What do antibodies do with the “landmines” of the immune system, i.e. the mast cells? And how is that related to asthma? The strategy game Inflammania makes the complex connections of the immune system easier to understand in a fun way.
Players have to strategically place immune cells in several levels and use medications – such as “glucocorticoid cannons” – to protect the body from an asthma attack.
Inflammania has been available since 2017, and Inflammania 2 was released at the end of 2021. The new version shows how the body can protect itself against pathogens of infectious diseases, including the coronavirus.
Behind the game is a research group sponsored by the German Research Foundation (DFG) of the Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg. The University Hospital for Rheumatology and Immunology has teamed up with the Department of Gamification and a game developer for the project. The team is researching how to design game elements that promote sustainable learning.
Online game and app
Browser version: www.inflammania.de
Google/Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.TheraBytes.Inflammania2.Release&gl=DE
Apple/iOS: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/inflammania-2/id1568509055