Parents' Guide to

Argument Wars

By Marc Lesser, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Quality courtroom sim uses real cases to teach argument.

Website https://www.icivics.org/games/argument-wars
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age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

missedutton
missedutton Adult
September 30, 2015
age 12+

Incredible Engaging - I learnt lots too!

I really love the Argument War game, as well as the other tools created by iCivics. In my last school I taught a unit about the American Civil Rights movement, and compared it with the Black Lives Matter Campaign. This was a very heavy unit and quite an emotional task for the students. Using the Argument Wars game on Brown Versus the Board of Education gave students a much needed break, allowed them to show off what they had learnt and let them all work independently. Not only did it teach my students about the case, but it helped them develop arguments and use evidence, (something my English teacher was thrilled about). My students loved using this and kept asking to go back to it! In my new role I had my students do a game testing lesson. They were all assigned educational games to test, wrote short reviews, then shared their thoughts with their peers. They were then able to play the other games. At the end of the lesson nearly all my students were on Argument Wars!

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What’s It About?

ARGUMENT WARS is to debate what Sid Meier's Civilization is to conquest. Superficially, Civilization is about domination and power-wielding, but it's more a game of strategy. Argument Wars similarly is about Supreme Court cases, but puts players' persuasive abilities to the test. Players choose an avatar, one of eight actual Supreme Court cases, and a position to defend. Most players will start off wanting to force their perspectives through the court, but they'll learn quickly that conviction doesn't win over sound support of one's argument. The action takes place in a simulated courtroom with a judge presiding while players battle the computer-controlled opposing council (the game is single-player-only). Ultimately players attempt to build as many of the Judge's Ruling Points as possible to topple their opponents.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The aesthetic quality, story, and mechanics are good but not enough to win players over. What's more interesting is how Argument Wars engages players in subjects they probably don't pay much attention to: the U.S. Constitution, legal procedure, and the art of argument. The fact that it can get kids interested in these topics -- and hold their attention for more than five minutes -- deserves praise.

There are shortcomings: the game is extremely text-heavy for readers with less than strong proficiency at a high school reading level, there's a badging system with unclear purpose, and overall the game would benefit from added level-up opportunities (after a few rounds, it feels easy to master). Argument Wars isn't gonna soak up a lot of time; instead, it makes for a good break between homework assignments. But it packs together skills, civic awareness, and sound game elements into a package that's completely worthwhile.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Parents and children can discuss the U.S. Constitution. What is the importance of how courts interpret the document? How has our country supported or resisted its evolution over time?

  • Talk about the difference between scholarly argument and casual argument. How can the skill of scholarly argument translate to different professional environments?

  • In iCivics games, kids can use their points to do good by voting to reward other students' social action projects. Discuss how new technology can empower civic action globally. Use Kony 2012 as an example. Is it always positive?

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