Cards For Humanity: Sci-Fi Expansion Pack To Fight World Hunger
[featured image: Cards Against Humanity]
For a long time, fans of science fiction have enjoyed the worlds and technology created by authors. Now they can put their own twist on the fate of the human race (or whatever species they are) with Cards Against Humanity’s new Sci-Fi expansion pack.
Last year they released their first ever Fantasy pack with the help of a dozen fantasy authors, including Patrick Rothfuss, Neil Gaiman, and Jacqueline Carey, who brainstormed for playful questions and hilariously grotesque answers. This year’s Sci-Fi release enlisted the help of authors, including:
- Delilah S. Dawson
- Elizabeth Bear
- Jim C. Hines
- Myke Cole
- Martha Wells
- Catherynne M. Valente
- Patrick Rothfuss
The thirty-card pack poking fun at the Sci-Fi genre is $5. Through December 19, all proceeds from the expansion pack will first be doubled and then go to Worldbuilders, Rothfuss’s nonprofit organization, which supports Heifer International. So far, they have raised $21,378 from the packs.
Heifer International is a nonprofit that works with communities to end world. However, instead of simply a donation of supplies, they work to empower families with the “teach a man to fish” philosophy. They provided the education and supplies needed to bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to the areas with long histories of poverty. Animals not only provide food, but also a source of reliable income, such as agricultural products like milk, eggs, and honey which can be traded or sold at market.
Rothfuss’s organization, Worldbuilders, allows donators to purchase items like chickens, tree seedlings or well installations which provides the supplies need for Heifer Internationals mission.
Cards Against Humanity was created by Highland Park High School alum for a New Year’s Eve party, using Apples to Apples as an influence. Co-creator Ben Hantoot has cited experiences with games, such as Magic: The Gathering, Balderdash, and Charades, as inspirations with Mad Libs as the most direct influence.
In December 2010, a Kickstarter campaign was started to finance the game, meeting its goal of $4,000 in two weeks. When it ended at the end of January 2011, they had raised over $15,000, just under 400% of its original goal, which allowed the creators to add fifty more cards to the set.
This is not the first time Cards Against Humanity has been involved with a charitable cause. Previous proceed donations include the Wikimedia Foundations, several educational projects through DonorsChoose, scholarships for women going into STEM and the Chicago Design Museum.
It has been stated that the company has generated at least $12 million in revenue since 2011. The approximate donation amount from the small list of their ventures above is around $670,000.
