Mad Scientist Chemistry Card Game
Build compounds • Discover reactions • Create explosive chain reactions!
You're mad scientists building chemical compounds and discovering explosive reactions. Unlike other card games, you discover what combinations do through actual experimentation!
Fixed-order hands force adaptation over optimization. Discovery system means no two games play the same. Lead Researcher controls information flow.
Strategy without analysis paralysis. Meaningful decisions despite constraints. Genuine chemistry excitement. Games that feel different every time.
Six core mechanics create a unique chemistry discovery experience that feels like actual scientific experimentation.
1. Research Phase: Lead Researcher discovers one new reaction
2. Experiment Phase: Players must play their first card (marked with ①)
3. Build Compounds: Same colors stack together for bigger reactions
4. Trigger Reactions: Different colors create explosive combinations!
5. Score Points: Both players benefit from successful reactions
6. Safety First: Neutralize dangerous compounds for Safety Points
Lead Researcher chooses one unknown reaction to discover. This controls the flow of information and creates strategic timing decisions about which discoveries benefit you most.
You must play the first card in your hand each turn - no rearranging allowed! This creates adaptation challenges and prevents perfect optimization strategies.
Same-color cards stack to create more powerful compounds. Bigger compounds mean bigger explosions, but also become more attractive targets for opponents!
When you play a different color on an opponent's compound, you discover what happens! Reactions are unknown until someone experiments with that combination.
Neutralizing opponent compounds gives you Safety Points, which count toward victory and can be spent on special abilities. Defensive play is viable and rewarding!
Some discoveries trigger cascading effects that can completely change the game state. One well-timed reaction can create explosive comebacks and dramatic reversals!
Watch a complete 5-round game simulation with real-time explanations of every strategic decision!
Full screen immersive demo with live strategy commentary!
See discovery mechanics • compound building • chain reactions • strategic neutralizations • dramatic comebacks • final scoring
Download comprehensive materials for players, educators, and immediate play-testing. All professionally designed and curriculum-aligned.
Complete rulebook with examples, strategy tips, advanced tactics, and variant rules. Perfect for learning the game thoroughly or teaching others.
Teaching materials, lesson plans, and educational activities built around REACTION! Perfect for STEM classrooms and homeschool programs.
Try REACTION! immediately with our print-and-play version. Perfect for prototyping, classroom use, or testing before purchasing.
Watch the strategy explanations on the right!
Lead Researcher chooses which reaction to discover each round
You're mad scientists competing to create the biggest chemical explosions! Build compounds, discover reactions, and score points through explosive chemistry!
1. Research Phase (Lead Researcher only): Choose one unknown reaction to discover and flip face-up
2. Experiment Phase (All players): Must play your first card, choose where to play it, draw a new card
3. Pass Lead Researcher Token: Leadership rotates clockwise each round
Six unique innovations that separate REACTION! from every other card game on the market.
Unlike other games where you memorize combinations, REACTION! creates authentic "aha!" moments as you experiment and discover new reactions through actual play.
Fixed-order hands force creative adaptation rather than perfect optimization. You must work with what you have, creating meaningful decisions at every turn.
Both players benefit from reactions, creating positive-sum gameplay where attacking opponents also helps yourself. No pure spite moves - every action has strategic value.
Safety Points make neutralization rewarding, not just reactive. Defensive players can win through smart timing and resource management, not just by avoiding confrontation.
Chain reactions create explosive turning points where one well-timed move can completely reverse the game state. Every game has potential for dramatic comebacks.
Leadership passes between players, ensuring everyone gets moments of control over information flow. No permanent disadvantage from turn order or early luck.
While other science-themed card games exist, REACTION! uniquely combines genuine discovery mechanics with strategic depth and accessibility.
Mad Scientist Chemistry Discovery
Only chemistry game where you genuinely discover reactions through play, not memorization. Creates authentic scientific experimentation experience.
Atomic Bomb Building
Traditional engine-builder with known mechanics. No discovery element. More complex resource management, less accessible to families.
Atom Building Deck Builder
Focuses on scientific accuracy over gameplay innovation. Longer play time, steeper learning curve. More educational, less family-friendly.
Experience REACTION!'s unique mechanics through hands-on demonstrations.
Unlike most card games, you cannot rearrange your hand! Watch how this creates unique challenges:
Each player controls information discovery in turn:
While the discovery system creates amazing first experiences, REACTION! maintains engagement through multiple replay mechanisms that evolve beyond the initial discovery phase.
Even after all reactions are discovered, the game maintains freshness through multiple variable elements that create different experiences each session.
The modular design supports ongoing content that refreshes the discovery system and adds new strategic layers.
Known reactions shift focus from discovery to advanced strategic optimization, creating a different but equally engaging game.
Player behavior patterns and group dynamics create an evolving social layer that keeps sessions fresh.
REACTION! appeals to multiple market segments through its unique combination of accessibility, strategy, and educational value.
Perfect for families who want strategy without complexity. The discovery system creates shared excitement while teaching scientific thinking.
Strategic depth for experienced players who appreciate innovative mechanics and meaningful decision-making within elegant constraints.
Ideal for classrooms, homeschools, and educational programs that want to teach scientific method through engaging gameplay.
Appeals to anyone fascinated by chemistry, scientific discovery, or the process of experimentation and learning.
REACTION! seamlessly integrates genuine educational value with engaging gameplay, making it ideal for classrooms, homeschools, and enrichment programs.
Perfect for introducing scientific method, hypothesis testing, and chemical reaction concepts through hands-on gameplay that students actually want to do.
Engaging way to teach chemistry concepts without expensive lab equipment. Builds scientific thinking while providing quality family game time.
Interactive exhibit piece that demonstrates chemistry principles. Visitors experience the thrill of discovery while learning fundamental scientific concepts.
STEM enrichment activity that doesn't feel like extra homework. Students develop scientific thinking while having fun with friends.
REACTION! aligns with key educational standards across multiple grade levels and subjects.