A Japanese mobile app developer named harusugi has created a free browser game called Wikipedia Gacha. It turns Wikipedia articles into collectible cards that can be obtained from booster packs and used in battles.
A Japanese mobile app developer named harusugi has created a free browser game called Wikipedia Gacha. It turns Wikipedia articles into collectible cards that can be obtained from booster packs and used in battles.
WikiGacha allows you to open up to 10 booster packs per day, each containing five cards. More packs can be opened by completing daily missions, such as opening five packs or visiting Wikipedia, and by collecting achievements.
Cards have different rarity and attack and defense parameters. Attack is determined by the popularity of the Wikipedia article, namely the number of page views multiplied by the card’s rarity. Defense is determined by the length of the article multiplied by the card’s rarity. The more popular and voluminous the article, the stronger the card is associated with it.
The way WikiGacha determines the rarity of each card is based on another unofficial website, WikiRank, which ranks Wikipedia articles by their popularity.
The cards aren’t just for collecting, as the site has its own combat system. They don’t need to be stacked into decks like in many other collectible card games—the player simply chooses one card to battle against another, and the one who depletes the other’s health first wins.
Currently, there is an option to take part in a random battle (it is unclear whether this will be a battle against other players or just against artificial intelligence) or a raid battle. The developer also promises to add a story mode with sequential battles.
The WikiGacha website is already overloaded with traffic, particularly because it offers to open booster packs with collectible cards. The game does not yet have monetization and only offers to support the developer with Buy Me A Coffee.
