I have been following the progress of AWS BuilderCards for several years. Players of all skill levels use the cards to learn about AWS in a fun and engaging way, competing (in a friendly fashion) to combine their cards to form architectures, gaining knowledge and scoring points as they play:

To date, more than 15,000 sets of BuilderCards have been printed and put to use over the course of three re:Invents, fifteen AWS Summits, and multiple community events. For example, here is a group of AWS enthusiasts having a good time in Tokyo during JAWS Days 2024:

Feedback from players has been incredibly positive, with a 4.8 star customer satisfaction score (CSAT) across more than 1500 replies.

Second Edition Now Available
I am happy to announce that the second edition of AWS BuilderCards will be distributed at re:Invent 2024 and will soon be available for purchase online. In response to feedback on the first edition, we have made many changes to the second edition. Here’s a summary:

Design — The revised design focuses on the contents of the card, with additional gradients and patterns to make the cards more attractive and playful. The font size was increased, game effects are now represented as icons, and the QR codes now point to the BuilderCards site:

Game Mechanics — The mechanics have been revised to improve balance, simplify play, and remove some bias. There are also some starter cards that represent a common on-premises data center environment.

Generative AI Add-On Pack — This new deck includes 50 additional BuilderCards designed to show how Generative AI and AWS architecture align. This add-on pack also includes a set of Mission cards. These cards add context, with QR codes that link to published best practices or solutions. The cards are larger, with additional text and an architecture diagram. Use is optional, with players earning extra points for completing a mission. Each deck also includes five blank BuilderCards and two blank Mission cards to support customization:

Get Your BuilderCards
If you will be at re:Invent 2024, make plans to visit the BuilderCards play area on Level 1 of Caesar’s Forum next to the PeerTalk area:

Sunday – 10 AM to 6 PM
Monday – 9 AM to 5 PM
Tuesday – 9 AM to 5 PM
Wednesday – 9 AM to 5 PM
Thursday – 9 AM to 4 PM

You can play against other re:Invent attendees and also get your own game and add-on packs to take home (we’ll give away 1,000 per day). Thanks to hard work by Masanori Yamaguchi (AWS Hero) and Kosuke Enomoto (AWS Community Builder) we will also have BuilderCards in Japanese for on-site play. You can read Kosuke’s blog post (AWS BuilderCards Japanese Edition for JAWS DAYS) to learn more about the translation process.

If you won’t be able to attend re:Invent, you will soon be able to purchase a deck of your own. Check back here for more info!

Stay Tuned
The BuilderCards team is working on additional goodies including expansion packs and additional language packs.

— Jeff;