gut check - mo bio laboratories, inc · in gut check, 2-4 players compete to develop the healthiest...

GUT CHECKThe microbiome game

BY DAVID COIL

Instructions

"I'm going to raid the pharmacy, treat you with tetracycline, and then give you a fungal infection."

"Oh yeah, I'm going to give you botulism!"

— PLAYER TWO

"That's �ne because I'm going to give myself a fecal transplant."

— PLAYER THREE

— PLAYER ONE

Overview

In Gut Check, 2-4 players compete to develop the healthiest microbiome while attempting to disrupt each other’s efforts. For a shorter game, see page 6.

Setting up the game

1. Give one Player Board and a matching color cube to each player.

2. Place color cubes on START location on game board (+10 health)

3. Remove all Plasmid cards from the deck and place face up in the indicated location on game board. There are 3 types of plasmids so it may be easier to separate these into 3 piles, but is not required. See Plasmid Rules, Page 5 for details.

4. Remove all Key cards from the deck, give one to each player and set aside any remaining Key cards.

5. Shuffle the remaining cards and give 5 cards to each player. If a Gut Check card is received, shuffle it back into the deck and exchange for a new card.

6. Deal 3 cards face up onto the indicated area of the game board (Cards 1, 2 and 3).

7. Place the remaining cards face down on the indicated location on the game board (Draw).


page 2

CARD TYPESThere are three types of cards in the main deck; MICROBES, EVENTS, and INFECTIONS.

These represent bacteria that you are using to either make a healthier micro-biome for yourself, or to disrupt your opponents microbiome(s).See page 4 for rules for playing Microbes.

Microbes stay in play unless destroyed.

Be sure to read each card carefully. some Microbes have special abilities.

MICROBES:

Lactobacillus rhamnosus

When in your beneficial zoneyou can digest lactose and grain

+1 -2

MICROBEOPPORTUNISTIC

While generally considered safe (even used in probiotics), it can also

cause problems

card typemicrobe type

microbe namedescription

flavor text

When in your Beneficial Zone, use these points to score your microbiome

during a Gut Check When in your Pathogen Zone, use these points to score your

microbiome during a Gut Check

Center icon(s) indicate your digestion/production abilities

(see Key card)

clostridium difficile

When this species is in play you cannot play any beneficial

microbes, except using “Probiotics.”

-2TT KK

MICROBEPATHOGEN

An increasing problem in hospitals

+1

MICROBEBENEFICIAL

When this species is in playyou can digest grains

rothia mucilaginosa

Can degrade gluten in the human mouth

bifidobacterium longumSynthesizes vitamin B1 (thiamine)

when in beneficial zone

+2 -1KB1B12


Humans are unable to synthesize vitamin B1 alone

Infections are played into the Infection Zone on a target player and remain in play until the conditions described on the card are fulfilled. They are not considered Microbes and are therefore immune to cards such as Bacteriophage Therapy and the various antibiotics. They are scored during Gut Checks, similar to Microbes.

INFECTIONS INFECTIONNOSOCOMIAL

Only playable on a Target Player who hasreceived antibiotics or

a fecal transplant this game“Nosocomial infection” is the medicalterm for a hospital-acquired infection

-3Discard when:player gains health (not including during a Gut Check)

Use these points to score your microbiome during

a Gut Check

card type

condition

flavor text


page 3

These cards are played, their effect is resolved, and they are discarded. Some of them increase or decrease a player’s health. These effects are indicated in the green and orange arrows on the card and occur instantly.

Cards are designed to be played on all players, target one specific player, or be played on yourself. Cards that are for all players or target one specific player are noted in the description. Otherwise, the cards are to be played on yourself only. Cards that target one specific player can also be played on yourself.

You can play Events for no effect, but only if there is a valid target. (e.g. a Milk card can be played even if it has no effect, but a Lateral Gene Transfer card can only be played if a plasmid is in play.)

EVENTS

EVENT

BREAD

Gain 1 health immediately for each microbe with

the ability to digest grains

+1

Carbs!

card type

event type

descriptionEVENT

CHANGEIN HEALTH

Target player moves any opportunistic microbe from BENEFICIAL to PATHOGEN,

or vice versaChanges in your health or the

composition of your microbiome can cause some species to run amok

EVENT

RAID THEPharmacy

We’re not suggesting you do this...

Searh the deck for any antibiotic of your choice (tetracycline, kanamycin,

or ampicillin). Show to all players. Shuffle the deck afterwards.

A A

T

T K

K

EVENT

MICROBIALDIVERSITY

If you have at least 4 microbes in your BENEFICIAL ZONE, remove a

microbe from your PATHOGEN ZONE

There appears to be a correlation between diversity of microbiota and

health

flavor text

Setting up the gameThe player who has most recently eaten yogurt goes first, play proceeds clockwise.

