WELCOME TO VIVARIUM GAMES!
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The goal of my small business is to introduce all ages, but particularly young audiences, to underrepresented species and ecosystems. Through my games, I hope to inspire curiosity in the natural world - important for the wellbeing of both individuals and the wider world.​ By making gameplay easy to tailor to a range of background knowledge levels, I hope to broaden their appeal!
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Vivarium Games is a 'Community Interest Company', or CIC, which means that all business activities - whether it be the development of games, digital resources, or running in-person events, are all for the benefit of the community. It also means that the vast majority of the profit I make from my games goes back into the company, so I can keep putting educational resources into the world!
The core belief of Vivarium Games is that nature is for everybody.
Just as it is our responsibility to look after nature, even in little ways, nature looks after us. To do this, I have two main goals - empowerment and bridging gaps
Empowerment
I hope that my resources can motivate and inspire players to get out and explore, feeling better equipped to notice new species even in day-to-day life. Most of my resources are available for free, and I ensure there are ways to make the games more affordable, to reduce financial barriers to education.
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Bridging Gaps
One of the biggest hurdles to engaging in nature and ecology education I have come across is the gap in resources for a middle-ground knowledge level, particularly for certain species. By making games and educational resources that address this, I hope both that currently underrepresented species can gain the acknowledgement they deserve, and that I can motivate players to keep learning for their own interest!
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ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Hi, I'm Jamie!
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I'm a 21 year-old ecologist (a botanist at heart) and artist.
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I've got a scientific background, having recently graduated from Durham University with my undergraduate degree, and since become a post-grad student. However, whilst I'm drawn to the more academic side of ecology and plant sciences, one of my biggest passions is science communication. This is where my background working in education (ages 1-11) comes in handy!
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​Vivarium Games is ultimately a personal passion project. It grew out of the funding I received as part of the Woodland Trust's 2025 Igniting Innovation competition, with which I've spent the last 8 months developing my first ever game, MycoStrike!
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However, I'm determined to make the most out of this opportunity and extent the resources I make to a whole range of underrepresented taxa, beyond Fungi - one of the good things about having an eclectic mix of interests within ecology! While my long-term goal is to work in plant pathology (especially with pests and diseases affecting trees), I've got a keen interest in insects, parasitology, and bryophytes (especially lichens)!
My first game is due for release in May 2026, after which I hope to balance further work and study with developing another game (either focused on plant health or seaweed, depending on potential funding sources).
As far as I can, I will always keep as much of my products hand-made, from the illustrations in my games to the hand-made stuffed toys (with an educational twist) that I hope to expand my resources to. Whilst this means a lot of work for a one-person business, Vivarium Games is just as much a way for me to explore ecology!
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Stay tuned to see what I can create over the next few years!
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The Igniting Innovation community that I started my journey with!
Receiving my Gold Duke of Edinburgh award after a few community-oriented projects!
Why a cic?
As I briefly mentioned, the heart of a CIC is being community-oriented, but what does that actually mean?
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Purpose
I chose to run Vivarium Games as a CIC because of the precedent it sets for our commitment to both nature and people. We hope to promote games as a form of active learning, reducing barriers to engagement in nature (particularly financial barriers), and increase interest in ecology
The Legal Side​
A 'Community Interest Company' is kind of like a cross between a typical for-profit company and a charity. It isn't allowed to be associated with a political party, political campaign, or subsidiary of either, and has limits on the profit that can be made - the vast majority must be . Similarly, if Vivarium Games were to stop making resources, all of the remaining profits and other assets would be given to the Woodland Trust. I chose them as this nominated 'asset-locked body' because of their vital role in establishing Vivarium Games through the Igniting Innovation competition. Whilst I intend to keep making ecology resources for some time yet, as the designer, it's reassuring to know that the legacy of Vivarium Games would be in safe hands.
Trust
A CIC shares many of the same attributes as a charity, and due to the limitations on how much profit can be made from them (if any), many people view CICs as more trustworthy than typical companies.
The Rules
To quality as a CIC, a company needs to pass the 'Community Interest Test', to show that the company's aims are community-oriented. Once registered, the CIC must continue to show its commitment to the community and be transparent about what happens to any profit made. In the case of Vivarium Games, I rely on external funding to print the designs I have voluntarily made in my free time. I will only receive any reimbursement for my time designing and managing Vivarium Games if there is surplus profit on top of the funding needed to develop further educational resources. As such, Vivarium Games is a completely voluntary project for me! Each resource is a labour of love, and being the only person on the Vivarium Games team, it is a significant time commitment (alongside work and study)!