Madeline Thinking Games

About Madeline Thinking Games

Madeline is a series of educational point-and-click adventure video games which were developed during the mid-1990s for Windows and Mac systems. The games are an extension of the Madeline series of children's books by Ludwig Bemelmans, which describe the adventures of a young French girl. The video-game series was produced concurrently with a TV series of the same name, with characters and voice actors from the show.

In each game, Madeline guides the player through educational mini-games. Activities include reading comprehension, mathematics, problem-solving, basic French and Spanish vocabulary, and cultural studies. Each game focuses on a different subject. Although the series is set primarily in Madeline's boarding school in Paris (and its surrounding neighborhoods), some games are set in other European countries.

The series was conceived by Creative Wonders president Greg Bestick and developed by Vortex Media Arts. It aimed to provide educational material to preschool and early-elementary-grade girls with a recognizable, appealing character. Educators, parents, and children were consulted during the series' development. The first game, Madeline and the Magnificent Puppet Show: A Learning Journey, was released in the fall of 1995 to coincide with the premiere of The New Adventures of Madeline animated television series. The series has eight games and two compilations.

The games have a point and click interface, which players use to navigate through screens, interact with characters and manipulate objects to complete tasks and overcome obstacles at a comfortable speed. The series' gameplay has been compared to other edutainment games, such as Big Thinkers, Fisher-Price video games, JumpStart and Reader Rabbit. The games contain minigames about reading comprehension, mathematics, problem-solving and cultural studies. They have a simple, straightforward design. The interface varied during the series; Madeline and the Magnificent Puppet Show and Madeline's European Adventures were designed to look (and play) like interactive storybook adventure games, and Madeline Thinking Games was designed as a series of in-game activities. Madeline European Adventures requires players to search each screen in first person, similar to Myst.

The minigames' subjects vary; in Madeline 1st and 2nd Grade Reading, reading comprehension and spelling are taught by completing crossword puzzles, arranging words in alphabetical order and finding synonyms and antonyms for words. Madeline 1st and 2nd Grade Math focuses on building math knowledge; Madeline coaches the player through 55 activities covering a two-year mathematics curriculum, including lessons on "logic, time, money skills, sequencing, fractions, geometry, estimation, and patterns".

Basic French and Spanish vocabulary are taught throughout the series. In Madeline and the Magnificent Puppet Show: A Learning Journey players can click on objects to hear English, French and Spanish, and can review vocabulary by playing "Concentration". Madeline European Adventures contains 100 words in Spanish and French and information about European countries, flags, and culture through an interactive map and repeatable activities. The series' gameplay includes references to European culture and foreign languages.