GUTSY

The Card Game

Each of us has a community of microbes that lives
in our gut. It is influenced by what we eat, drink, who
we interact with and the medicines that we take.
A diverse microbiome promotes good health.
Can you make the right decisions to be the first to
diversify your gut microbiome?

INSTRUCTIONS

Make Your Cards

What You’ll Need: What To Do:
a printer 1. Print the instructions (p. 1-2 of PDF) on regular paper.
regular paper 2. Print the cards (p. 3-11) on paper or cardstock.
card stock (optional) 3. If you’d like, print the pattern (p. 12) on the back of the cards.
scissors 4. Cut the cards using scissors. There are 54 cards total.
5. Grab your friend(s) and play!

Objective Card Types

Be the first to have 6 different microbes in your Gut at There are four types of cards:
the end of your turn (excluding Pathogens)!
Microbe Pathogen Event Quarantine
Cards (40) Cards (5) Cards (4) Cards (1)
SNEEZE If you have 1 or more EVENT QUARANTINED

Setup
Pathogens in your Hand PLAY IMMEDIATELY
at the start of your turn,
PROTEOBACTERIA

PATHOGEN

Take 1 card at
you must add one
random from another
to your Gut.
player’s Hand. They do
not replace that card.

1. Give each player a Player Guide. Families with dogs share more microbes with
each other than those without. All players put
their Hands into a pile. Shuffle the pile and redeal
a new Hand to each player, starting with the
player to the left of the person

2. Remove the 4 Event cards. Proteobacteria come in a variety of

forms. They’re named after the Greek
Discard this
whocard to card.
drew this stop any card
from being taken from
your Hand or your Gut. Do not re-
Discard this card to stop any card
from being taken from
your Hand or your Gut. Do not
god Proteus who could
Shigella flexneri, a cousin of E. coli,
can cause dysentery.
ADOPT A PUPPY
draw until your next turn. redraw until your next turn.
change shapes.

3. Shuffle and deal 6 cards to each player.

This forms a player’s Hand which is kept
secret from the other players.
4. Shuffle the Event cards into the remaining
Card Elements
cards to form the draw pile and place in the
center of all players. (The discard pile will be JOURNEY
Action Icon Action
created during the game next to the draw ABROAD Name
pile, face up.)
VERRUCOMICROBIA

Number of Draw 3 cards into your

this Microbe Hand. Play any 1 and
5. Each player chooses any 2 Microbe or discard any 1 from Action
in deck
Pathogen cards from their Hand and places your Hand.
them face down in front of them. These
cards will be the first 2 cards in their Gut. Microbe
name
6. When everyone is ready, all players reveal Microbe
the 2 cards in their Gut. image
7. The person who most recently ate a salad
goes first.
Traveling to other countries can
8. You are now ready to play! Rare or drastically alter your gut microbiome, Fun Fact
Common R at least temporarily.

1
How to Play GUTSY Additional Actions & Card Rules
Each player takes turns being the Active player and will
complete their entire turn before the next clockwise player QUARANTINED
QUARANTINE can be used on another
becomes the Active player. There are 4 phases in a turn: player’s turn to negate an action played
against you. That player’s action is now
1. Health check: If you have at least 1 Pathogen in your forfeited. It can also be used on Events
Hand, play 1 Pathogen into your Gut and skip to the and even on your own turn.
Discard this card to stop any card

third step; if your Gut already has 6 Microbes, you from being taken from
your Hand or your Gut. Do not
redraw until your next turn.

must discard one non-Pathogen card in your Gut to

make space.
FAMILY REUNIONS leave the player
EVENT
2. Play a card from your Hand: In this phase you get to PLAY IMMEDIATELY
to the left of the active player with only
play a card to perform ONE of the following actions: 3 cards. That person should now draw
up to 4 cards.
a. B
 uild your gut: If you have an empty slot in your Lots of hugs and kisses meant lots of

Gut, you may add a new Microbe from your Hand

microbes transferred!
Everyone passes their Hand to the left.

into it. Duplicates are allowed but each card FAMILY REUNION

occupies its own slot. The action on this card is

NOT played now. It is stored for future use TRANSMISSION can still be used to
TRANSMISSION
(see next: Trigger stored action). transfer a Pathogen into another player’s

BACTEROIDETES
Transfer 1 Pathogen

full Gut; in that case the player receiving

from one player’s
Gut to another

b. T
 rigger stored action: If you have a Microbe card player’s Gut.

the Pathogen should discard

in your Hand with the same Microbe name as one
1 random card to make room.
in your Gut, you can trigger the action on the top
of the card. First, perform the stored action on the Some people in New Guinea have
protein-producing gut bacteria
that allow them to have a diet of
C mostly sweet potatoes.

