit | Puzzle | Electrical Engineering | Build circuits to solve problems |
| Reaction | Match-3/Tower Defense | Chemistry | Combine elements to create compounds |
| Field | Adventure | Ecology/Field Science | Conduct real research in simulated ecosystems |
| Quantum | Puzzle | Quantum Physics | Navigate impossible geometries |
- Cell Collective integration
- Teacher dashboards
- District sales pipeline
- LCAP analysis tools
Revenue Streams:
- Game Sales (B2C) — Steam, App Store, consoles
- Educational Licenses (B2B) — Schools, districts, museums
- Grant Funding — NSF STEM education grants
- Publishing Fees — Indie science game creators
- Curriculum Packages — NGSS-aligned lesson plans with game integration
Pricing Tiers:
- Single game: $9.99-$29.99
- School license: $5-15/student/year
- District license: Negotiated (volume discounts)
- Publishing: 30% revenue share
| Competitor | Strengths | Weaknesses | Our Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minecraft Education | Massive brand, modding | Not science-specific | Purpose-built science mechanics |
| Kerbal Space Program | Amazing physics, cult following | Narrow (space only) | Multi-domain (bio, chem, physics) |
| Cell Collective | Real science, NSF-funded | Not a "game" | Game-first, science-embedded |
| Legends of Learning | School-friendly | Shallow, "edu-tainment" | Deep mechanics, real mastery |
Our differentiator: Games that don't sacrifice fun for education OR education for fun.
- CEO/Creative Director — Vision, partnerships, fundraising
- Lead Game Designer — Mechanics, progression, fun
- Lead Scientist — Scientific accuracy, curriculum alignment
- Lead Engineer — Game engine, architecture
- Learning Designer — NGSS, assessment, pedagogy
- Studio Manager — Operations, hiring, budgets
- Define MVP game concept (pick one from lineup)
- Build prototype (Unity/Godot + existing ModelIt assets)
- Pilot with 1-2 partner schools
- Pursue NSF IUSE or SBIR funding
- Hire game designer + engineer
- Steam Early Access launch
- Scale to console/mobile
The problem: Kids love games. They hate science class. Yet the world needs scientists.
The opportunity: Games can teach systems thinking, hypothesis testing, and iteration — the actual skills of science.
The vision: A generation of kids who learned biology by evolving species, learned chemistry by combining elements, learned physics by building circuits.
The company: ModelIt Studios — where playing a game IS learning science.
This repo is a living vision document. Fork it, critique it, build it.