PowerPoint is not just for creating presentations – it can also be a fun and easy way to make games! Games made in PowerPoint tend to be simple but entertaining. In this article, we’ll walk through how to make 3 different types of games using PowerPoint.
Making a Trivia Game
Trivia games test a player’s knowledge on a certain topic. Here’s how to make one in PowerPoint:
Step 1: Choose a Trivia Topic
Pick a topic you’re knowledgeable about to write trivia questions on. Some ideas: movies, music, science, history, books, etc.
Step 2: Create Trivia Slides
Make a PowerPoint slide for each trivia question. The slide should display the question and have answer choices – make one answer the correct choice and the rest incorrect.
Step 3: Add Animations
Animate the slides so only the question shows at first. Then set animations for the answer choices to appear with a mouse-click. Finally, set the correct answer to highlight or animate when clicked.
Step 4: Link the Slides
Link all the slides together by adding transitions between them. This lets players advance through the questions smoothly.
Step 5: Test and Add Questions
Test your game by playing through. Add more trivia slides as needed – aim for 10-20 good questions.
Making a Board Game
Classic board games like Snakes and Ladders or a scavenger hunt can be recreated in PowerPoint. Here’s how:
Step 1: Design the Board
Make a PowerPoint slide for the game board background. It could be a simple grid or path, or an image representing the game theme.
Step 2: Add Game Elements
Add the game elements needed like player tokens, dice/spinner, obstacles, etc. as shapes, images or icons. Animate them if needed.
Step 3: Set Up Gameplay
Link the board slide to additional slides with animations and triggers to enable gameplay. For example, clicking the spinner could link to a slide showing dice rolls. Landing on certain board spaces could link to challenge slides.
Step 4: Refine and Test
Refine the animations and transitions to ensure smooth gameplay. Thoroughly test the game flow and make tweaks.
Step 5: Customize
Customize the game by adding graphics or theming it around topics that interest your audience. Get creative!
Making a Word Scramble Game
Unscrambling words is a fun vocabulary challenge. Here is how to create a word scramble in PowerPoint:
Step 1: Select Vocabulary Words
Choose 10-15 vocabulary words to use in your word scramble game. Select words that fit your audience’s skill level.
Step 2: Scramble the Words
In a PowerPoint slide, write out the vocabulary words selected. Then scramble the letters in each word randomly.
Step 3: Add Word Bank
In the slide, add a Word Bank section showing the original unscrambled vocabulary words that players can use for reference.
Step 4: Animate Slide
Animate the slide so the scrambled words initially show. Add triggers to unscramble each word with a click, revealing the original word.
Step 5: Refine Presentation
Add graphics, themes, additional word scramble slides to expand your game. Refine animations and test game flow until polished.