Microbe in your Gut. Second, discard that card and

place the matching Microbe from your Hand into
the vacated spot in your Gut. If you can’t perform
the action, you can’t trigger it.

c. D
 iscard card: Discard a card from your Hand if Game Variants
your Gut is full and you can’t trigger an action.
Epidemic!
3. Refill your Hand: Draw card(s) into your Hand, one In this variant, the game immediately ends if
at a time. If an Event card is drawn, read, execute the anyone has 3 Pathogens in their Gut.
action and then discard it. Continue drawing until you
have 4 cards in your Hand. I Choose You!
In this variant, you may replace a matching Microbe
4. Gut Check: If you have 6 different Microbes (no in any player’s Gut and trigger its stored action.
Pathogens) in your Gut, the game has ended and you
won! If not, but you are one card from winning, shout Are You Going to Eat That?
“I’m feeling Gutsy!” If the game has not ended, play In this variant, you may ONLY replace matching
continues with the player on your left and continues Microbes in other players’ Guts to trigger the action.
clockwise throughout the game.

Remember!
Acknowledgments: Gutsy was created by Susan Perkins (Curator
When an Event causes you to lose a Microbe from & Professor, American Museum of Natural History), Barry Joseph
your Gut, you may choose to discard a Pathogen. (Associate Director for Digital Learning), and Eric Teo (pushurluck-
podcast.com). Thanks to all the youth who assisted in its develop-
When the Draw pile is empty, shuffle the Discard pile ment through the Museum’s Lang program: Adam, Aziza, Calliope,
to form a new Draw pile. Dominika, Emily, Emma, Geeta, Gloria, Isaul, Jalen, Jose, Mari, Maria,
Priscilla, Sabrina, William, Xiomara, and Melissa, and their instructor,
The player who triggers the action decides on the Abbey Novia. Thanks to everyone who lent a hand in the Museum’s
target. Exhibition department and NCSLET (the National Center for Science
Literacy, Education, and Technology), as well as all the play-testers,
Antibiotics can be used on any player’s Gut, not just specifically Mike Patterson, the NYU Game Center, and all the un-
your own. suspecting Museum visitors who graciously shared their visit with us.

Learn more about GUTSY and real microbes, at amnh.org/ology/gutsy

2
 PLAYER GUIDE PLAYER GUIDE ROGUE
On your turn: On your turn: SCIENTIST
1. Health check: If you have Pathogen 1. Health check: If you have Pathogen
cards in your Hand, play one into your cards in your Hand, play one into your Choose 1 card from the
Gut; skip to third step. Gut; skip to third step. discard pile and play it

amnh.org/ology/gutsy
2. Play a card: Choose one, and only 2. Play a card: Choose one, and only right away.
one, of the following: one, of the following:
a. Build your Gut: Add a Microbe from a. Build your Gut: Add a Microbe from
your Hand into an empty slot in your Hand into an empty slot in
your Gut. your Gut.
b. Trigger stored action: Trigger a stored b. Trigger stored action: Trigger a stored
action in your Gut by replacing that action in your Gut by replacing that
card with the same type of microbe. card with the same type of microbe.

TENERICUTES
c. Discard card: Discard a card from c. Discard card: Discard a card from
your Hand. your Hand.

