# The Pack - NYSCI

> Open-world puzzle and survival game teaching computational thinking and ecological restoration. (iPhone/iPad app by New York Hall of Science.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-pack-nysci/id1458895087 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [New York Hall of Science](https://appshunter.io/developer/947124789)
- Category: Games, Education, Adventure, Strategy
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.18/5 from 77 App Store ratings · 32 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 316 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2019-04-22
- Data updated: 2026-06-09
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-pack-nysci/id1458895087/reviews.md

## What is The Pack?

Help restore the world to an ecologically balanced state in this open-world puzzle and survival game – while learning some computational thinking along the way! The Pack is set in Algos, a future world where healthy ecosystems have faltered, water and food are scarce, and it’s up to you and your Pack to help fix the environment.
 
You find yourself waking up in a barren land where the only way to bring balanced life back is to replenish water sources and find varied seeds that are scattered all over the world! You can’t do it alone, and can’t stray too far from water, so you and a “Pack” of helpful creatures set out on an adventure across Algos.
 
Throughout the game, you must find food sources to attract your own Pack made of local Algos creatures with special skills that will help you in your new environment. These creatures have functions like digging, moving, holding, grabbing and bumping, skills that will help you collect seeds and bring water to dry areas. When your Pack has more than one type of creature, you can combine them in a sequence (also known as an algorithm) to perform complex tasks and overcome challenges. Learning and mastering how to use these algorithms is the key to finding all of the seeds and restoring harmony to Algos!
 
This project was supported by the JPB Foundation. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1543144. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
 
The Pack is a science and math-based game created by the New York Hall of Science. The game encourages problem-solving and computational thinking as well as enforces basic coding principles. Educational guidelines are available to download free from our website.

## Key features

- Open-world exploration
- Puzzle-solving challenges
- Survival mechanics
- Creature collection and management
- Algorithmic sequencing
- Ecological restoration theme

## Recent user reviews (10 of 32)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-pack-nysci/id1458895087/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Long time player

*2025-12-15, version 7.1*

Please update game so it can support more it’s my favorite!!!

### 3/5 — I cleared this game.

*2024-11-17, version 7.0*

But, few played after cleared, that NPC stuck corner of field. But still that NPC saying, “Thank you! I’ll keep exploring.” But how does that NPC move from stuck on corner of field? How can I help that sticking NPC? Or, is that bug?

### 4/5 — A small, but annoying glitch

*2024-06-15, version 7.1*

So I have completed The pack and have been trying to restore the land. After awhile my friend gets stuck in the same place and keeps on saying "Thank you! I'll keep exploring." and " There used to be a forest here… Let’s plant something new.". It's a great game! But there are some flaws.

### 5/5 — very fun and relaxing

*2024-01-16, version 7.0*

super fun game. the visuals are amazing.great work on the world. 

it would be nice to have the option to mute the music though

### 5/5 — good game

*2022-11-14, version 4*

well made and great theme. the characters reek of hard work

### 4/5 — This is a wonderful game. But…

*2022-08-25, version 4*

The pack is an educational game but when I unlock the main character’s friend he freezes in a while and repeats “there used to be a forest here…  Let’s plant something new”. So can you please fix this.

### 1/5 — App crashed

*2020-11-26, version 3*

the app not open and crashed with error 
Termination Reason:    Namespace CODESIGNING, Code 0x1
on mac os 10.13.6

### 2/5 — it wont work

*2020-08-21, version 3*

downloaded on high siera for iMac. but the game only opend to a black blank screen. was really excited to play.

### 4/5 — Science Teacher Says Thumbs Up

*2020-05-16, version 1.05*

As a middle school science teacher, I would say that The Pack is simple, yet challenging. I have been playing for a few months and will now introduce it to my students.

The game will support my students in their understanding of algorithms and computational thinking as they use creatures to create algorithms and solve problems in Algos. 

The Pack’s themes fit into several of my learning units such as scientific inquiry and ecology. I’m interested to see how the game enhances their engagement and understanding of patterns, cause and effect, scale, porportion, and quantity etc..

### 5/5 — Great game! Beautiful and creative!

*2019-10-05, version 1.05*

This is a wonderful game for my kids, but I wound up loving it as well! The algorithms are a great way to get kids thinking. Great job!

I’m not sure how to reach the developer, but it does eventually dead end with somebody telling you to plant a forest no matter how many trees you plant. Maybe that’s just the end of the game?

## Frequently asked questions about The Pack

### What is The Pack about?

The Pack is an open-world puzzle and survival game where players work to restore an ecologically unbalanced future world. You lead a "Pack" of creatures with special skills to solve environmental challenges, find food and water, and bring balance back to the land.

### What are the key gameplay mechanics?

Players explore a barren world, find food to attract creatures, and use their unique skills (digging, moving, holding, grabbing, bumping) to collect seeds and replenish water sources. Combining creatures in sequences, known as algorithms, is crucial for overcoming complex tasks and challenges.

### Is this game free to play?

Yes, The Pack is a free game. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned in the provided description.

### What educational aspects does the game offer?

The game teaches computational thinking and basic coding principles through its gameplay. Players learn problem-solving skills by mastering algorithmic sequences to achieve game objectives. Educational guidelines are also available for download.

### Who is the target audience for The Pack?

This game is designed for individuals who enjoy puzzle and survival games, and are interested in learning about computational thinking and ecological restoration in an engaging, interactive way.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 7.1 — 2023-12-21

- Small bugfix that was breaking saved games.

### 7.0 — 2023-07-07

Tutorial fixes
Ability to skip tutorial 
Late game fixes

### 5.0 — 2023-06-08

- Spanish language support.
- Better game controller support with separate look and move controls.
- A new more common touchscreen control scheme called 'classic'. The older 'simple' controls can be selected in Options.  
- Bug fixes and UI improvements

### 4 — 2021-06-23

Added bluetooth controller support.
Ability to skip tutorial. 
Turning sensitivity option. 
Bug fixes relating to creature movement.

### 3 — 2020-06-16

Removing deprecated api calls.

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## More apps by New York Hall of Science

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All apps by New York Hall of Science: https://appshunter.io/developer/947124789

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-09.*