I am an elementary school teacher and one problem I face is getting students (especially boys) to read. Text-based Adventure games might be a slick way to encourage boys to read.

So...

How about creating a game that would appeal to kids aged 9 to 12? The games need to have a reading level they can actually read AND they should cover some curricular areas.

For example, the game could be historical and based on ancient pyramids or medieval times (solutions to puzzles would involve learning about hieroglyphics or smelting metals - that kind of thing). As well, it could also cover science and math facts (convert a fraction to unlock a door, bounce light off various objects to activate a button). Magic and fantasy can still be part of the game but the solutions would need to be something that kids in this age group would need to know how to do.

The game can't involve gratuitous violence (blood, guts and gore) or sex but it can have romantic themes and you can kill characters in the game - just don't make it so graphic.

While I'm at it, why don't these games have a Help button that tells you what you should be doing next? It's very frustrating when playing these games and you don't know what you are supposed to be doing. Clicking HELP would analyze your position in the game and tell you what you need to do to advance further (for example, the Help system might say, "Go to the forest area - you need to find a larger weapon"). This narrows down what you need to do.