3. Refill your Hand: Draw cards until 3. Refill your Hand: Draw cards until
you have 4 cards in your Hand. you have 4 cards in your Hand.
More than 30% of bacteria found in
4. Gut Check: If you have 6 different 4. Gut Check: If you have 6 different New York City subways were similar
Microbes in your Gut, you win! Microbes in your Gut, you win! R to species from human guts.
%
PLAYER GUIDE PLAYER GUIDE JOURNEY

© 2015 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

On your turn: On your turn: ABROAD
1. Health check: If you have Pathogen 1. Health check: If you have Pathogen
cards in your Hand, play one into your cards in your Hand, play one into your Draw 3 cards into your
Gut; skip to third step. Gut; skip to third step. Hand. Play any 1 and
2. Play a card: Choose one, and only 2. Play a card: Choose one, and only discard any 1 from
one, of the following: one, of the following: your Hand.
a. Build your Gut: Add a Microbe from a. Build your Gut: Add a Microbe from
your Hand into an empty slot in your Hand into an empty slot in
your Gut. your Gut.
b. Trigger stored action: Trigger a stored b. Trigger stored action: Trigger a stored
action in your Gut by replacing that action in your Gut by replacing that
card with the same type of microbe. card with the same type of microbe.
TENERICUTES

c. Discard card: Discard a card from c. Discard card: Discard a card from
your Hand. your Hand.

3. Refill your Hand: Draw cards until 3. Refill your Hand: Draw cards until
you have 4 cards in your Hand. you have 4 cards in your Hand.
The name Tenericutes comes from
4. Gut Check: If you have 6 different 4. Gut Check: If you have 6 different the Latin for “soft skin,” because
Microbes in your Gut, you win! Microbes in your Gut, you win! R they lack cell walls.

3
 JOURNEY HORIZONTAL
SCIENTIST
ABROAD GENE TRANSFER
Draw 3 cards into your Trigger any 1 action in Take any card from the
Hand. Play any 1 and your Gut without discard pile and place

amnh.org/ology/gutsy
discard any 1 from replacing that card. it into your Hand.
your Hand.

CYANOBACTERIA
Traveling to other countries can Some Japanese people contain genes
CYANOBACTERIA Boosting populations of

VERRUCOMICROBIA
drastically alter your gut microbiome, in their gut microbes that help them Akkermansia muciniphila in mice
R at least temporarily. R digest seaweed. R causes them to be less obese.
%
SUPER TONGUE

© 2015 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

SCIENTIST
ANTIBIOTIC DEPRESSOR
Take any card from the Remove 3 cards Choose 1 player to
discard pile and place (1 pathogen + 2 of any show you their
it into your Hand. kind) from any 1 entire Hand.
player’s Gut.

CYANOBACTERIA
CYANOBACTERIA

Removing a bacterium called

Verrucomicrobia translates to “warty Helicobacter pylori from people’s

VERRUCOMICROBIA
The average child in the U.S. takes
bacteria”—named because of the stomachs could make them
one course of antibiotics per year.
R bumps on their cell surfaces. R R hungrier—and eventually heavier.

4
 TONGUE FECAL HORIZONTAL
DEPRESSOR TRANSPLANT GENE TRANSFER
Choose 1 player to Discard 1 card from Trigger any 1 action on a
show you their your Gut and replace it card that is in your

amnh.org/ology/gutsy
entire Hand. with 1 card from another Gut without replacing
player’s Gut. that card.

ACTINOBACTERIA
ACTINOBACTERIA
Mother’s milk contains sugars that Prebiotics are foods that act like
ACTINOBACTERIA Bacteria can exchange genes by
feed the Bifidobacterium species in fertilizer for good microbes, causing temporarily merging and passing
their infant’s guts. them to multiply rapidly. DNA from one organism to another.
%
FECAL WEEKEND

© 2015 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

SNEEZE
TRANSPLANT TRAVEL
Discard 1 card from Draw 2 cards into your Take 1 card at
your Gut and replace it Hand. Discard any 1 card random from another
with 1 card from another from your Hand. player’s Hand. They do
player’s Gut. not replace that card.

ACTINOBACTERIA
ACTINOBACTERIA
ACTINOBACTERIA

Transplanting microbes from a

healthy donor into somone with a
You have more microbes in your body Red meat proteins and fat feed gut
chronic bowel disease is called a Fecal
than there are stars in the Milky Way. bacteria that can cause heart disease.
Microbiota Transplant.

