BOOSTER Resilience Farm: The Drought Challenge

Help a farmer protect maize under drought by testing BOOSTER-inspired science: seaweed biostimulants, beneficial microbes, genomics and precision breeding.

Free · plays in your browser
Basic & Advanced modes
20–30 min per season

About 27 MB · best on a laptop, desktop or tablet

Turn your device sideways to play

BOOSTER Farm v1.0.0 Tip: full screen gives the best view of the lab

Why drought matters

The game opens with the science behind the problem.

Cracked, dry farmland under a hot sky — **• GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS**In recent decades, climate change has made droughts and heatwaves more frequent and more intense all over the world.

A wilting maize plant in a dry field — **• HOW MAIZE COLLAPSES**If drought hits during flowering, up to 80% of the grain can be lost.

Compacted soil next to healthy living soil with deep roots — **• SOIL AND THE RHIZOSPHERE**The problem is also underground: compacted soils with poor microbial life limit root growth.

The farmer with an empty water barrel and a notepad — **• THE CHALLENGE ON THE FARM**Your goal is not to water out of habit, but to make data-driven decisions.

Meet the team

Three characters guide you through one drought season.

The Farmer

Plant, water and care for your maize plots while drought hits leaf health, photosynthesis and yield.

Dr. Vera

Research new strategies in the lab, then take them to the field and see what really works.

Farm Advisor

Balance yield, cost, water use and sustainability — there is no single magic fix.

Inside the lab

Unlock research nodes, earn science points and watch short video capsules from the BOOSTER project.

Seaweed SprayLevel 1 · Osmoprotection
Anti-stress foliar biostimulant.
+15 Stress Tolerance per application
Root InoculantLevel 1 · Living Soil
PGPR consortium for the roots.
+25 Root Strength per application
MarkersLevel 1 · Markers
QTLs for deep roots and drought.
Unlocks the Marker seed
GenomicsLevel 2 · Genomics
Homologous genes in xerophytes.
+20% money per harvest
Gene EditingLevel 3 · Precision
Active photosynthesis during drought.
-25% health loss
XerogenomicsLevel 4 · Resurrection
Vitrification under extreme heat.
-30% drought & heat damage

Built for the classroom

Who: High school and undergraduate students
Time: 20–30 minutes for one complete playthrough
Depth: Basic Mode for visual, short explanations; Advanced Mode for deeper science
Replay: Replay the drought season with different strategies