Zombie ants VR: Using trial-and-error gameplay mechanics to intuitively teach players about natural selection

William  C.  Beckerson; Maite Goebbels; Brendan J.  Miller; Neri St. Charles; John Murray; Charissa de Bekker

doi:10.20897/ejsteme/18457

Research Article

2026, 11(1), Article No: 22

Zombie ants VR: Using trial-and-error gameplay mechanics to intuitively teach players about natural selection

William C. Beckerson ¹ ^* , Maite Goebbels ¹, Brendan J. Miller ¹, Neri St. Charles ², John Murray ³, Charissa de Bekker ¹

¹ Utrecht University, THE NETHERLANDS ² EA Orlando, UNITED STATES ³ University of Central Florida, UNITED STATES
^* Corresponding Author

https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18457

Published in Volume 11 Issue 1: 23 Apr 2026

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Abstract

Understanding the process of evolution is important for making informed decisions about the use of antibiotics and vaccinations to combat pathogens. Unfortunately, discussing the intersection of evolution and infectious diseases can be difficult due to preexisting religious views and/or political beliefs. We sought to explore whether gamification techniques like trial-and-error gameplay could overcome this problem by teaching the process of evolution without explicitly defining the theory. To do so, we created the freely available virtual reality game Zombie Ants VR: Definitive Edition, where players take on the role of the zombie fungus Ophiocordyceps with the goal of infecting and behaviorally manipulating ant hosts. The player’s in-game decisions determined whether they succeeded and reproduced or if they died and needed to try again as a new fungal spore. By emphasizing that each new attempt took place with a new individual, we aimed to intuitively teach how natural selection acts at the population level and dispel common evolutionary misconceptions. To test if the gameplay mechanics would have this effect, we performed a small-sample exploratory study in which we compared participant responses on pre- and post-game questionnaires. Our results demonstrated that playing Zombie Ants VR: Definitive Edition increased players’ understanding of evolution, independent of preexisting beliefs

Figure 1. Storyboard for Zombie Ants VR: Definitive edition

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APA 7th edition

In-text citation: (Beckerson et al., 2026)
Reference: Beckerson, W. C., Goebbels, M., Miller, B. J., Charles, N. S., Murray, J., & de Bekker, C. (2026). Zombie ants VR: Using trial-and-error gameplay mechanics to intuitively teach players about natural selection. European Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), Article 22. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18457

AMA 10th edition

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Beckerson WC, Goebbels M, Miller BJ, Charles NS, Murray J, de Bekker C. Zombie ants VR: Using trial-and-error gameplay mechanics to intuitively teach players about natural selection. European Journal of STEM Education. 2026;11(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18457

Chicago

In-text citation: (Beckerson et al., 2026)
Reference: Beckerson, William C., Maite Goebbels, Brendan J. Miller, Neri St. Charles, John Murray, and Charissa de Bekker. "Zombie ants VR: Using trial-and-error gameplay mechanics to intuitively teach players about natural selection". European Journal of STEM Education 2026 11 no. 1 (2026): 22. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18457

Harvard

In-text citation: (Beckerson et al., 2026)
Reference: Beckerson, W. C., Goebbels, M., Miller, B. J., Charles, N. S., Murray, J., and de Bekker, C. (2026). Zombie ants VR: Using trial-and-error gameplay mechanics to intuitively teach players about natural selection. European Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18457

MLA

In-text citation: (Beckerson et al., 2026)
Reference: Beckerson, William C. et al. "Zombie ants VR: Using trial-and-error gameplay mechanics to intuitively teach players about natural selection". European Journal of STEM Education, vol. 11, no. 1, 2026, 22. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18457

Vancouver

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Beckerson WC, Goebbels M, Miller BJ, Charles NS, Murray J, de Bekker C. Zombie ants VR: Using trial-and-error gameplay mechanics to intuitively teach players about natural selection. European Journal of STEM Education. 2026;11(1):22. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/18457

Keywords

evolution, infectious disease, gamification, virtual reality, serious games

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