HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — When it launched BIGBibleTown.com last year, Third Day Games knew it would be facing some heavy competition. But after several months and thousands of kids playing, the response is confirming that the game is a competitive Christian alternative to secular juggernauts from the industry’s top brands.
There is no doubt that kids love video games. According to a recent study released by NPD*, over 91% of kids in the US play them. As kids’ interest in games has grown, so has the popularity of online games from top brands including Disney (Club Penguin) and Legos.com, with millions of kids playing these games for several hours each week.
BIGBibleTown.com is designed as a Christian alternative. This online game immerses elementary age children in scripture-based Bible adventures and includes all the features that make secular games so appealing to kids — a customizable virtual character, their own house that they can decorate, a virtual economy, and mini-games that kids play to earn virtual money. The compelling distinction with BIG Bible Town is that its 32 mini-games are interactive recreations of 32 Bible stories. So as kids have fun playing, they are learning these Bible stories and practicing Christian values.
According to Bobby Wells, CEO of Third Day Games, “Our goal is to capture a portion of video game playtime and repurpose it toward building Bible knowledge and Christian character in kids while they are young. To accomplish this, we knew the game had to be so much fun that it could go up against today’s popular games and compete for kids’ attention.
