Transmission is a pseudo-educational puzzle game that was developed a few years ago for London‘s Science Museum by Loju. The idea behind Transmission (not to be confused with the bit torrent client) is to give you an idea about how communication networks work but presented under the guise of a graphical puzzle game.
To solve each puzzle, you need to figure out the logical flow between devices by connected one item to the next, but it will only work based on its type. For example, a transmitter could only be at the beginning of the chain and a receiver at the end. The rules are simple although the puzzles do become more and more complex as you unlock them. This screenshot won’t tell you much, so you’ll have to try it for yourself:
Overall, Transmission won’t actually teach you anything in depth about computer or telephone networks or exactly how signals are broadcast, but it does have a slick and technical feel with a sciencey overview, which I think is good enough, especially if these puzzles manage to spur an interest in someone to perhaps pursue science based interests. That is one of the main reasons that this game was developed in partnership with London’s Science Museum. So it’s win-win.
Transmission also includes basic definitions of the types of networks that are presented in the game. It’s nothing groundbreaking but it’s simple enough that a kid could understand what the difference is between broadcast, satellite and cellular networks.
For an even closer look into Transmission, check out the gameplay here:
Publisher: Science Museum
Developer: Loju
Download it from Google Play
Download it from iTunes