Education

The Card Game

Design Background

Genome Gauntlet: Evolution Wars is a card game designed by our team, inspired by the underlying rules of a Chinese board game "森林进化论." We created it to promote iGEM and synthetic biology through engaging gameplay. The design and character names are based on fundamental concepts of genomics and biotechnology, as well as our own project content. The game creatively demonstrates scientific principles, aiming to enhance players' interest in and understanding of biology.

Brief information about the game

Genome Gauntlet: Evolution Wars is a card game for 5 players, suitable for ages 14 and above. The core of the game revolves around predation, the use of skill cards, and strategic planning to compete for victory. Each game session lasts approximately 1.5 hours, where players experience intense and thrilling strategic battles.

Game Rules

• Role Cards: At the beginning of the game, each player randomly receives a role card, which includes Restriction Enzyme, DNA, (Taq) Ligase, Heat, and Experimenter. Role information remains secret during the game.
• Blood Points: Each player starts with 15 blood points. When blood points drop to 0, the player is eliminated.
• Predation Rules: The predation order is Restriction Enzyme > DNA > (Taq) Ligase > Heat > Restriction Enzyme (forming a loop). The Experimenter is a special role with different predation outcomes. Players have two predation Cards for each rank from 1 to 5, used for predation. A successful predation increases the victor’s health points, while the defeated player loses health points (2 points in the first round, 3 points in the second round, and 4 and 5 points in two rounds of the third round).

Game Phases

1. Free Exchange: Players can exchange information, health points, and Predation Cards, but Skill Cards cannot be traded.
2. Digestion: Players take turns deciding whether to initiate a predation. Only the outcome (win or lose) is revealed, not the identity of the players. The losing player enters the Clean Bench (only in the first round). Players in the Clean Bench cannot be preyed upon and do not lose health points for refusing predation.
3. Plasmid Construction: Three Skill Cards are released each round. Players bid for them using their health points. Unacquired Skill Cards cannot be used again, adding strategic depth to the game.

Health points ：

Identity cards:

Skill cards：

Skills cards of first round of plasmid construction:

Skills cards of second round of plasmid construction:

Predation order cards:

SKILL CARDS:

First round additional skills:

1. Glucose：Roll the dice to choose one of five (1. Add 2 blood points; 2. Discard all the player's existing skill cards; 3. Roll again; 4. Randomly obtain a predator card; 5. Know who is the experimenter)
2. Microcoder：You can ask the referee and learn the identity of a player (only used in the free exchange stage and can only be used once in the entire game)
3. Uric Acid：When you are attacked, you can transfer the attack to the previous player or the next player (determined by rock, scissors, paper and shoot, used once in each digestion phase)
4. Lactic Acid：When another player digests a player who has Lactic acid, he or she must first deduct a drop of the attacker's blood before digesting can begin.

Second round additional skills:

1. Mutation：In the digestion stage, prey on any player regardless of any restraints, but predation cards still need to be consumed.
2. Recombination：Players with Recombination can specify to snatch any skill card from existing players.
3. Tryptophan：For each digestion rounds, you can select 1-3 players to become prey targets. Each prey is settled separately, and prey cards are consumed each time.
4. Lysosome：When a player is eliminated, the player with Lysosome will gain an additional 5 health points.
5. UV Lamp：Players with UV Lamp do not need to consume predation cards when digesting other players.

End Conditions

The game ends after the final round, and the player with the most remaining health points wins.

Activities

We printed the designed cards and recruited interested students at the team members' high school to participate in a board game activity. During the game, participants learned about synthetic biology.

Value of the Game

Genome Gauntlet: Evolution Wars is not just an entertaining game; it is also an educational tool that helps players understand concepts related to the project. Through gameplay, players can deepen their understanding of basic synthetic biology concepts in a challenging and strategic environment, experiencing the complexity and excitement of scientific research. The game is designed to inspire interest in iGEM projects and synthetic biology among teenagers, promoting teamwork and strategic thinking while also serving as a channel for iGEM project publicity.

WeChat mini-games

We designed an interactive game that combines education and entertainment, aiming to provide a fun and engaging way for players to learn about synthetic biology while enjoying the gameplay. This approach helps players enhance their understanding of the subject while gaining knowledge and a sense of accomplishment through enjoyable exploration.

Immersive Gameplay with Ruby Plasma

Players can join the game by scanning a QR code, which leads to a first-person interface featuring the mascot, Ruby Plasma, creating an immersive experience. They are then guided on an adventure across a vast virtual continent, embarking on a journey of exploration and learning.

Knowledge Testing Through Interactive Triggers

As players explore the virtual world, they encounter a series of trigger points designed to test their knowledge. These trigger points feature questions of varying difficulty, covering both basic theories and advanced synthetic biology applications, helping assess the player's understanding and problem-solving skills.

Progressive Challenges and Learning

The difficulty of questions gradually increases as the game progresses, fostering curiosity and encouraging players to take on challenges. This interactive format deepens their understanding of synthetic biology concepts, with explanations provided after each question to reinforce learning.

A Fun and Educational Journey

By transforming traditional learning into an engaging adventure, the game ensures that players not only gain valuable knowledge but also experience a sense of achievement, making synthetic biology more accessible and enjoyable.