What’s the story behind Gimkit?

Recently, you might have noticed lots of kids playing Gimkit. You might have even played it yourself. But why, exactly? How has Gimkit become what it is today?

How did it even get started?

For starters, Gimkit hasn’t always been the action-packed, attention-capturing game it is now. Back in 2017, when it was first created by Josh Feinsilber, a high school junior, it was intended to be a school project. His goal was to convince just 10 teachers to use Gimkit in their classrooms. It wasn’t even called “Gimkit!” Feinsilber called it “Gimlet,” and the whole point of it was to be a “simple, engaging game show for the classroom.” (Osborn) He never thought that it would become a sensation of over 700,000 people- each month. (Gimkit blog) Feinsilber edits the game each year, adding more and more modes and improvements for you to enjoy, such as new game modes and gims!

Why is it popular?

So we know how Gimkit was created, but why is it so popular? Why are so many people starting, sharing, and playing it?

Let’s start with how the brain remembers Gimkit. The brain remembers fun things better than boring things, because the fun, engaging events of your life will probably be replayed and remembered many times. For example, you probably won’t remember the homework from two weeks ago because homework is, for the most part, boring. But take a birthday sleepover with your friends, or a funny joke from a classmate? These memories might make you laugh, smile, or feel happy. As a result, your brain will make sure to remember those! Gimkit offers games that do just that. If you tag a classmate, you might feel victorious. If you fall off a cliff, you’ll feel determined to make it next time. The way a game activates emotions triggers your brain to remember them. So when you have free time, you might think “Oh hey, remember that fun game in class yesterday? I loved it when my team won. I want to play it again,” or something like that. Therefore, Gimkit has become a favorite activity for many students.

Is Gimkit a good idea for teachers?

While Gimkit can be a really fun game for kids in their free time, it can also be helpful for teachers. In most Gimkits, players must answer questions in order to play. Otherwise, they’ll be stuck, motionless, as their teammates rush past them, determined to win. As you could imagine, that would probably not be very enjoyable. If the questions are school-related or challenging, students will get the same effects as using flashcards. Just with a dash of competitiveness and laughter!

So, next time you find yourself thinking about Gimkit memories, you’ll know why. Even if that information is a bit unnecessary, it’s still fun. Thanks for reading!