WolfQuest: Survival of the Pack, featuring episode 2: Slough Creek, is now available as a free download on the WolfQuest Web site. Download it here. If our servers are busy, please be patient. If you have an older version of WolfQuest on your computer, the game installer will replace it with this version, but it will not affect your saved games or any screenshots taken within the game. For more information, check out our detailed download help in the manaul (included in the download package) and in the WolfQuest FAQs.

(Note: If you downloaded the game in early January, please get this latest version as it has many bug fixes.)

As many of you know, the release of the new episode of WolfQuest was a long time in the making. So to celebrate the release of Survival of the Pack, we have added a new item to our store! We still have a limited supply of the original WolfQuest t-shirt, as well as a wolf plush, wolf plush with magnetic feet, and a set of wolf toys (expected to be back in stock in February).

But now we also have an embroidered patch of the WolfQuest logo, great for sewing or pinning onto hats, jackets, backpacks, and more! A new WolfQuest t-shirt is also in the works, and we hope to have that available for purchase sometime in March. And finally, if you purchase two or more items from our store, for a limited time, you will receive a WolfQuest logo magnet, perfect for decorating computer desks or school lockers. We only have a limited number to give away, so if you want to buy a few things from the store and would like a free magnet, order soon!

Since WolfQuest's release two years ago, we've heard some incredible and inspiring stories as to how WolfQuest has been used both at home and in classrooms. From players with autism practicing social interactions in multiplayer games to middle school students studying how animals' lives are connected to the environment; we'd love to hear your story! Do you use WolfQuest to help teach your students or children about wolves, ecology, or teamwork? Do you useWolfQuest in some other creative way? Send us your WolfQuest story, and we may even be able to use it for a future press release!

WolfQuest offers a chance for players to learn all about wolves without ever leaving their home. Now, the Minnesota Zoo is offering an amazing opportunity to learn even more about wolves. On March 5-7, 2010, join us at the Minnesota Zoo to see captive wolves and speak with a wolf zookeeper, then visit the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota, to learn about wild wolves with a night wolf call, a hike to an abandoned wolf den, and an airplane flight to track radio-collared wolves. This program is geared toward adults, but anyone ages 12-17 may attend with a parent/guardian. Please register by February 1st. For more information, visit the Wild Wolf Ed-Venture webpage.

We're pleased to announce that Survival of the Pack is not the end of the WolfQuest project. With additional funding from the National Science Foundation, we will soon begin work on an expanded version of Survival of the Pack, featuring new game elements designed by you—the people who play WolfQuest. Look for more information in our next newsletter!