Board games as a tool for scientific mediation are nothing new. However, the approach taken by Drake’s Dice is slightly different. By incorporating real scientific information, theories, and current missions in astronomy into the game mechanics, Alissa Pott, a young student at Freie Universität Berlin, has taken on the challenge of making knowledge even more appealing to gamers. The game is for 2 to 5 players, suitable for ages 8 and up, and has three levels of complexity to satisfy beginners and children as well as experts in gaming and astronomy.
Scientific mediation often reaches audiences who are already interested in the subject. Here, the goal is to first create a game that is interesting in itself (betting, dice rolling, randomness mitigation) and accessible to everyone without any prior knowledge, then to add strategies and information as the levels of complexity increase. More than 60 astronomical concepts are illustrated in the form of cards with tricky effects and explained in the information booklet included with the game. The booklet has been reviewed by the EAI and the SFE, and the cards by COSPAR.
As a group of astronomers concerned with ecology, Astronomers for Planet Earth is mentioned in the information booklet, under the card “A Pale Blue Dot,” which talks about the sensitivity of our beautiful planet.
Another card is also of interest: The Kessler Syndrome. This card has an unusual mechanism, causing all players to lose if they send too many elements into low orbit…
If you are interested in this project, you can follow its development at https://wemakeit.com/projects/drake-s-dice-game-astronomy from April 1 to May 5 (the page is still under construction and will be online on March 30) or via @larosedesjeux on Instagram.
