Saca la Lengua 2018

Saca la Lengua / Treu la Llengua ("Stick out your tongue") is a game on the oral microbiome created together with the Center for Genome Regulation (CRG, Barcelona) for its citizen science project "Saca la Lengua". The game idea was designed in cocreation sessions with scientists, journalists, teachers, and various citizens. Then it was developed by the authors in collaboration with the science communication team in the CRG.

Saca la Lengua / Treu la Llengua is a cooperative game in which players represent members of the general population with certain characteristics of their microbiome (represented in game by 8 genera of bacteria, whose population is represented by the value of 8 dice). The goal is to keep the oral microbiome of the players as close as possible as the ideal equilibrium values (obtained in real life thanks to the research project).

During 5 rounds, the players do the following actions: a) Each player with 2 or more genera in equilibrium draws an action card, with which he/she can improve the microbiome of other players. b) Each player draws a "Life is tough" card and applies its effects on himself. Then a common "Life is tough" card is drawn and it must be applied to one of the players (cooperatively chosen).

Some cards add some additional "infection" dice or "severe condition" markers. When the players exceed a certain threshold of infection dice or severe condition markers, they lose the game. Otherwise, if they reach the end of the 5th round, they won and calculate points to know the degree of equilibrium of their oral microbiota.

—description from the designer