Data Hunters Card Game

Are you ready to step into the world of data-driven challenges? Data Hunters is an interactive, team-based card game designed for 8–40 participants that puts you in the middle of real-world dilemmas in research and data management.

Take on roles such as Researcher, Data Steward, Ethics Expert, or Privacy Advisor and collaborate with your team to tackle ethical dilemmas, legal obstacles, and data management risks. Inspired by actual research scenarios, such as managing data for a living lab in Kathmandu, the game challenges you to think critically and act strategically to address issues like incomplete consent forms, data breaches, and cultural complexities.

But beware, the unexpected is always around the corner! Danger Cards introduce unpredictable twists, challenging you to adapt your plans and test your teamwork under pressure.

Data Hunters is more than just a fast-paced, 55-minute game. It’s a versatile tool that can be used for brainstorming, community-building events, icebreaking, and training purposes. It’s currently used in the “Personal Data and Human Subject in Research” course at TU Delft for PhD students, where it enhances learning through active engagement.

This innovative training tool sharpens your problem-solving abilities, enhances your understanding of data ethics, and fosters effective collaboration in challenging scenarios. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or professional, Data Hunters equips you to tackle the complexities of managing data responsibly in the real world while offering an engaging and educational experience.

Explanation of the game 

Goal
Teams collaborate to address data management and ethical challenges, developing strategies to mitigate risks and improve problem-solving skills.

Setup
The game is designed for 8–40 participants, divided in groups of 4–5. Guided by trainers and experts, players use Challenge Cards to explorer complex scenarios and Role Cards to take on specific perspective in a 55-minute play session.

Roles
Each participant takes on a role—Researcher, Data Steward, Ethics Expert, or Legal & Privacy Advisor—to provide diverse insights and strategies.

Gameplay
The game knows multiple phases. The first phase is the risk identification phase, in which participants analyze their group’s Challenge Card from their assigned role’s perspective. Next, in the Strategy Development phase teams collaborate to create risk mitigation plans  balancing legal, ethical, and technical considerations. Finally, in the presentation & adaptation phase, all groups present their plans, address new challenges introduced by Danger Cards, and reflect on lessons learned.

PLay the game – download the game cards 

To play the game, you can download the Data Hunters Game cards and additional files here.

Want to customize your own cards? Editable Data Hunters cards are allow you to make your own cards with new cases. The cards can be edited in Adobe Acrobat. Simply add the text in the blank area, and save the file.

A manual is included which describes the setup of the game, the cards, the roles of the player and the order of the game in more detail.

Contributors: Yan Wang, Nicolas Dintzner, Santosh Ilamparuthi, Qian Zhang, Connie Clair, Zafer Ozturk Tjalma, Judith Brads, Lora Armstrong, Erini Zormpa, Carla Strubbia, Emilie Yane Lopes, Alessandra Soro, Nike Ayinla.