Odeum

Most attempts at game-based learning are like chocolate-covered broccoli. The game and the lesson are in tandem, one posed as a prize for completing the other. Students grind through a worksheet, then earn a few minutes of unrelated gameplay. The chocolate hides the broccoli, but the two never truly mix. Learning remains work.

James Paul Gee, a prominent linguist and education researcher at Arizona State University, argued that the true potential of game-based learning lies in dissolving that divide. When play and pedagogy are woven together, the game becomes the act of learning. Every quest, challenge and decision pulls the student deeper into the material.

Odeum, an edtech company specializing in game-based, immersive learning, makes this goal a reality.

It builds curriculum-aligned adventures where the lesson becomes the game. Students are drawn into a story where every choice, conversation and quest directly ties to learning objectives. A Mandarin lesson transforms into a quest where practicing sentence patterns unlocks new dialogue and story paths. A history unit becomes an unfolding drama where understanding the Stamp Act of 1765 determines what happens next.

“If you hand a student a worksheet, they’ll ask how many problems they have to finish. If you place that same objective inside a story, they’ll ask what happens next. That shift makes learning stick,” says Ian Natzmer, founder of Odeum.

When Teachers Become World Builders

Most edtech platforms force educators to choose between engaging but rigid content and customizable tools that demand technical expertise they don’t have. Odeum eliminates the trade-off by giving teachers creative control. They become world builders, turning lessons into immersive experiences where every practice session advances a meaningful story. Routine drills become an adventure that students want to complete, while educators retain complete control over how learning unfolds.

Powering this shift is Odeum Studio, an AI-driven authoring tool that makes game creation as natural as writing a lesson plan. Teachers enter their learning goals, like mastering a grammar rule, explaining a scientific principle or unpacking a historical event and add as much creative input as they want. The studio generates storylines, characters and dialogue options aligned to those objectives. Educators can approve drafts as is or refine them until the experience matches their classroom vision. What would usually take weeks of design and technical work is accomplished in minutes.

Every lesson built in Odeum Studio becomes part of a growing digital library of reusable, adaptable adventures.

“We’re building a digital library, not just games,” says Natzmer.

“As teachers create experiences with Odeum, those games can be shared and reused. This flexibility saves time and every classroom can have its customized adventure.”

Once built, the experiences are delivered through Odeum, which is platform-agnostic by design. Games can be deployed wherever students are, on web browsers, in 3D virtual worlds and on mobile devices. Removing technical barriers ensures learning can happen seamlessly across environments.

Learning That Adapts to Every Student

Odeum views adaptive learning as a natural extension of how good games work. Role-playing games track player choices and open new paths based on decisions. Suppose a student struggles with algebraic equations or misunderstands a scientific concept like photosynthesis. The game redirects the learner to a side quest that reinforces the material. If they succeed, the game opens more complex tasks to keep them engaged. Meanwhile, Odeum Studio tracks progress and provides immediate feedback, giving teachers clear visibility into student achievements and areas for improvement. It results in a system that adapts dynamically, ensuring each student progresses according to their needs.

This adaptive model has proven powerful in practice. One of Odeum’s earliest collaborations involved Berlitz, a global language education company that needed a way to make Business English practical. Traditional drills built vocabulary, but little confidence. With Odeum Studio, Berlitz created an interactive office where learners role-played meetings, negotiations and daily conversations. Instead of memorizing phrases, students practiced them in context, gaining fluency and confidence.

Wyandotte Public Schools in Michigan faced the familiar challenge of engaging students with Shakespeare. In addition to reading Macbeth, students stepped inside the play’s world. They completed quests tied to plot and characters, with side quests offering extra support when needed. One student, expecting a boring educational game, exclaimed, “These graphics are better than Skyrim!”

Odeum’s reach extends beyond classrooms. Hua Mulan, A Chinese Learning Adventure, is an educational role-playing game released on Steam. It immerses Mandarin students into ancient China through the legendary heroine’s time-traveling adventure. Instead of flashcards, players help Mulan on her quests. They speak with characters, using language in natural contexts. They practice speaking, reading and writing Pinyin. The story immerses them in Chinese history and culture, adding cultural understanding to language skills. Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities develop as they navigate puzzles and challenges. Feedback has been positive, with over 90 percent of surveyed players preferring this learning style over traditional methods.

In all cases, teachers reported that students stayed engaged longer and retained concepts more deeply when actively lived through them in a story context.

Building Tomorrow’s Educational Infrastructure

Odeum represents more than a product. It is a movement to reimagine education. Uniting cognitive science, storytelling and adaptive technology creates engaging and educationally sound experiences. With each teacher-created game, the shared library expands, creating a ‘Netflix of learning experiences’ that can be accessed and adapted across classrooms worldwide.

Equally important, Odeum levels the playing field. Not every school can afford field trips, language exchanges or specialized tutors. By making these experiences accessible through technology, Odeum ensures that every student—regardless of background or resources—can step into rich, immersive worlds of learning.

For Natzmer, a veteran of AI-driven product design and immersive game development, Odeum is personal.

“The future of education should feel like an adventure,” he says.

“That’s why we built Odeum to give every learner the chance to experience knowledge, not just memorize it.”

It’s not chocolate on broccoli, but broccoli transformed into something students genuinely want to consume.