TIP: For the first round, try playing a Microbe card (you can only play one in each turn). If you don’t have any appropriate Microbe cards, you can discard one card from your hand and exchange for one of the cards in the middle of the board (Cards 1, 2, and 3). Remember, no Gut Checks can be played in the first round. If you get one, shuffle it back into the deck.

On each turn, a player can perform any of the following actions, in any order. All actions are option-al (except Gut Check, see page 5 for Gut Check Rules).

Play a Microbe Card (only once per turn): You can only play one Microbe card per turn. Place a Microbe card (beneficial, opportunistic, or pathogen) on your own Player Board or the board of an opponent. On the Player Board, Pathogens go in the Pathogen Zone, Beneficials go in the Beneficial Zone, Opportunistics go in either zone.

Play any number of Event Cards: See card for whether the event targets yourself, all players or one specific target player. If an Antibiotic Event is played, see page 5 for Plasmid Rules.

Play any number of Infection Cards: See individual cards for details. Infections are not microbes.

Exchange (only once per turn): Discard one card and pick up a face up card from the middle of the board (Cards 1, 2 and 3); the card can then be played immediately or saved for later. Replace the missing card with a new card from the draw pile. If any of the cards drawn are a Gut Check, then resolve it immediately (see page 5 for Gut Check Rules) and replace it with the top card of the deck.

Clear the Middle (only once per turn): On any turn in which you do not play a Microbe card, you can discard the three face-up cards from the middle (Cards 1, 2 and 3), and replace them with three new cards from the draw pile. You can Clear the Middle before doing your Exchange (see details above), but still cannot play a Microbe card that turn. If the card drawn is a Gut Check, then resolve it immediately (see page 5 for Gut Check Rules) and replace it with the top card of the deck.

At the end of your turn, draw cards (from the draw pile) back up to a hand of 5 cards. These cards cannot be used until the next turn (unless a Gut Check is drawn, see page 5 for Gut Check Rules).

GUTCHECKThe microbiome game

BEN

EFIC

IAL Z

ON

E

INFECTIO

N

Place yourINFECTION

CARDShere

PA

TH

OG

EN

ZO

NE

PLAYER BOARD

Place your pathogenand/or

opportunisticmicrobes here

Place your beneficial

and/oropportunistic

microbes here

INFECTIO

N

Place yourINFECTION

CARDShere

INFECTIONNOSOCOMIAL

Only playable on player who hasreceived antibiotics or

fecal transplant this game“Nosocomial infection” is the medicalterm for a hospital-acquired infection

-3Discard when:player gains health (not including during a Gut Check)

PLASMIDRESISTANCE toTETRACYCLINE

Gives any single microbe

A plasmid is a small circular piece of DNAcontaining geneticinformation

T

PLASMIDRESISTANCE to

KANAMYCIN



K

MICROBE

Lactobacillus acidophilusWhen this species is in play

you can digest lactose. Common in dairy products and probiotics

+1

BENEFICIAL

If less than 3 microbes are in yourbeneficial zone at end of turn it

becomes a pathogen. Returns when 3+ microbes are in beneficial zone

Common in healthy humans, but extra abundant in some illnesses

+2 -1

Fusobacterium nucleatum


MICROBE

Lactobacillus acidophilusWhen this species is in play

you can digest lactose. Common in dairy products and probiotics

+1

BENEFICIAL

rothia mucilaginosaWhen this species is in play

you can digest grains

Can degrade gluten in the human mouth

+1

MICROBEBENEFICIAL

clostridium difficile

When this species is in play you cannot play any beneficial

microbes, except using “Probiotics.”

-2TT

An increasing problem in hospitals

KK

MICROBEPATHOGEN

Yersinia pestis(plague)

-2

This is the microbe responsible for bubonic plague (”Black Death”)

KK

MICROBEPATHOGEN


page 4

Example of Player BOARD set up:




T




T

Anytime a Gut Check card is drawn, immediately stop play and resolve the Gut Check. After the Gut Check is resolved, place the Gut Check card face-up in the Used Gut Check Card pile as indicated on the board and draw another card to replace it. Keep the discarded Gut Check cards in their own pile so players know how many are left (there are 6 total). During a Gut Check, you score your own microbiome. Microbes in your Beneficial Zone give points as indicated in the green arrows on the card. Microbes in your Pathogen Zone subtract points as indicated in the orange arrows on the card. Infections are also scored at this time. All cards remain in play after scoring. There can never be two Gut Checks in the same turn. If a second one is drawn then shuffle it back into the deck. In addition, there cannot be a Gut Check until every player has had a turn. There is a 7th, automatic, Gut Check at the very end of the game that is not represented by a card.

