The ChemCollective has numerous resources for chemistry classes, including this murder mystery. The game is really a learning activity:
set in a research group that is developing an antivenom for spider bites. In the opening scene, Nelson Pogline, a talented graduate student, dies unexpectedly at a university reception. As a detective, you must use chemistry concepts to determine if this was murder and if so, solve the case. You can interview suspects using Quicktime movies, investigate the crime scene for clues with Quicktime Virtual Reality images, and analyze the evidence from the crime lab.
Projects like this one show the educational potential of games as well as the educational potential of making and sharing games. While this project was developed by the Chemistry and Drama departments at Carnegie Mellon, similar projects could be made in the many chemistry classes taught each semester. As universities are more pressed for space, more online resources could complement lab time and resources like this ensure that online and out of class work still fulfills needed requirements. And, the game makes learning seem fun, which often gets lost in the push for testability (or at least it does in Florida, home of the FCAT for elementary, middle, and high school students).
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