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
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 — **• CLIMATE CHANGE AND DROUGHT**Climate change is making droughts and heatwaves more frequent. Crops struggle, and our food supply is at risk.

A wilting maize plant in a dry field — **• MAIZE UNDER DROUGHT**In a drought, maize leaves curl and close their pores to save water, so growth slows and the harvest shrinks.

Compacted soil next to healthy living soil with deep roots — **• LIFE AROUND THE ROOTS**The problem is also underground: weak roots without helpful microbes can't reach the water deeper in the soil.

The farmer with an empty water barrel and a notepad — **• YOUR CHALLENGE**Protect the maize harvest, save water and use science to make smart, sustainable 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 · Priming
Seaweed extract that primes plants for stress.
+15 Stress Tolerance / dose
Root InoculantLevel 1 · Living Soil
Beneficial microbes for stronger roots.
+25 Root Strength / dose
MarkersLevel 1 · Marker Selection
DNA markers spot tolerant seeds.
Unlocks the Marker seed
BreedingLevel 2 · Classical Breeding
Cross plants and select useful traits.
+20% money per harvest
Genome EditingLevel 3 · Precision
Precisely tests a chosen drought trait.
-25% health loss
E. nindensisLevel 4 · Extreme Reference
Learn from a super-tolerant plant.
-30% drought & heat damage

Built for the classroom

Who: High school and undergraduate students
Time: 20–30 minutes for one complete playthrough
Replay: Replay the drought season with different strategies