Draft:Gimkit

Gimkit is an educational game website created by Josh Feinsilber in late October of 2017. As of November 2024, there are 26 game modes with popular themes such as Capture The Flag, Tag, and more. Similarly to Blooket, teachers and students can create a set of questions and play a game to use it as a study tool or for fun.

Gimkit has implemented an XP system. When you get 1,000 XP, it resets and you receive 100 "GimBucks", the virtual currency. XP can be earned by playing 2D game modes. You can use them to purchase cosmetics like trails, skins (called Gims), and stickers from the store. There is a Gimkit Season Pass that costs 5 dollars. Similar to other games, such as Fortnite, you can receive exclusive cosmetics and other exclusive actions.

History

Creation

Gimkit (originally named Gimlet) was created by Josh Feinsilber as a high school project in October 2017. He posted it on a site called Product Hunt, where it garnered mostly positive reviews. Josh's original goal was to get 10 teachers to use Gimkit in their classrooms, which he would meet fast.

2018-2019

By now, Gimlet had become Gimkit, and Jeff Osborn had joined. Gimkit had 7 game modes where you could answer questions, but it was not the Gimkit we know today. You could enjoy game modes with power-ups, a shop, some challenges to overcome or constraints, and some occasionally had teams. Some game modes were Pictionary, This or That, Floor Is Lava, and more.

Pandemic Years

COVID-19 and virtual learning increased Gimkit usage, as teachers found that students liked the engagement and minigames.

April of 2022 brought great changes to Gimkit. New 2D game modes were introduced where you could play as characters named Gims. Game modes like Fishtopia, Farmchain, Capture the Flag, Tag, and more were added to the game, as well as a shop with cosmetics like skins and stickers.

Present Day

In 2023, moderation came into key as lots of content was created. 3 new game modes were created: One Way Out, Don't Look Down, and Blastball; in April, October and December respectively. A new feature called Gimkit Creative was launched in March of the same year. New cosmetics were made weekly, with new skins and trails coming out in the shop. In May 2024, a new gamemode called Knockback was added. As of 2019, Gimkit has surpassed 700,000 active users per month.

Game modes

There are 26 game modes as of November 2024, and they can be categorized into two groups. These groups are 2D game modes and non-2D game modes. In 2D game modes, players are Gims. Gims are blob-like creatures that the character moves around to complete certain objectives, while answering questions for resources. In non-2D game modes, the player answers questions for a resource, usually cash, with a shop in which there are power-ups and upgrades available for purchase.

2D Game Modes

As of November 2024, there are 12 2D game modes. In 2D modes, the player controls a character called a Gim. 2D game modes can be sorted into top-down and platformer types. In top-down modes, the player has a bird’s eye view of the Gim, which they can move in all directions. Top-down modes are in a 2.5D layout. Platformer styled game modes are 2D platformers in which the Gim has the ability to move left and right, and also jump/fall.

Cosmetics

Cosmetics in Gimkit as a progression and reward system that keeps students highly engaged over time. In the 2D game modes, players have the opportunity to earn valuable XP that can unlock customization options.

As you accumulate XP through gameplay, you gradually level up, with each level bringing a reward of 100 GimBucks. These virtual currency units can be used to purchase in-game items from the Item Shop.

Creative

On May 11, 2023, Feinsilber released a new update to Gimkit which included a new feature called Gimkit Creative, where students could make their own 2D game modes that could be published to the Discovery tab, released later on.