Classcraft
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2013
- Employees
- N/A
- Offices
- 2
About Classcraft
Classcraft developed educational games and classroom engagement software that brought role-playing mechanics into everyday teaching. Founded in 2013, the company combined collaborative play, classroom management and learning activities to help teachers address student disengagement and support social-emotional development. Its original platform operated as a gamification layer around existing curricula, connecting academic progress and positive behavior with shared classroom adventures.
Students participated through avatars with Healer, Mage and Warrior character classes. Working in teams, they earned experience points, completed standards-aligned quests and gained digital or classroom powers. These mechanics connected individual choices with group progress, making collaboration part of the learning experience. The platform also supported Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, giving educators tools to recognize constructive behavior alongside academic achievement. A companion mobile application provided access for students and parents.
From standalone platform to integrated instruction
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt acquired Classcraft on May 11, 2023, incorporating its engineering talent and gamification mechanics into a broader educational product suite. In February 2024, HMH introduced HMH Classcraft, a classroom orchestration and engagement tool embedded within its Ed platform. The original standalone Classcraft role-playing platform was permanently retired on June 30, 2024.
The integrated product supports whole-class instruction for grades K–8, combining interactive activities with real-time information about student performance. Instructional routines include Turn and Talk, polls and quests, helping teachers organize participation and respond to learners during a lesson. Its curriculum delivery tools connect with HMH’s Into Reading, Into Math and Into Literature programmes.
Classcraft’s independent studio operations were absorbed into HMH, which continues the product under the HMH Classcraft name. This transition changed the delivery model from a standalone classroom RPG to an integrated instruction and engagement offering within HMH’s educational platform.
More about Classcraft
Founders and educational origins
- The founders were high school physics teacher Shawn Young, his brother Devin Young, a creative director and designer, and their father Laurent Young, a business advisor and accountant. These are historical founding roles; the report does not establish current executive appointments.
- Shawn's original concept drew inspiration from tabletop role-playing games and modern video game mechanics.
Independent-company milestones
- Classcraft achieved Certified B Corporation status during its independent history, with an emphasis on student data privacy, inclusive pedagogy and social impact.
- The platform reached more than 5 million educators and students across 160 countries during its decade as an independent company.
- The company established strategic partnerships with Google for Education and Microsoft.
- It raised more than $10 million in funding, including a $7.5 million Series A round in 2019.
Notable credits
3 creditsOffices
Where Classcraft is based
- Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Sherbrooke office
- New York, United States
New York office
Open roles
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