BerryMaker 13

BerryMaker places you in the role of founder and CEO of an innovative biotech start-up specializing in the production of health-oriented soft drinks through the use of synthetic biology technology. Your primary task is to identify and extract beneficial genes from berries sourced globally, transferring them into microorganisms that will generate the nutritious ingredients necessary for your soft drink production.

As the CEO, your objective is to maintain a competitive edge by leveraging state-of-the-art scientific advancements, delivering a highly sought-after beverage, and maximizing your quarterly profits.

AIM OF THE GAME:

The core goal is straightforward: grow your start-up into a successful corporation. You aim to amplify your quarterly profits, with the opportunity to upload these figures to the high score board every 90 in-game days (where 24 seconds equate to one in-game day).

RISING CHALLENGES:

As your enterprise transitions from a fledgling start-up to a large corporation, you will encounter an array of challenges. Initially constrained by limited financial resources, you must focus on establishing a positive cash flow. As growth continues, your focus will shift toward enhancing production efficiency through meticulous selection of berries, genes, and microorganisms.

HOW TO PLAY:

Begin by utilizing your initial credit of €3000 to acquire a fermenter and a bottler for the compound “Fisetin” in the FACTORY. Subsequently, head to the LABORATORY to purchase one of the berries. Here, you will find various genes represented as double helix DNA forms, alongside analyses of their molecular weights. After clicking on the bottler in the FACTORY, select a gene that corresponds with the required molecular weight in the LABORATORY. Once you've extracted the appropriate gene, proceed to the FERMENTER to purchase a microorganism for integration with your extracted gene. Activating this combination allows you to start production in the fermenter.

Next, you'll need to adjust Feed, Heat, and Service regulators to optimize costs and enhance profits. As you observe bottles being filled in the factory and your credit increasing with each sale, reinvest your earnings into additional fermenters and bottlers for producing other compounds.

A useful hint: Different berries yield compounds with varying efficiencies, while microorganisms are categorized by price; employing higher-priced microorganisms can boost fermenter productivity. Increased investment in fermenters, genes, and bottlers facilitates greater profit generation.

Remember to upload your quarterly profit figures after every 90 in-game days via the MENU button!

THE PLAYER AS STRATEGIC TINKERER:

BerryMaker rewards strategic foresight and effective management of laboratory processes, fermenters, and factory operations. As a player, you are encouraged to incrementally build your company into a leading entity within the biotech sector while staying responsive to external market events that may impact your business.

SCIENCE GAMIFICATION:

This game artfully simulates real-world efforts to identify beneficial genes in berries and integrate them into microorganisms for compound production in fermenters. The inspiration behind BerryMaker stems from real-life research initiatives such as the European Commission's FP7 funded BacHBerry project (www.bachberry.eu), which involved collaborative efforts among numerous European and international researchers. While market events within the game are fictional, any resemblance to actual organizations or individuals is purely coincidental.