I turned a card game into an app using the no-code tool 'Glide'
Originally an excellent card game
The 'Machinaka Hassou Game: Make-it' is a communication card game where you think of and share ideas for solving various community issues written on 'Community Voice Cards' by using 'Community Resource Cards' and 'Community Appeal Cards.' It is a communication card game where you use your 'creativity' to think of and present ideas for solving problems based on the unexpected combinations of 'Community Resource Cards' and 'Community Appeal Cards.'
For more details about Make-it, please see the introduction page below.
At Civic Tech Urashima, we were fortunate enough to get to know the creator of Make-it, borrowed a full set of the game, and have been holding Make-it card game tournaments at community centers and other venues in the city.
Unable to hold game tournaments due to COVID-19
However, due to the spread of COVID-19, it became difficult to hold in-person events, and we were forced to suspend the Make-it card game tournaments. At the same time, 'remote meetings' like Zoom were becoming popular in society. We thought, perhaps...
'Could we play Make-it together in a remote meeting environment like Zoom?'
'If we could turn it into an app instead of cards and view it on a smartphone...'
At Urashima, we decided to think of a way to enjoy Make-it together even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recreating the card game as an app with 'Glide'
'Glide' is a no-code tool that generates apps simply by importing Google Sheets or Excel sheets. At Urashima, we utilized Glide to create an app version of the card game Make-it.
The specific steps are as follows:
1) Take a photo of each card one by one and register them in Google Drive
2) Enter the content of each card and the URL of each card's photo file into a Google Sheet
3) Import the information from the Google Sheet in step 2) into Glide, and arrange the spreadsheet items on the layout screen
4) After checking the app's screen movements, set it to public
Online Make-it with over 100 participants
We received approval from the creator of Make-it to release the online version, and we began holding online Make-it game tournaments via Zoom. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, over 100 participants enjoyed the online Make-it.
We received feedback from participants such as:
- It was a brain teaser
- I used a part of my brain I don't usually use
- It feels great when an idea pops into my head
- I'm surprised you can enjoy a card game on a smartphone
and so on.
Local versions and Pokémon versions of Make-it also appeared
By turning it into an app, we made it possible to easily change the card content.
Local Online Make-it
By making the 'Community Appeal Cards' local landmarks or specialties, you can think of ideas to solve community issues while using local resources and attractions. Also, while playing the game, you can rediscover local resources and attractions.
In addition to the Urayasu version of Online Make-it, we also created Chiba Prefecture, Higashimurayama City, and Tsukuba City versions, and enjoyed Make-it with people from each of those regions.
Pokémon Online Make-it
This is an online Make-it version where the 'Community Appeal Cards' are Pokémon monsters, intended to have fun with children while brainstorming ideas and doing brain teasers.
The community issues and complaints on the 'Community Voice Cards' here reflect the 'raw voices of children' from a survey of elementary and junior high school students conducted during the 2023 'Urayasu Dream Quest' collaboration project with the Urayasu Junior Chamber of Commerce.
* Regarding the use of Pokémon monsters, we use them based on the requirements of the 'Pokémon Illustration Lab' for events aimed at children's education and within the scope of non-profit activities.
Continuing to use it in various workshops in the future
This Make-it was originally an excellent card game, and its design is very well thought out.
At Urashima, we turned it into an app, making it easier to start the game and allowing for easy changes to the card content.
Moving forward, while leveraging the strengths of both the card version and the app version, we would like to use it in various events and workshops, such as for setting the mood at the beginning of an event, for self-introductions within a team, or when brainstorming ideas.
In the near future, we plan to use this Make-it during the 'Community Issues and Business Ideas' session of the Urayasu City Youth Center's 'High School Student Entrepreneurship Course' to discuss business ideas with high school students.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone involved who supported and cooperated with us in the birth of Online Make-it. Thank you very much.