Crystal Island is provided free of charge to educators who would like to use it to teach science problem-solving skills, microbiology, and interpreting complex informational texts. If you are interested in using the Crystal Island game-based learning environment in your 8th grade classroom or in a remote learning configuration, contact us at intellimedia@ncsu.edu to request more information.
Technical Requirements
Crystal Island is available for Windows PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks with the following minimum specifications.
Windows Laptop or Desktop
| Internet Connection | Always connected to Internet |
| Operating System | Windows 10 or Windows 7 SP1+ |
| Screen Resolution | 1280×800 or more |
| Web Browser | Firefox (52 and later), Chrome (57 and later), Edge (79 and later) |
| Computer Processor | Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 and Opteron or later processors |
| Computer Memory | 2 GB |
| Graphics Card | Graphics card with DX10 (shader model 4.0 or later) capabilities |
Mac Laptop or Desktop
| Internet Connection | Always connected to Internet |
| Operating System | macOS 10.12+ |
| Screen Resolution | 1280×800 or more |
| Web Browser | Firefox (52 and later), Chrome (57 and later), Safari (12.1 and later) |
| Computer Processor | Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz and later |
| Computer Memory | 2 GB |
| Graphics Card | Graphics card with OpenGL 3.3 or later capabilities |
Chromebook
Chromebooks can vary widely depending on the manufacturer and model. Use this chart to try to find your model’s specifications.
| Internet Connection | Always connected to Internet |
| Operating System | Chrome OS 70 or later |
| Screen Resolution | 1366×768 or more |
| Web Browser | Chrome |
| Computer Processor | Intel Celeron 2.16 GHz or later |
| Computer Memory | 2 GB |
| Graphics Card | Intel HD Graphics |
Resources
Installing and Playing the Game
Crystal Island Controls
Crystal Island Controls Quick Reference
Lesson Planning
Crystal Island Curriculum Schedule
Concept Matrix Activities
In-Game Resources
Crystal Island Generative Organizational Tables
Crystal Island Characters
Crystal Island Buildings