Games can give veterinary students a low-stakes way to retrieve knowledge, explain decisions and practise communication—but they are not a proven replacement for teaching or assessment. Evidence is mixed: some activities have improved immediate measures such as confidence or exam scores, while a 2026 study found no significant retention advantage for Kahoot!-supported oncology teaching. Educators should match each game to a clear learning objective and measure the outcome that matters.
What counts as a game in veterinary education?
Veterinary teaching games range from physical card and board games to digital quizzes and scenario-based activities such as simulations or escape rooms. These formats can all add interaction, but they do different jobs: a quiz prompts rapid recall, a card game can require learners to match information and justify choices, and a scenario can ask them to apply knowledge in context. Available studies do not establish that one format is universally superior.
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The instructional value depends less on the label “game” than on what learners must do. Activities are most useful when they make students retrieve, explain, discuss or apply material tied to a defined objective. Low-stakes choices and feedback can help learners surface misconceptions without the pressure of a high-stakes assessment. Games should sit within a course’s broader teaching and assessment plan.
What does the evidence show about learning?
Antimicrobial prescribing: promising immediate results, limited follow-up
In a 2025 University of Florida study, students took part in conventional verbal rounds and then played a card game pairing antimicrobial options with disease cards and short case descriptions. Self-reported comfort with prescribing increased after the rounds and rose further after the game for four diseases represented in it. Actinomyces, the surveyed disease deliberately left out of the game, showed no similar additional post-game increase. The authors also reported more correct prescriptions across various scenarios. Read the study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
#1 Best Overall
- PRETEND YOU'RE A VET: The Operation Pet Scan game has a twist on classic Operation gameplay. Cavity Sam's dog, Rex-Ray, ate things he shouldn't have, and players need to get them out of his belly
- MAKE REX-RAY FEEL BETTER: Using the Dog-o-scope, players drag the plastic ailment along the path from Rex-Ray the dog's belly and out his tail end without letting it fall out
- WATCH OUT FOR THE BUZZ: If a player strays from the path and the buzzer goes off, the ailment drops. If it falls out, their turn ends. Remove it successfully and he'll fart or bark in relief
- SILLY SOUNDS: The Operation Pet Scan game features silly sound effects. Press the dog's nose to hear fun sounds including barks, belly gurgling, and farts
- FUN KIDS' GAME: The Operation Pet Scan board game is a great choice for your child's play date or to keep your kids entertained on a rainy day. It makes a fun gift for kids ages 6 and up
Students responded positively to the activity: all 49 students who answered the game-structure items said they would play again, 98% found it cognitively challenging and 96% perceived unpredictable elements. The study abstract characterized enjoyment as universal. Those figures describe this particular group, not veterinary students generally.
The study had no separate no-game control group and did not follow student knowledge over time. The results therefore support a promising classroom activity, not a broad claim that the game caused lasting clinical competence. Confidence, immediate performance and durable retention are distinct outcomes.
Rank #2
- Immersive dog theme: Buy beloved breeds from Chihuahua to Great Dane, add Dog Houses, trade for Big Bones, and build a canine empire while discovering fun breed facts with family and friends, plus clever twists
- Flexible play modes: Choose classic rules for a full evening or the quick one hour version for busy weeknights and parties; simple to learn for new players, kids, and casual board fans; great for game nights
- Family friendly fun: For ages 8 and up and 2 to 6 players, ideal for mixed ages; perfect rainy day entertainment, weekend activities, travel, and gatherings; thoughtful gifts for dog lovers and pet owners
- Replayable strategy: Chance, trades, and Go Fetch cards create fresh decisions each turn; plan routes, manage bones, avoid fleas, and laugh together every time you circle the hydrant; balanced difficulty keeps it engaging
- Quality gift idea: Colorful artwork, sturdy components, and engaging trivia make it a standout present for birthdays, holidays, and housewarmings; delights kids, teens, adults, and families with long-lasting value
Kahoot! in oncology: positive perceptions, no significant retention difference
A 2026 study involving 145 fourth-year veterinary students compared Kahoot!-supported small-group clinical oncology teaching with traditional quiz methods. It found no significant short- or long-term retention difference between the approaches. Students viewed Kahoot! positively, suggesting it may diversify delivery, but positive perceptions did not correspond to a demonstrated retention advantage. See the study record on PubMed.
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Gross anatomy: a bundled intervention complicates attribution
A 2023 study at CEU Cardenal Herrera University in Spain combined flipped preparation, collaborative work, quizzes and a card game in first-year veterinary gross-anatomy practicals. The blended-learning cohort’s locomotor-apparatus practical exam score was 6.79 ± 2.22, compared with 6.38 ± 2.24 in an earlier comparison cohort (p < 0.05). Organic-systems scores were similar: 7.76 ± 1.99 and 7.64 ± 1.92. More than 80% of surveyed responses were positive about motivation and learning facilitation. Because several teaching changes were introduced together, the difference in scores cannot be attributed to the card game alone. Read the study in Veterinary Sciences.
Rank #3
- MATH & STEM GAMEPLAY: Enjoy a fun, engaging and interactive math experience with SimplyFun Walk the Dogs, a kids math game that combines strategy, arithmetic, and counting skills.
- LEARNING TOOL: Walk the Dogs is a math learning game for kids that helps players ages 8+ improve basic math skills in a hands-on and enjoyable way. Use it at home or in the classroom!