Gut Check RULES

GUT

-

CHECK

+

PLAY IMMEDIATELYEvery player scores their microbiome

Positive health for cards in their

BENEFICIAL ZONENegative health for cards in their

PATHOGEN ZONE and INFECTION ZONE

The vast majority of gut microbes are found in the large intestine

There are 3 types of Plasmid cards. Every time Antibiotics are played, all surviving microbes of the player receiving the antibiotics get an appropriate Plasmid card (e.g. after Antibiotic: Tetracycline is played, the remaining Microbes receive the Tetracycline Resistance Plasmid card ). Keep the Plasmid card on your player board below the Microbe card. If no plasmids of the appropriate type are available in the Plasmid card pile, nothing happens. This does not apply to Microbes which were already resistant to that antibiotic. When a Microbe carrying plasmids is destroyed, put its plasmids back into the Plasmid pile. To make playing faster, it may be easier to separate the Plasmid cards into 3 piles at the beginning of the game.

Plasmid Rules

EVENT

ANTIBIOTIC

Once widely-used resistance to tetracycline is now common

TETRACYCLINE

T

Target player may remove up to 2 non-resistant PATHOGEN ZONE microbesMust remove half of their

non-resistant BENEFICIAL ZONE microbes (rounded down)Must subtract 1 health See “Plasmid”rules

T

CLOStridium botulinum(botulism)

When this species is in play you cannot play any food cards

-2TT

This microbe is responsable for botulism,a kind of food poisoning

AA

MICROBEPATHOGEN

Yersinia pestis(plague)

-2

This is the microbe responsible for bubonic plague (”Black Death”)

KK

MICROBEPATHOGEN

Escherichia coliSynthesizes vitamin K

when in beneficial zone

E. Coli is normally an important partof your gut microbiome

+2 -1KB1B12



page 5

Various events during the game, including Gut Checks, cause the player’s health status to go up or down as indicated on the board. All players start at 10 health. If a player's health ever reaches zero health, they are dead and all their cards in play and hand are discarded.

Tracking Health

There are 3 ways to end the game:

1. All players die except one (the winner). A player dies when they reach zero health (skull on the game board).

2. One player reaches the end of the board (+50 health)

3. The draw pile is exhausted (or time runs out, see short version below). The player who draws the last card finishes their turn, then each other player gets one final turn. This is followed by a final Gut Check. The player with the highest health after the final Gut Check is the winner.

Game End

To shorten the game, set a timer for desired amount of time (suggested: 30 or 45 minutes). Continue playing until 1) all players die (zero health); 2) one player reaches the end of the board (+50 health); or 3) the timer runs out (see Game End, #3 for details).

Short Version

(NOT NEEDED TO PLAY THE GAME)

Don't forget to exchange cards through the middle. Think not only of cards that would benefit you but consider taking cards that you don't want to see played on you, or cards that might help your oppo-nents. Card cycling (i.e. playing cards for no effect… such as Milk when you have nothing to digest it) can be very useful. If you're doing well, it's potentially worth cycling as much as possible to increase the chances of drawing a Gut Check. If you're doing poorly, you might need to hold back from playing many cards to lower the risk of drawing a Gut Check. The game plays very differently depending on the number of players. A good strategy with 2 players may not work with 3 or 4 and vice versa.

Tips on Strategy

Visit www.mobio.com/gutcheck for FAQs, video tutorials, and updated instruction manuals and to leave comments or questions about Gut Check.

More Information


page 6

An attempt has been made to be as scientifically accurate as possible, within the (significant) constraints of making a playable game. The core concepts of the game, e.g. antibiotic resistance, lateral gene transfer, opportunistic microbes etc. are all derived from current knowledge. However, the real world of the human microbiome is significantly messier than it might appear from this game. Important caveats include the fact that in reality we know relatively little about our own microbiome. It's clear that having a healthy microbiome is important, but much less clear is how to measure that, what species that might involve, how it is influenced by diet/culture/lifestyle etc. Likewise, nutrition in real life is much murkier than here. While we know that microbes in the gut produce certain vitamins we're often not sure which ones. Likewise, it's also unlikely that a single microbe could be responsible for the ability to digest milk, grains, or plants for example... but certainly our total microbiome is intimately involved in these processes.

Notes on Microbiology

Produced by: MO BIO Laboratories, a QIAGEN Company | www.mobio.com | @mobioGame Content and Design: David Coil | [email protected] | @davidacoilOriginal Graphic Design: Erin Johnson | [email protected] | @erinjohnsonaeGraphic Design and Illustration: Wendy Ochoa |[email protected]/gutcheck

Gut Check: The Microbiology Game is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC BY). You are free to distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon this work, even commercially, as long as you credit us for the original creation. The authors would like to thank the many people who helped with the conception and playtesting of this game. In particular, special thanks to Russell Neches, Madison Dunitz, James Teeples, Dimitri Horaites, Cassie Ettinger, Hannah Holland-Moritz, Ruth Lee, Guillaume Jospin, Katie Dahlhausen, Alex Alexiev, Phil Seitzer, the members of the Eisen Lab at UC Davis, and the Friday Night Game Group. Financial support for this game came in part from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.


page 7

gut check - mo bio laboratories, inc · in gut check, 2-4 players compete to develop the healthiest...

Documents