ROBOT RESPONDERS The objective of this game is to design the best robot to complete a specific real‑world mission. To win, a player’s robot must contain all required components, meet the task criteria AND stay within budget! This game is designed for 2–4 players or teams. DESIGNING A ROBOT To complete a mission, a player’s robot MUST include at minimum these 5 essential components: 1 Base 2 Head 3 Locomotion e.g. wheels, tracks, etc. 4 Motor 5 Battery A player may have to add up to 3 bonus components (arms, LiDAR, etc.) to complete the mission. Be sure to read the Task card carefully. All robots are equipped with a computer and controller to start, so players do not need to add this into their design. Players should familiarise themselves with all cards before they begin playing. COMPLETING THE MISSION If player draws a Mission Complete card, they can only win if: • Their robot is fully built (all essential and any necessary bonus components). • They can explain how their design meets all the robot criteria listed on the Task card with the cards in their hand. • The other player(s) approve the design. • Design stays within the 100-credit budget (optional). ACTION CARDS These cards provide an advantage or disadvantage to a player. They can be played when it’s a player’s turn after they draw a card. Players MUST discard after using the action card. Mission mishap Player gives 1 card from their hand to another player. Mission success Draw 2 cards from the draw pile or the top 2 cards from the discard pile. Component repair Swap one card with another player. Wild card Takes the place of one component card. Player must state what the component it is when explaining how their robot design meets the task criteria to win the game. MISSION COMPLETE CARDS Can ONLY be used to complete a mission. This will be the LAST card a player will pick up from the draw pile. If Mission Complete card is dealt at the start of the game, discard and add to centre of draw pile and choose a new card from the draw pile. If a player’s robot is incomplete, they MUST discard the card! NATIONAL SCIENCE EXPERIMENT 2026 For further information www.csiro.au/EducatorsLibrary Contact us 1300 363 400 csiro.au/contact csiro.au CSIRO is Australia’s national science agency, delivering solutions for a productive, sustainable and secure future. CSIRO. Improving the life of every Australian. THINK LIKE AN ENGINEER Use the Task card to guide robot design: • Can the robot move successfully in the environment? • Does it have all the needed components to complete the task of the mission? • Will the robot survive the dirty, dangerous, and/or dull environment of the mission? • Is the design within budget? Be ready to explain the design choices! BUDGET CHALLENGE (OPTIONAL) • Each player has a budget of 100 credits. • Every card has a cost. • Player’s robot must stay within budget, or it cannot complete the mission! Typical component costs: Basic components = 10 – 15 credits Advanced components = 20 – 30 credits Bonus components = 10 – 30 credits Action cards = 0 credits Engineers balance performance and cost! SET-UP 1. Print and cut out all cards (pages 3–11). Fold and glue Mission and Task cards (pages 3–5). 2. Sort Mission and Task cards into 2 piles. 3. The shortest player chooses 1 Mission card for the round. 4. Find the Task card that matches the Mission card. 5. Players should refer to the Task card throughout the game to ensure they are designing a robot that meets the mission criteria. 6. Decide who will be the dealer for the round. 7. The dealer reads the Mission card, and a different player reads the Task card to the group. 8. Place the extra Mission and Task cards off to the side. Players will not need these for this round. 9. Shuffle the component and action cards. 10. Dealer will deal 5 cards to each player. 11. Players should organise their hand, remember robots must have the essential 5 components, and should improve the robot design with BONUS Components cards that will give the design the extra components needed to successfully complete the mission. 12. Place the remaining cards face down in the centre of the table (draw pile). 13. Decide if the round will be played with the Budget challenge before beginning. HOW TO PLAY The player to the left of the dealer will start. On a player’s turn they will: 1. Draw 1 card from the draw pile or draw the LAST card that was discarded to the discard pile. 2. Decide if they are going to keep or discard the card. A player does not need to discard on every turn and can discard as many cards as they would like. 3. Place any cards the player does not want to the discard pile. 4. The player may only have 8 cards in their hand at one time. Players MUST discard a card when they have more than 8 cards. 5. If the player draws the Mission Complete card and their robot is complete and they have more than 8 cards, they MUST discard any additional cards. WINNING THE GAME The winner is the player/team that: • Draws a Mission Complete card once they have designed a robot that meets ALL the robot criteria on the Task card. • Has provided an explanation for how their design meets all the robot criteria included on the Task card. • Has the approval of ALL other player(s) that the robot meets all robot criteria to complete the mission. • Has a design within the 100-credit budget (optional). GAME TIP If the draw pile runs out, flip the discard pile over and keep playing! FINAL CHALLENGE The best robots aren’t always the most expensive… They’re the cleverest designs for the mission!