Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma (2016)

The world of Soma is under siege by the Lords of Pestilence. Hideous invaders like Anthrax, Pertussis, Cholera, and the Black Death are running rampant inside the country’s borders, attempting to murder innocents. The only hope for these helpless villagers is that the Apothecary Healers, their god-like saviors, will save them. Led by ancient warriors Penicillin, Cipro, and Tetracycline, the Apothecary Healers rush into battle, destroying wave after wave of attacker just in the knick of time. Yet it’s not that simple: the Apothecary Healers have different specialties, and must be deployed in a sophisticated manner. And worse: the invaders learn quickly how to resist and evade the Apothecary powers, and some become even stronger when they are struck down.

Healing Blade: Defenders of Soma immerses you in a fantasy realm that represents the real world struggle against infectious disease and bacterial resistance. It’s a two player card game wherein one player attacks with bacteria, and the other defends with antibiotics. The game requires no prior knowledge of medicine, yet accurately reflects the current state of actual antibiotic use against the most common and most feared bacterial infections. Designed in a collaboration between hardcore gamers and practicing physicians, Defenders of Soma offers a complex strategic gameplay experience, while also increasing familiarity with today’s medical quandries in the face of waning antibiotic effectiveness.