Jeewanu

Client : National Center for Biological Sciences, Bangalore

Game Design

A Card game that that translates a historic experiment into a game, bringing the work of forgotten scientists Krishna Bahadur and S. Ranganayaki back into public memory, and enabling people to discover and engage with the experiment itself through play - reaching a wider audience.

Jeewanu is a co-operative tabletop game built around roles within a lab, each with specific abilities and constraints. Players plan experiments, manage resources, and respond to disruptions through shared decision-making. Mechanics such as deck-building, role asymmetry, and hidden traitor elements introduce uncertainty and require negotiation.

The game unfolds across four episodes, each shifting rules, constraints, and objectives, allowing the system to expand from discovery to controlled experimentation. Information is revealed gradually, encouraging iteration and replay. The visual language draws from the idea of a lost story resurfacing, using archival cues in colour and texture. At the same time, layouts and components remain clear and functional, keeping focus on process, interaction, and strategy.

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