A great game for learning geography

I bought this game last summer for my 8 and 10 year old stepsons. It is a little too hard for my 8 year old, and I have to sit with him and help him quite a bit for him to play. My 10 year old does better, but even he needs some help, as this game is harder than the US version because, of course, it covers a lot more unfamiliar territory. I even enjoy playing it because I feel like my geography skills are sadly lacking and it helps me learn a little more.

Carmen Sandiego games are geography games. This one deals with world geography. I put a world map on the wall and we use that to help. Basically what happens is you are given clues to follow a crook around the world. You have to decipher the clues to find out where to go next. You have to collect evidence to be able to figure out which crook you are chasing. The game is a little hard to figure out at first, but once you have played once, the next time is much simpler.

There is even motivation to continue to play because you earn rankings as you go along. You start as a gumshoe, then after solving a few you become a junior investigator, and then there are other levels from there.

This is a really fun game for older kids and younger teens. I think it does really teach world geography. I wish I had been able to play it when I was 11 or 12. I think I'd know a lot more geography than I do.