Biodiversity Call – An educational card game about nature & wildlife

ABOUT THE GAME

From big cats and whales to mosses and butterflies: How are Earth’s species really doing? The answers may surprise you! In Biodiversity Call, players discover how different species groups are coping — and what threatens their survival. Fast, visual, and based on real scientific data, the game uncovers which species are most at risk — and which factors are driving global biodiversity loss.

The game is perfect for classrooms, families, and anyone curious about the state of the natural world. The rules are simple enough that it takes less than a minute to get started!

Biodiversity Call was created in collaboration with Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate (BECC); a strategic research area that engages about 350 researchers at Lund University and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. The first edition was published in 2025.

Biodiversity Call is published by Klimatkoll Guldheden AB in Sweden.

LAYOUT & ILLUSTRATIONS: Yrsa Dahlman

EXPLORE BECC RESEARCH

The game includes 9 multiple-choice questions that highlight BECC research and how human actions affect biodiversity and climate change. Questions are designed to spark discussions — from “Which pollinators increase harvests most?” to “What happens when peatlands are drained?”.

The question cards are used at the beginning of each round.

Curious to know more?

We’ve built an AI chatbot trained on BECC research. Use it to explore the studies behind the question cards, ask your own questions, and discover how human activities affect biodiversity and ecosystems!

TRY OUR AI CHATBOT

HOW IS BIODIVERSITY CALL PLAYED?

One round takes about 15 minutes and is played by two teams of 1–3 players per team. The game is suitable for players 12 years and older.

The aim of the game is to sort species groups in the correct order — from least to most threatened. The percentage printed on the cards show how many species in that group are considered threatened (Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered) according to the IUCN Red List. The threat levels (1–5) are our way of grouping the percentages into simpler categories for the game.

Each round also includes a quiz question that illustrates the links between human action, effects on biodiversity and climate change.

PREPARE

1. Play individually or in two teams. Place three cards in a row, face up (the colorful side), in front of each team. The remaining cards are placed in a pile on the side.

2. Place two cards, face down, to start the row of threatened species groups. Players will place their cards here in order from the least (1) to the most threatened group (5).

3. Draw a Question card, read it, and let the other team answer. Correct? Nothing happens. Wrong? They must draw another game card and hence start with 4 cards.

PLAY

One team starts by guessing where one of their cards belongs on the row of threatened species groups. Turn it over and reveal its threat level (1–5).

– Correct? The card stays in the row of species groups. The turn passes to the next team.

– Wrong? The card is set aside. The team draws a new card. The turn passes to the other team.

The first team to get rid of all their cards wins!

Note! Cards only need to be ordered by threat level and not percentages. The numbers do not need to be placed in sequence – a 5 can be placed directly after a 3 if there is no 4.

Want to try a more challenging version? Try playing by the exact percentages!

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR TEACHERS

TEACHER'S GUIDE

SCHOOL EXERCISES (March 2026)

We have developed a suggested lesson plan (teacher’s guide) and a set of classroom exercises to help teachers use Biodiversity Call in their teaching. The material can be used to explore biodiversity, biology, and ecosystems in an engaging, interactive, and student-centered way, for ages 12 and up.

Distribution of games to teachers

During 2026, thousands of games will be distributed to teachers all over Sweden, as well as to Swedish nature centers and botanical gardens worldwide as part of a project funded by the research network BECC. The game is, of course, also available for purchase in our webshop!

ACTION TIPS

HELP BIODIVERSITY!

When playing Biodiversity Call, you may realize that far too many species are under pressure — from climate change, pollution, over exploitation, habitat destruction, and other threaths. And you might ask yourself: “What can I do to help nature thrive, and what should I avoid doing?”

We’ve put together a set of practical tips to get you started. Some are easy to implement at home or at your school or workplace, others are ways to get involved in your community. Click on the button to start exploring, and perhaps most important — spread the knowledge!