A Video Game That Slows Children Down and Brings the Family Together?

Wanderlight Catholic video game

Two of the common gripes parents have about video games are that they often get children too riled up and they interfere with family time, since most games are played individually or with just one other player. Even when parents or grandparents volunteer to be the other player, we often find the game to be too fast for us to keep up with!

Now, there is a video game that can actually help children to slow down and bring your family together! It’s called Wanderlight: A Pilgrim’s Adventure™, and it’s a virtual pilgrimage that invites the whole family to go on a virtual spiritual journey together and to talk about the experience. It is not available as a phone app, so it won’t be something that will cause your child to isolate him- or herself. Rather, it is designed to be enjoyed on a larger monitor so that all can see the adventure unfolding as the Pilgrim—the main character—sets out on a journey to explore the famous people, traditions, and teachings of the Catholic faith.

Players move at their own pace. It is not a race, but rather, a pilgrimage, and pilgrims do not rush! On this journey, players are invited to complete quests that invite them to make ethical and moral choices while interacting with and learning about characters that include saints and holy people. Each level ends with a special invitation for Pilgrims to encounter Christ in prayer and look back upon their adventures to reflect on what they’ve learned.

Players of all ages will spend hours exploring the wonderful world of Wanderlight in the role of the Pilgrim, all while practicing how to “shine their light” and live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Much like reading bedtime stories to their children, parents and grandparents alike will enjoy the opportunities to slow down and talk to children about the various saints and holy people being encountered on the journey as well as the various “quests.” And the beauty of it all is that it takes place within a venue that young people are familiar and comfortable with: the digital world.

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

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