- EARLY MULTIPLICATION: Boost your math skills with this exciting, brain-teasing educational math game! Improve your early multiplication skills with card play & 63 cute dogs in order to create a line of dogs with as many of the same breed together.
- STRATEGIC THINKING: As players engage with Walk the Dogs, they are encouraged to practice strategic thinking by considering the cards they have, the available dogs, and their chances of winning the game. Risk & Reward are key in this strategic game!
- HOW TO PLAY: Create a line of dogs with as many of the same breed together as possible. Add dogs to your row only to the front or back of your line. Earn points for each set or win by having five of the same breed in a row in your line!
Communication practice: a promising design still awaiting formal outcomes
A 2026 University of Arizona teaching tip describes a companion-animal communication board game used in required preclinical professional-skills coursework. First- and second-year students reportedly valued the chance to practise professional conversations aligned with communication competencies. The authors said formal outcomes assessment was still planned, so the example illustrates a design approach rather than established learning gains. See the article record on PubMed.
How to choose and evaluate an activity
Start with the skill or knowledge learners should demonstrate, then select the format and assessment accordingly. A useful comparison considers not just whether an activity feels engaging but whether students can access it, participate, receive meaningful feedback and show the intended learning outcome.
Rank #4
- Fun and Engaging: Boost memory, focus, matching skills and teamwork. Supports cognitive development, pattern recognition, and structured routines, making it an excellent Montessori and sensory-friendly activity. Perfect for children who love animals — the fluffy "little patients" create an immersive caregiving experience that keeps little ones fully engaged and delighted.
- Easy to Learn, Quick to Play: Pull a random sick animal token from the crate to see what tools it needs. Then flip two medical cards one turn.If all tools are gathered, slide the sick animals Token (hurt-side up) into the Slot. Watch it tumble and flip to the healed side! Then the Sprite will weaken and step back two steps. If any medical tool is still needed, the Sprite moves one step forward each turn. Treat 9 sick animals before the Sprite Escape
- Two Games in One Box – Start younger kids (age 3+) with the simple flip and memory matching card game. Then progress to the full cooperative story mode for older siblings (up to age 8). Challenges for every age—from toddler to big kid! Perfect for birthdays, preschool gifts, playdates, and family game night that grow with your child
- Light Filler Game 15 Minutes Per Round: This game aimed at young kids and families. Perfect for busy family, preschoolers between classes, families with kids waiting at restaurants or warming up game night or parties. It is easy to teach, portable, quick to reset, and ideal for small tables and short gaps, keeping everyone engaged without a long commitment.
- Calling all little animal lovers: This veterinary kit turns toddlers into real vets through cooperative pretend play. Heal 9 sick pets together before the Germ Sprite escapes. More than fun, it gently nurtures compassion and empathy, teaching kids to care for animals with kindness. Perfect for little ones who dream of helping critters in need!
- Objective: Specify whether students should recall facts, select a treatment, explain their reasoning, practise communication or perform a practical skill.
- Format and participation: Consider physical or digital delivery, group size, facilitation needs, setup, accessibility and whether students can repeat the activity.
- Feedback: Decide when learners receive feedback and whether it explains why a choice is sound or needs revision.
- Measure: Track the outcome the objective calls for—engagement, confidence, immediate knowledge, practical performance or retention over time. Do not treat one as a substitute for another.
- Course fit: Connect play to instruction and assessment, and account for other changes if the game is introduced alongside flipped learning, lectures, group work or quizzes.
Participation also needs attention. In a 2019 study of a gamified gesture-recognition system for teaching hand hygiene, only 13.6% of 611 eligible students interacted with the machine at least once. Game features alone do not guarantee that a tool is convenient or used. See the study in Veterinary Record.
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Examples of veterinary teaching games
The American Animal Hospital Association reported that Jacob Wolf, DVM, and physician Michael Cosimini developed the Empiric Small Animal Veterinary Card Game and an expansion with exotic-pet scenarios; AAHA said the games were sold at cost. That report identifies them as teaching examples, not as independently proven solutions, and does not establish current price or availability. Read AAHA’s account.
Best Value
- Dinosaur Rescue Challenge: Step into the role of a paleo-veterinarian and compete to save as many dinosaurs as possible from modern illnesses and injuries on the abandoned island.
- Strategic Dice Management: Roll the dice, upgrade your hospital, and employ strategic dice management techniques to treat injured and sick dinosaurs effectively.
- Top PaleoVet Title: Compete with fellow paleo-veterinarians to earn the prestigious title of top PaleoVet by showcasing your proficiency in caring for these magnificent and dangerous beasts.
- Accessible Gameplay: With characteristics like a quick learning curve (learn in 5 minutes), light engine building, and push-your-luck mechanics, "PaleoVet" offers highly accessible and engaging gameplay for players of all levels.
- Preserve the Lost World: Explore the world's first dinosaur park, now considered an international treasure, and face the unanticipated threat of modern microbes as you strive to preserve this lost world through strategic and thrilling gameplay.
Wolf described his motivation as wanting “to make a fun, approachable way for them to learn it.” Veterinary educator Cynthia Faux, PhD, has described games as a low- or no-stakes space where students can engage with material and make mistakes without consequence. Jamie Perkins, DVM, has expressed the view that gamification can support student mental health and collegiality; that is an intended benefit, not a measured outcome in the studies summarized here.
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