Free history games that make you think like a detective
History is more fun when you investigate it. The best history games give you evidence and ask you to reason, not just recall.
Skills a good history game exercises
- Putting events in order.
- Comparing one source against another.
- Tracing causes and effects.
- Deciding what the evidence can and cannot prove.
- Knowing where things happened on a map.
Honest scoring matters
Look for games that leave out dates historians still debate, so every question has one defensible answer.
How PastRush approaches it
PastRush: History Detective is a free iPhone app from Honest Little Apps. Everything below comes from its App Store description.
- PastRush gives you real case files with labelled exhibits to investigate; six of the 12 investigations are free.
- Which Came First? asks you to tap the older of two events, leaving out dates that historians still debate.
- Where in the World? has you drop a pin on a real map, with points for closeness.
- The Explorer update adds Dive, which zooms from the Milky Way down to a place and back in time, and an Album of 245 globe stories as collectible cards, earned by playing and never sold.
See PastRush on the App Store Read the full PastRush page
Questions
Are there free history games for iPhone?
PastRush: History Detective is listed free on the App Store; its description says six of 12 investigations are free.
Does PastRush use real historical sources?
It presents real case files and labelled exhibits, per the App Store description. Check the listing for details.
Can I buy cards in PastRush?
The description says cards are earned by playing, never sold.
