Looking for a creative and meaningful alternative to traditional book reports? Try having students design their very own games in the Breakout EDU Game Design Studio!

Game Design Studio is an intuitive digital tool that empowers students to build their own escape room-style games. With easy drag-and-drop features and equipped with Adobe Express, students can focus on creativity and content while reinforcing their learning. To help them get started, the Learn & Play modules guide students through the game design process step by step, teaching essential skills like logic, sequencing, and puzzle creation along the way.

It’s an engaging, hands-on approach that brings reading to life and inspires active learning.

🧩 From Page to Puzzle: A Free Game Design Project for Book Clubs

We’ve partnered with 4th Grade Teacher Jenna M. (@HeyHeyLetsLearnToday) to create a free step-by-step lesson plan for incorporating game design into your classroom book clubs. This resource will help your students take their reading to the next level. Students won’t just be reading and discussing their books—they’ll be creating fully playable digital games using vocabulary and comprehension questions drawn from their reading. 

Students will think critically, build connections, and apply what they've learned in a fun and collaborative way. By the end of the project, they’ll have created a game with at least six unique puzzles tied directly to their reading. Not only will they have a deeper understanding of their books, they’ll get to play and celebrate each other’s games, too.

📥 Grab the Free Resource

Download the Book Club Game Design Lesson Plan here:

Includes:

  • A teacher prep checklist to make setup a breeze

  • A detailed week-by-week plan

  • Puzzle planning templates for students

  • Links to helpful tutorials and tips

👉 New to Breakout EDU?

Start your free trial of Breakout EDU and give your students the tools to create, collaborate, and unlock a love of learning!