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Learning Through Play: ������ Researchers Develop a Board Game Exploring Magma Crystallization, the Processes Behind Volcanic Eruptions

April 2, 2025

Stephanie Wright

Volcanic unrest that could lead to an eruption— like the current state of Mount Spurr in Alaska—presents an opportunity to explore the dynamics of magma and volcanoes. A new educational board game, The Magma Game created by Elisabeth Nadin and Dan LaSota, aims to bring these complex processes to life in a fun and interactive way. Developed by researchers and instructional designers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (������), the game challenges players to think like geologists as they navigate the crystallization of minerals in a cooling magma chamber.

The game is inspired by Bowen’s Reaction Series, a fundamental concept in geology that explains how different types of minerals form at different temperatures. Players must carefully manage element chips and temperature changes to crystallize major rock-forming minerals at just the right moment—mirroring the real-world processes happening beneath active volcanoes, like Mount Spurr. With action cards that add strategic twists, the game transforms a key geological process into an engaging and competitive experience.

For one of the game’s creators, Dan LaSota, an instructional designer at ������, the project is about more than teaching geology—it’s about changing how science is taught. “I work with some of the most interesting researchers and teachers in the world to create truly effective learning activities,” LaSota explained. “My vision for the Magma Chamber game is that students first learn a little bit of geology and chemistry, but also that they see science as fun and engaging. As a bonus, this game may help inspire other educators to make science curriculum more interactive.”

The Magma Game is set to launch just as global attention focuses on the anticipated eruption of Mount Spurr, and as lava fountains ebb and flow in Hawai'i.  The cooling and crystallization of magma beneath these volcanoes are the same processes players will explore in the game, making it a timely and valuable tool for students, educators, and anyone fascinated by the power of Earth’s geology.

Stay tuned for more updates on The Magma Game as it prepares to make its debut—bringing the science of volcanoes from the depths of the earth to the tabletop.

Updated April 8. A previous version omitted the names of the creators.