PurposeGames Help Center

    Getting Started

    What is PurposeGames?

    PurposeGames is a site that lets you create and play games to help you learn new things.
    It can be used for studies, procrastination, or simply for the fun of it.

     

    Is PurposeGames a FREE service?

    Yes. PurposeGames is completely free of charge. No fees whatsoever.

     

    Do you offer Google Sign-In

    Yes.

     

    I never received a mail with the activation code.

    This is only relevant if you signed up with your email address, not if you used Google Sign-In.
    First, make sure you have used the correct email address.
    If you still don't receive a mail, you should check that you are allowed to receive mails from the domain 'purposegames.com'. Check your spam filters to see that all is OK.

    It is unlikely that it got stuck on our side.

     

    When playing a game, it stops and tells me to turn off my adblocker

    If, when a game is being played, it stops after a little while saying you need to turn off any adblocker, please do so in order to continue playing games at PurposeGames.

    If you do not have an adblocker on your computer, and still get this message when trying to play games, it is most likely a network problem (someone on your network is blocking our ads). To test if this is the case you can try and play a game on a cell phone that is not connected to the same network as your computer. If you are able to play a game from your phone using a different network/wi-fi than your computer, you need to contact the one responsible for your network to unfilter calls to PurposeGames.

     

    Do I need to create an account to use PurposeGames?

    No. Anyone can play games without an account.
    To create games or to set tournaments, and have your scores saved etc., an account is needed.

     

    Does PurposeGames use any "old technology" like Flash?

    No.

     

    What domains do we need to unblock, in order to run PurposeGames?

    Technology question, mostly for network technicians et al
    PurposeGames uses a Google Certified ad partner.

    From a technical standpoint, you need to make sure that the sources are not blocked on your network. Specifically, these three addresses:

    cdn.fuseplatform.net
    g.doubleclick.net
    amazon-adsystem.com

     

    Creating Games

    What is the difference between public and private games?

    A public game is visible to all and shows up in the play section of the site, and also in search.

    A private game is not visible to anyone but you on the site. It is however possible for anyone to play, given that they have the URL (address) of the game, so you can send it to friends, share it on Facebook etc, even though it is private.

     

    What image type (JPG, PNG, WEBP or GIF) is best to use?

    Any format of the four works fine.
    That said, the GIF format only contains 256 colors and is only suitable for simpler images.

     

    What are advanced options when creating games?

    These are tweaks that a game maker can put into a game when it is created/edited. They do not affect the way a game is made, but do affect the way the game is played. So they are used by the game maker, but affect the game player. Advanced options are accessed during game creation or editing via a link just above the "Save", "Preview" and "Publish" buttons in the game creation engine.

     

    Why does my game not show up in site lists or search, after I created it?

    The usual reasons are:

    1) You have not made the game public
    2) You have not published it yet

    Check to make sure these are not true. If neither is the case, then it is likely that:

    3) It contains obscene or offensive images or language
    4) It is a too-graphic anatomy game
    5) It contains material identified as copyrighted
    6) It potentially violates someone's privacy (find my friends or family type games)

    In some cases the game may be forced private, in others, removed entirely.

    Please note, if you do not see your game at all, and end up in a 404-page, make sure you didn't delete the image you based the image on since that image need to remain in your account in order for a game to be playable.

     

    I created an image game but when I go to it, I end up in a 404-page

    Most likely, you have removed the image used in the game from your account leading to the game being removed as well.
    You need to make sure that the images you upload for games stay in your account.

     

    How many games can I create?

    For the time being, you can create a maximum of 5 games per day, and 25 games per calendar month.
    For subscribing members (not yet available to the general public), there's no daily maximum and 100 games per month as maximum.

     

    Groups & Tournaments

    How do I create a group?

    Well, since you made it here you can simply click on this link - Create a Group.

    For future reference, you can create a group from your user pages (in the group section).
    You can also click on create in the top banner of the site.

     

    How do I invite people to my group?

    Nothing could be simpler.

    In your group, at the top right, you see your invitation code.

    Write that on a whiteboard and direct people to https://www.purposegames.com/invitation

    You can also click on the copy link or the send mail icon next to it.

    Your invitation code is also available in your user pages, in the group section.

     

    Can I change the Invitation Code of my group?

    Yes you can.

    An invitation code is valid as long as the group is published. Re-generating it stops new members entering your group with the old code. Only you as group administrator will know the new code until you send it to someone.

    To change your invitation code, go to the "Edit" section in your group. You can reach it from your user pages, in the group section or from the group admin menu (☰) next to the title of your group.

    In the edit section, you can click on "Re-generate Invitation Code".

     

    How do I create a tournament?

    Tournaments are created within groups. So you need to be an administrator or a moderator of a group to host your own tournaments.

    Step by step:

    1) Create a group
    2) Publish the group
    3) Visit the tournament section of your group and press "Create tournament" (a link on your left hand side)
    4) Choose a title and description for it, choose the time span (how long it should last)
    5) Pick one or many games as base for your tournament.

    Done. Have fun

     

    How do I add a game to a tournament?

    On a game or playlist, look for the button Add to Tournament.

    You can also search for games, either using the site search at the top of every page, or in the tournament creation form itself.

     

    How can I see what games I have played in a tournament?

