Goal: Match
famous concepts (Fibonacci sequence, Pascal’s triangle, π, binary, calculus…)
to the right Bharatiya scientist.

Players: 2–8

Setup: Adult/host
reads from a small list of prompts like:

• “Who connected poetic
  meters to Fibonacci-like numbers?”
• “Who used Meru-prastara
  (Pascal’s triangle)?”
• “Who pioneered infinite
  series for trigonometric functions?”
• “Who used binary ideas in
  meter analysis?”

How to play:

1. Spread all cards face up.
2. Host reads a concept;
   players race to touch the scientist they think fits.
3. Finder must flip the card
   and read the “Known for” to prove it.

Scoring: Correct = 2
points. Wrong = –1. First to 15 wins.

Goal: Answer
quick questions about field and key work from any card.

Players: 3–10

Setup: Stack all
cards face down.

How to play:

On your turn:

1. Another player draws a
   card and reads only the name.
2. You must say:

• Their field
  (e.g., “Astronomy & Mathematics”), and
• One
  thing they are “Known for” (any phrase from that line).

1. Then they flip and check.

Scoring:                   

• Field right + fact right
  = 2 points.
• One of the two right = 1
  point.
• Both wrong = 0.

After one
round around the table, highest wins.

Goal: Identify
the correct scientist from the “Known for” line only.

Players: 3–12

Setup:One
Quizmaster, others as contestants.

How to play:

1. Quizmaster draws a card
   and hides the name.
2. Reads a trimmed version
   of the “Known for” line, e.g.:

• “Authoring
  the Sulbasutra on geometric altar construction.”
• “Surgeon
  who described nose reconstruction and cataracts.”

1. First player to shout
   their name (or tap the table) answers.
2. Quizmaster reveals card
   to confirm.

Scoring:

Right = +2. Wrong = –1. No one answers = 0.

Rotate Quizmaster after 5–6 cards if you like.

Goal: See how
Bhārat was ahead of later global names.

Players: 2–8

Setup:Collect
cards such as: Hemachandra, Pingala, Halayudha, Aryabhata, Madhava, etc.

How to play:

1. Host announces a “famous”
   Western association:

• “Fibonacci
  numbers”
• “Pascal’s
  triangle”
• “Calculus
  / infinite series for sine/cosine”

1. Players must:

• Name
  the Indian scientist(s) from the cards who did this earlier;
• Say
  one line from the card that backs this claim.

1. Short discussion: how
   many centuries earlier? what was their context (prosody, jyotisha, temple
   altars)?

Scoring:

• Name + correct link = 2
  points.
• Partial (only name or only
  link) = 1 point.

This works
brilliantly for youth workshops.

Goal: Build the
best ancient “research team” for a modern mission.

Players: 3–6

Setup:Shuffle and
deal 6 cards to each player.

How to play:

1. Each player keeps 1 card,
   passes the remaining 5 to the left.
2. Repeat (keep 1, pass
   rest) until everyone has 6 chosen scientists – this is your Innovation
   Squad.
3. The host now gives a mission
   card, e.g.:

• “Plan
  a mission to Mars.”
• “Design
  a sustainable, zero-waste city.”
• “Create
  a healthcare system for a kingdom.”

1. Each player must explain
   how 3–4 scientists from their squad would contribute, using their
   fields & “Known for” lines.

Scoring:

Everyone votes (not for themselves).

Each vote for your squad = 1 point. Highest wins.

Goal: Match
real-life style problems to the right scientist and justify.

Players: 3–10

Setup:Prepare
problem slips like:

• “A king wants a precise
  calendar for rituals and farming.”
• “A river town faces a
  mysterious epidemic.”
• “We need a better number
  system and calculation method for trade.”
• “We must map the sky to
  predict eclipses.”

How to play:

For each problem:

1. Deal 3 cards to each
   player.
2. Everyone secretly picks one
   scientist who best fits the problem.
3. Reveal together; each
   explains why this scientist is ideal, reading from card.

Scoring:

• Group (minus the speaker)
  votes whose match makes most sense.
• Winner gets 2 points;
  second-most convincing gets 1.

Goal: Attach
scientists to regions of Bharat and see geographical spread.

Players: 2–10

Setup:

• Draw/print a simple map
  or just write region labels:
  
  North, South, East, West, Central/Deccan, Pan-Bharat.
• Use place clues from
  summaries (e.g., Kerala school, Nandigrama, Takshashila, etc.).

How to play:

1. Deal 4 cards to each
   player.
2. On your turn, choose one
   card and place it at a region, stating:

• “I
  think he/she belongs to … because the card mentions … (place /
  tradition).”

1. If the region is vague,
   you may suitably label it “Pan-Bharat” and say why.

Scoring:

If group accepts your reasoning = 1 point.

The table gradually becomes a visual “where they lived and worked” map.

Goal: Make
meaningful pairs (or trios) of scientists whose work connects.

Players: 2–6

Setup:

• Use all cards; deal 5 to
  each player.

How to play:

1. On your turn, you may
   place a pair or trio on the table if you can explain a genuine
   connection:

• Same
  field (two astronomers refining each other’s ideas)
• Same
  concept (two working on meters, prosody, or surgery)
• Same
  lineage (teacher–student, same “school,” etc.).

1. You must read the “Field”
   / “Known for” parts to show the link.
2. If others feel the connection
   is weak, they can challenge; group votes.

Scoring:

Accepted pair = 2 points, trio = 3 points.

Play to an agreed target score.

Goal: Tell a
coherent story of how ideas evolved, not just random facts.

Players: 3–8

Setup:

• Each player draws 3
  cards.

How to play:

1. First player begins a
   “documentary-style” story in 4–5 sentences, using one of their
   scientists:

• how
  they lived, what they did, why it mattered.

1. Next player must continue
   the story, connecting one of their scientists to what was just said:

• “While
  Lagadha worked on ritual timekeeping, centuries later Aryabhata refined
  mathematical models of planetary motion…”

1. You cannot jump randomly;
   there must be some link (field, refinement, region, or concept).
2. Continue till all cards
   are used.

Scoring:

After the relay:

• Each player gets 2 points
  if their link felt natural and accurate; 1 point if correct but weakly
  linked.

Goal: Build a concept
tree showing how one idea branches into many.

Players: 2–6

Setup:

Pick one central theme for the round, e.g.:

• Numbers & Patterns
• Healing & Ayurveda
• Sky & Time

Put 1
representative card in the centre (e.g., Pingala for patterns, Dhanvantari for
health, Lagadha for sky-time).

How to play:

1. Deal 4 cards to everyone.
2. On your turn, you try to
   add one card as a branch from the centre or from an existing
   branch.

• Explain
  how this scientist’s work grows the same tree:
  
  “From altar geometry we move to trigonometry; from early astronomy to
  precise planetary models; from herbal healing to surgery.”

1. If others are convinced,
   the card stays as a branch; if not, it goes to discard and you skip
   scoring.

Scoring:

Every accepted branch = 1 point for the player who placed it.

When no one can add more meaningful branches, the Science Tree is complete.