5
 WEEKEND FECAL
SNEEZE
TRAVEL TRANSPLANT
Draw 2 cards into your Discard 1 card from Take 1 card at
Hand. Discard any 1 card your Gut and replace it random from another

amnh.org/ology/gutsy
from your Hand. with 1 card from another player’s Hand. They do
player’s Gut. not replace that card.

PROTEOBACTERIA
PROTEOBACTERIA
Eating and drinking unfamiliar food Using gut microbes from a healthy
PROTEOBACTERIA Proteobacteria come in a variety of
forms. They’re named after the Greek
and water can alter your gut person to treat disease dates back to god Proteus who could
microbiome for days or even years. 4th century China. change shapes.
%
FECAL SUPER HORIZONTAL

© 2015 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

TRANSPLANT ANTIBIOTICS GENE TRANSFER
Discard 1 card from Remove 3 cards Trigger any 1 action on a
your Gut and replace it (1 pathogen + 2 of any card that is in your
with 1 card from another kind) from any 1 Gut without replacing
player’s Gut. player’s Gut. that card.

PROTEOBACTERIA
PROTEOBACTERIA
PROTEOBACTERIA

There are 100 times more unique

You swallow about 1 billion bacteria A powerful new antibiotic called bacterial genes than unique human
every day just in your saliva. Teixobactin was discovered in 2014. genes in your body.

6
 BROAD-SPECTRUM NARROW-SPECTRUM
KISS
ANTIBIOTICS ANTIBIOTIC

Remove 2 cards Remove 1 Pathogen from Pick a player. Each of you

(1 Pathogen + 1 of any any 1 player’s Gut. simultaneously draws 1

amnh.org/ology/gutsy
kind) from any 1 card from each other’s
player’s Gut. Hand.

FIRMICUTES
FIRMICUTES
U.S. doctors prescribed 258 million American microbiologist Selman
FIRMICUTES
Each of your teeth has a different
courses of antibiotics in 2010—nearly Waksman coined the term
population of bacteria living on it.
C one per person. C “antibiotic” in 1942. C
%
BROAD-SPECTRUM NARROW-SPECTRUM

© 2015 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

KISS
ANTIBIOTICS ANTIBIOTIC

Remove 2 cards Remove 1 Pathogen from Pick a player. Each of you

(1 Pathogen + 1 of any any 1 player’s Gut. simultaneously draws 1
kind) from any 1 card from each other’s
player’s Gut. Hand.

FIRMICUTES
FIRMICUTES
FIRMICUTES

Broad-spectrum antibiotics work Alexander Fleming discovered A “probiotic” is anything that

against many different kinds of penicillin in 1928 when he noticed contains live bacteria that
C bacteria, including the good ones. C mold growing in a Petri dish. C are good for you.

7
 SALAD DIET TRANSMISSION KISS

Replace 1 common Transfer 1 Pathogen Pick a player. Each of you

Microbe (C) in your Gut from one player’s simultaneously draws 1

amnh.org/ology/gutsy
with 1 rare (R) Microbe Gut to another card from each other’s
from the discard pile. player’s Gut. Hand.

FIRMICUTES
FIRMICUTES
The Hadza people of Tanzania have In your body, bacterial cells
BACTEROIDETES Bacteria in your mouth can make
incredibly diverse gut floras due to outnumber human cells by acid from sugar, which can give
C their high intake of fiber. C about 10 to 1. C you cavities.
%

© 2015 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

OUT OF SOAP TRANSMISSION KISS

1 player randomly Transfer 1 Pathogen Pick a player. Each of you

returns 1 card from from one player’s simultaneously draws 1
Gut to Hand; if more Gut to another card from each other’s
than 4 cards in Hand, player’s Gut. Hand.
discard one.

FIRMICUTES
FIRMICUTES
BACTEROIDETES

You and a random other person only There are more bacteria on one of
A single kiss can transfer up to 80
share about 10% of the same your hands than there are people
million bacteria between two people.
C kinds of microbes. C living on Earth. C

8
 BROAD-SPECTRUM NARROW-SPECTRUM
SALAD DIET
ANTIBIOTICS ANTIBIOTIC

Remove 2 cards Remove 1 Pathogen from Replace 1 common

(1 Pathogen + 1 of any any 1 player’s Gut. Microbe (C) in your Gut

amnh.org/ology/gutsy
kind) from any 1 with 1 rare (R) Microbe
player’s Gut. from the discard pile.

