Level Up is an 8,000-square-foot, prototype exhibit that connects playing games to problem-solving in daily life and potential careers. The installation is designed for families and students and demonstrates the acquired skills behind what kids love most – video and analog games – to create interactive, immersive learning experiences. The exhibit is made possible by General Motors.

Level Up consists of the following game zones:

• Video Games – Research indicates action gamers are better skilled at using models to solve problems outside of games. In Portal 2 for the Xbox, players must come up with a question, design experiments, and implement solutions while applying advanced physics. Multiplayer modes allow players to collaboratively problem-solve to work toward a collective win against the game.
• Analog Games – Board games teach hands-on STEM skills without the need for a tech component and appeals to a wide age range. Large-scale games in Level Up will allow players to learn design and game mechanics.
• Virtual Reality – Computer-generated simulations of a three-dimensional image or environment puts you at the center of activity in a seemingly real or physical way using special electronic equipment such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.
• Arcade Games – The final zone will incorporate a dedicated space for guests to play classic arcade games plus winning games from the Games for Change (G4C) student challenge competition and games in a virtual playground with floor and ceiling projection where students use their body as the game controller.
• The Ames Room – A special room designed to challenge your perceptions of reality by removing all the visual cues we usually use to determine an object’s size. This effect causes objects and people in a seemingly ordinary room shrink or grow depending on their position in the room. When we look at someone inside an Ames Room, our brains are fooled into thinking that the room is a regular square; in reality, the room is trapezoidal, with one corner farther away than the others. Mi-Sci’s Ames Room will also feature a selfie station for those who want to share their experience.

As a special feature of the exhibit, the Michigan Science Center is excited to bring Electric Playhouse Travels through Memorial Day. This digital, hands-free experience is a mix of games, artistic interactives, and experiences that are ready for exploration. Using projection mapping and sensors, movements are tracked for interactions without the need for headsets or other wearable devices. Visitors enter an exhibition of interactive experiences designed to promote healthy, active play that surprises, delights, and inspires movement all themed to feel like visitors are fully immersed in a digital universe. Visitors are invited to interact with the space-themed landscape of puzzles, challenges, and wonder.

Hours:
The Michigan Science Center is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10am – 4pm.

Address and Parking:
5020 John R. Street, Detroit, MI 48202

There is metered parking on the streets around MiSci. The Cultural Center lot and several Wayne State University parking structures are available. Prices and hours vary.