TOS Review: Dig It! Games Roman Town

Roman Town is a computer game that teaches about ancient Roman culture, society and history by letting students actually play the role of archaeologist.  As players manage their team of diggers at a site in Fossura, a Roman town destroyed in 79 AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted, they learn the best methods for excavating various objects.  Once all objects have been found on the site, more detailed learning begins as players reconstruct items with 3D puzzles, meet and talk to two children from the era, and complete tasks in the Roman Town Lab.

Roman Town was developed by a professional archaeologist and former middle school teacher.  While the game targets 5th through 8th graders it is happily played by those, as the site puts it, aged 8 to 88.

  Roman Town is very graphic rich and has some pretty amazing 3D games and effects.   It makes a wonderful addition to a study of ancient Rome.   An educator’s manual is also available that includes playing instructions, an introduction to archaeology, a comprehensive glossary, and fun activities and discussion ideas to expand your lessons.

Ds3 and ds4 both played (a limited amount of) the game.  Ds3 did the harder bits, but ds4 was able to complete many of the puzzles and loved the sorting exercises.  Both were quite impressed with the 3D aspects of the game and enjoyed “meeting” the children from the era.

Here is the part where I tell my personal experience with the product.  We had technical problems with downloading and playing the game.  However I believe these kinks were part of the download process and had nothing to do with the game.  The game is a physical cd that you purchase, but TOS Crewmembers received special download versions for this review.  I can tell you that customer support was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.  And I can tell you that the levels of the game we were able to play were fun and very educational (and that my boys really wanted to play more lol.)

Roman Town is available on cd for $39.95 and the educator’s manual download is $19.95.  Use code TOS2011 to get the game for the special price of $19.96 (discount good through Feb 21, 2011.)

I received a download of Roman Town to facilitate this review.  I received no other compensation.  To see other TOS Crewmember reviews of this product, click on the banner below.