BACTEROIDETES
BACTEROIDETES
Most antibiotics are isolated from
microbes found in soil, which
BACTEROIDETES Healthy foods, especially those rich
Narrow-spectrum antibiotics target
use these chemicals to in fiber, are key to having a
only certain kinds of bacteria.
C battle one another. C C diverse gut microbiome.
%
BROAD-SPECTRUM NARROW-SPECTRUM

© 2015 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

OUT OF SOAP
ANTIBIOTICS ANTIBIOTIC

Remove 2 cards Remove 1 Pathogen from 1 player randomly

(1 Pathogen + 1 of any any 1 player’s Gut. returns 1 card from
kind) from any 1 Gut to Hand; if more
player’s Gut. than 4 cards in Hand,
discard one.

BACTEROIDETES
BACTEROIDETES
BACTEROIDETES

All penicillin in use today The bacteria in your gut weigh

Antibiotics don’t work against
descends from a moldy about the same as your
viruses, like the cold or the flu.
C C canteloupe in Peoria, Illinois. C brain—about three pounds.

9
 TRANSMISSION If you have 1 or more If you have 1 or more
Pathogens in your Hand Pathogens in your Hand
at the start of your turn, at the start of your turn,
Transfer 1 Pathogen
you must add one you must add one
from one player’s
to your Gut. to your Gut.

amnh.org/ology/gutsy
Gut to another
player’s Gut.

PATHOGEN
PATHOGEN

BACTEROIDETES
Our gut microbes produce more Campylobacter jejuni is a pathogen Vibrio cholerae, which causes
than ten times the digestive that can be found in poultry, cholera, is often spread in
C enzymes that our own cells do. dairy, and produce. contaminated water.
%

© 2015 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

TRANSMISSION If you have 1 or more If you have 1 or more
Pathogens in your Hand Pathogens in your Hand
at the start of your turn, at the start of your turn,
Transfer 1 Pathogen
you must add one you must add one
from one player’s
to your Gut. to your Gut.
Gut to another
player’s Gut.

PATHOGEN
PATHOGEN

BACTEROIDETES
Some people in New Guinea have
protein-producing gut bacteria
Salmonella typhi causes millions of Shigella flexneri, a cousin of E. coli,
that allow them to have a diet of
cases of typhoid fever every year. can cause dysentery.
C mostly sweet potatoes.

10
 If you have 1 or more
EVENT
PLAY IMMEDIATELY
EVENT
PLAY IMMEDIATELY
Pathogens in your
Hand at the start of your
turn, you must add 1 to

amnh.org/ology/gutsy
your Gut.You cannot
remove this Pathogen
using antibiotics.

Families with dogs share more microbes with

PATHOGEN
each other than those without. All players put
Unhealthy food leads to a less diverse
their Hands into a pile. Shuffle the pile and redeal
microbiome. All players with 1 or more rare
a new Hand to each player, starting with the
Microbe (R) in their Guts must
player to the left of the person
Discard this whocard
drew this stop any card
to card. Discard thisdiscard
card1 of tothem.
stop any card

DRUG-RESISTANT
from being taken from from being taken from
Clostridium difficile is one of the your Hand or your Gut. Do not re- your Hand or your Gut. Do not re-
most common nosocomial draw until your next turn. draw until your next turn.
(hospital-acquired) ADOPT A PUPPY FAST FOOD BINGE
infections in the U.S.
%

© 2015 American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved.

QUARANTINED EVENT EVENT
PLAY IMMEDIATELY PLAY IMMEDIATELY

Everyone ate the same spoiled Lots of hugs and kisses meant lots of
stuff. Each player discards any microbes transferred!
1 card from their Gut. Everyone passes their Hand to the left.
Discard this card to stop any card Discard this card to stop any card
from being taken from from being taken from
your Hand or your Gut. Do not your Hand or your Gut. Do not re-
redraw until your next turn. MASS
draw FOOD
until your next turn. FAMILY REUNION
POISONING

11
12