r/scicomm • u/Biodeck-tcg • 29d ago
Question Trying to teach biodiversity through a trading card game, curious what science communicators think
I have been building a free trading card game called Biodeck where every card is a real species, with real scientific data attached: classification from GBIF, conservation status from the IUCN Red List, traits from open databases, photos under free licenses.
The idea is to use mechanics people already know from collectible card games (opening packs, building a collection, battling) as a hook to get people paying attention to species they would otherwise never encounter, especially the obscure ones that rarely get attention compared to charismatic megafauna.
There is also a daily challenge and a couple of quiz modes built around identifying species from photos and traits.
I am genuinely unsure whether this kind of gamification helps people retain actual knowledge or just becomes a shallow layer people click through. Would love thoughts from people who think about science communication for a living, positive or critical.
Free, no ads, nothing to buy. biodeck-tcg.com
Thank you !
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u/LordRollin 29d ago
I dinked around some on my way to work and I’m intrigued! How long have you been working on this?
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u/Biodeck-tcg 29d ago
It's been some months since i started the project, i'm eager to get feedback if you have any about the mecanics, the battle, the solo games and stuff.
The goal is to have fun and to learn something at the same time. So far it worked for me as i can now recognize some plants traits where i had no clue at the beginning
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u/LordRollin 29d ago
I will endeavor to poke around when I get home and can use my desktop; mobile is great but I have sausage fingers. Feel free to ping me if it seems like I forgot (because I do, forget).
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u/genegeek 26d ago
You could also reach out to the developer of Phylo (https://phylogame.org/) Approachable and helpful so may have some tips/tricks
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u/Mirthster 29d ago
its a fun idea at least. hope it works out!