Pre-Launch Phase: NGNG is selectively released for now and is not on sale at this time. Please contact us via email (micchn@nus.edu.sg) for inquiries about game release.
About the game
For gut's sake, compete with other players to engraft health-promoting microbes and win the game! Without these essential micro-organisms, all other players suffer from poor gut health, resulting in never-ending diarrhea!
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Fun and silliness aside, this game subtly delivers an educational introduction to the topic of microbiomes, with evidence of significant learning gains. See your teaching resource links below for more!
Game Trailer
How to Play (Instructional Video)
TRACK YOUR LEARNING
Take the Pre-Play Test before you play the game, and the Post-Play Test after you have played 3-5 rounds of the game to see how your scores have improved! Note that you can only take these tests once, and that you will only see the correct answers after completing the Post-Play Test. We'll send you a whimsical email to keep you posted on your learning gains!! Did someone say "bragging rights"?
Educational value
Click to see the publications on the research we are doing and findings on learning gains in different groups of students...
Publication#2:
(In Review)
Publication#3:
(In Preparation)
Additional Resources for Educators
Educator's Guide Video (Coming soon)
Gameplay Tips & Tricks
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Engraft the most of each card type, bearing in mind how many cards of the same type others are likely to have engrafted. It doesn’t pay to engraft too many of the same card engrafted since having a majority will suffice. For instance, having 6 of the 11 “Fact Check” guarantees you will get 7 points, so don’t bother engrafting any more than 6!
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Another strategy is to engraft many different card types since you are more likely to engraft cards that nobody else has: For instance, if you engraft only one “Fact Check” card and nobody else does, this one card gets you all 7 points!
Don’t look down on “Diarrhea" cards. When engrafted, each card guarantee a point... and every point counts!
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If you can’t win by gaining more points, you could win by sabotaging others through “Phage Therapy” which allows you to rob others of their precious engrafted cards. You won’t make any friends but as they say: it’s lonely at the top!
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Alternate Rules
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A. Play in pairs instead - total score of the pair determines the winning team!
B. For every MicroBite question you answer wrongly, you lose a card from hand.
C. Create your own set of MicroBite questions. The questions will no longer match the MicroBites on the cards, but you will be teaching new/bespoke content!
If you have mastered the game, do consider spicing things up with the following changes!
Acknowledgements
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The game creators would like to thank our NUS colleagues from the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, for developing and refining the game with us, especially Russell Lee, Lee Li Neng and Goh Lih-Ing.
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Game art was produced by Pencil Party Studio and graphic design by Capital Gains Studio.
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This game was inspired by “Trash Pandas”, invented by Lisa and Michael Eskue, and published by Gamewright (Gamewright.com).
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Additionally, the game creators would like to thank the following:
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MicroBite contributors from our department: Justin Chu, Kevin Tan, Yeo Huimin, Benoit Malleret, Lee Yuankun and Png Chinwen
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Legal advice and copyrighting: Jonathan Tan (NUS Industrial Liaison's Office)
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Proof-reading: Gladys Sim (Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Dean's Office)
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Seed funding for game illustrations and graphic design: Microbiology and Immunology Dept, DEEP Seed funding from NUSmed Dean's Office.
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Production of first edition: Dept of Surgery, Lee Foundation,
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Research funding: CDTL TEG-LIP to study the educational impact of No Guts No Glory.
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Advise on game manufacturing: Yann Boucher
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Playtesting: staff and students of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, and from other faculties in NUS.
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NGNG research participants, from NUS and beyond, whose feedback guided the development of the game and provided evidence of significant learning gains through play.
