A fun Japanese card game that crowdsources SDGs knowledge

Saving the world sounds like a hard and serious task. But a Japanese project has injected some fun with a card game that helps players understand and act on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDG Action card game X (read as ‘cross’) is not the first SDG-related game, but its developers say it is the first to use a crowd-sourced database. That difference enables the game to be applied across diverse sectors of society, which many say is a key requirement for achieving the SDGs themselves.

How does the SDG Action card game X work?

The game is made up of two sets of cards: trade-off cards and resource cards. Written on each of the trade-off cards is a conundrum associated with the 17 SDGs. For example, on the topic of the first SDG of ending poverty, one card says, ‘Starting businesses in developing countries to solve problems might supplant local people’s jobs.’

On the resource cards are various options that may help solve those issues: products, services and technologies such as artificial intelligence and robots.

The trade-off cards highlight an essential challenge of the SDGs – that the method of solving one specific social issue may give rise to a fresh problem. In order to achieve the SDG pledge to “leave no one behind,” these trade-offs must be resolved.

Sharing SDGs knowledge online with the rest of the world

X is available free online in both English and Japanese. After playing the game, players can create their own version and register it in the cloud database. It then becomes a resource available to others throughout the world. Thus a diverse range of versions of X is created and players can look for one that fits their particular circumstances, such as age, region, industry and sector.

In order to achieve sustainable development, it is crucial that various sectors of society work together, particularly businesses, politicians and bureaucrats. X is already being used across these sectors in Japan for SDG education.

Created by the generation who carries the weight of SDGs

Playing the game hones one’s ability to come up with new ideas and to find successful solutions to complicated issues, says the Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT), which was a key participant in the project.

X was planned and developed by students at KIT who have studied the specialized SDG-related curriculum taught there. Putting them in charge was a conscious decision to ensure the game was created from the perspective of the generation that will bear the weight of the SDGs. The university’s SDGs promotion center then added its specialized perspective, and Rebirth Project added its expertise to the game’s design.

Widespread praise for the card game X

The game received enthusiastic feedback during pilot tests in 17 countries with a total of more than 300 players. Comments included “It gave me a clear image of actions that can be taken for SDGs.” and “We were discussing how to solve difficult social issues, but we never stopped laughing – it’s amazing.”

There are 169 targets for the 17 SDGs, which are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. They were adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2015 for completion in 2030.