    There are many ways:

    1/ Look to your right in the action panel (if you are running PurposeGames on a laptop or desktop)
    2/ In the Tournament page in your group, you can see your stats for ongoing and old tournaments
    3/ In the highscore card that pops up after finishing a game that is part of the tournament

     

    How many tournaments can I host?

    One at a time, per group e.g. if you are the host of 5 groups, you can have 5 tournaments running at the same time; one per group.

    You may start a new tournament the minute after your old one ends, should you want to.

     

    Your Profile Settings

    How do I change my password?

    This is only available if you signed up with your email address, not if you used Google Sign-In.

    When logged in, at the top right you see your avatar. Click it. Click Settings. Look at the Password tab.

    User / Settings / Password

     

    How do I delete my account?

    As we don't ask for any personal information, there's really nothing to delete.
    However, if you still want to remove your account you can do so in Settings > Delete Account in your User Profile page.

     

    How do I change my display name?

    In your profile page (which you get to by clicking the PurposeGames logo at the top of the screen, or clicking your avatar at the top right of your screen) you click settings.

    Under settings, you can change your display name.

    Please note that this does not change your user login, which is always the same.

     

    Teaching Resources

    I'm a Teacher. How Can I Use PurposeGames?

    There are a number of different ways to use PurposeGames in school.
    A common way is to use Groups, typically one group per class, and then host so called Tournaments in these groups.

    Tournaments can be a recurring part of your curriculum to make students earn extra credit.
    This is a simple and fun way to have students essentially compete to learn.

     

    How Do Teachers Typically Use PurposeGames?

    It's basically a variation of the following process:

    1) Creating one or many groups
    You create a Group. Typically one group per class. Most use "private" groups to make sure only the intended audience joins the group, but this is of course optional.

    2) Creating an assignment (Tournament)
    In a group, you can create something called Tournaments.
    A tournament is one or more games that you set as a weekly "assignment" if you will, or daily, or monthly or whatever time frame fits you best.
    You can use playlists or games to create your tournament.

    3) Having students join your group
    Use the invitation code that comes with every group. Send it via mail or write it down somewhere.
    Users can go here https://www.purposegames.com/invitation once they have your invitation code.

    As soon as the tournament starts, all group members get a notification and can start playing the games you have assigned.

     

    Our school email does not allow for mail from outside entities. How can we use PurposeGames?

    You can use Google Sign-In.

     

    How Will My Students Know A Tournament Has Started?

    Whenever a tournament starts, a notification for anyone who is a member of the group where the tournament is hosted, is being sent out.

    The notification contains a direct link to the tournament.

     

    Rules and References

    What is ATH?

    The ATH is the All-Time High in a game: the best score by any registered player to date.
    It has three factors: accuracy, speed and primacy.

    If 10 people have played a game and have different accuracies, the one with the highest accuracy (percent right) holds the ATH, no matter how fast the other players are. Among players with the same accuracy, the fastest time wins the ATH. Among players with equal accuracy and speed, the first one to reach that mark holds the ATH. In other words, for equal speed and accuracy, primacy is the tie breaker.

     

    What are Nods?

    A nod is a recognition to a fellow PurposeGamer who has accomplished greatness.
    You can give out 5 nods per month.

    The user with most nods at the end of a month becomes "Member of the Month".

     

    I published my public list, but it does not show up. Why?

    Just as with games, PurposeGames.com has a reviewstep for each list that gets published. Though you can use your playlist immediately, and others visiting your profile can see the list as soon as you have published it, it will take a little while before it shows up in the playlists section of the site.

     

    Is it possible to embed a game in another website?

    This is not currently possible nor allowed.
    Please see our Terms of Service.

     

    I've seen an ad on PurposeGames I do not like - what can I do?

    Advertising is currently our only source of revenue to make this site continue to operate and we only use reputable advertising sources (we partner with Google and Amazon for ads).

    In this day and age, most advertising is targeted i.e. your browsing habits, location and other things can play a part in what ads are shown to you. That said, should you find an advert you do not like, there is usually a way (in one of the corners of the ad in question) to make choices about the ad in question.

     

    Why can I not use your site with my favorite ad blocker?

    You can.

    Anyone can browse this website without ads being shown.
    However, you will not be able to play the games without allowing ads to be shown.

    It's very simple: without the money from ads, we cannot have this site open and free.

     

    Do you offer paid memberships to have an ad-free experience?

    No, not at the moment.

    We are looking into the possibility of offering subscriptions in the future, but for the time being we do not.

     

    What are badges?

    Badges are permanent achievements displayed on your user profile. They showcase your skills and accomplishments, and once earned, they remain with you indefinitely.

     

    What are flairs?

    Flairs are temporary achievements that appear on your profile as long as you maintain specific conditions. Unlike badges, flairs can disappear if you no longer meet their requirements.

     

    What's the difference between badges and flairs?

    Badges are permanent achievements that stay on your profile indefinitely, while flairs are temporary and remain visible only as long as you meet their specific requirements. Badges showcase long-term accomplishments, whereas flairs reflect current status or recent activities.

     

    Why is my flair gone?

    Your flair may disappear if you no longer meet its specific requirements. This could happen if you:

    • Fail to maintain a required streak
    • Don't keep the necessary number of points
    • No longer fulfill other conditions associated with the flair

    If you want to regain your flair, check its requirements and work towards meeting them again.