Wildcard games in Arcade (beta)

Wildcard is a new way to make games in Arcade. Instead of picking a template, you describe the game you want in plain language, and Arcade's AI builds a fully custom game from scratch, with its own look, rules, and mechanics.

Starting a Wildcard game

Wildcard isn't in the regular list of game types. There are two ways to get to it:

• From the create page: look for the Meet Wildcard banner at the bottom of the screen and click Try it.
• Directly: go to arcade.padlet.com/wildcard.

The first time you open Wildcard, a short intro explains how it works and shows a few example games. You can open it again at any time by clicking the ? next to the BETA label.

Describing your game

Type a description of the game you want into the text box. The more you tell Wildcard, the closer the game will be to what you have in mind. A good description covers the topic, what players actually do, and any theme or twist you want. For example: "A game where players put the stages of a plant or animal life cycle in order. Mix in a species that breaks the usual pattern."

Not sure where to start? Click one of the example topics above the text box, like Place Value or Positive and negative numbers. It fills in a sample description and a matching grade level, which you can then change.

Choose a grade level so the game fits your students. Options run from Kindergarten through 12th grade and Higher Education, plus Any grade.

Building from your own material

Want the game built from a worksheet, reading, or video you already use? Click Add file to attach a document such as a PDF, or Add link to paste a link to a website or video. Wildcard reads your material and works it into the game.

Building the game

Click Next to start building. Unlike template games, there is no game ideas step: the build starts right away.

Wildcard games take over five minutes to build. You don't have to wait on the page. You can leave and come back, and the game will be in My games when it's finished.

Playing and sharing

Share a Wildcard game the same way as any other Arcade game: click Share to copy the link, show or print the QR code, send it to an app, or copy the embed code. See Sharing and playing Arcade games for details.

Players enter their name in the bar at the top of the game, then start playing from the game's own start screen. Each Wildcard game has its own controls and screens, designed for that game.

Wildcard games come with the same tools as other games:

• Leaderboard: scores and times appear on the game's leaderboard.
• Live Activity: see who's playing in real time with Live Activity.
• Locking: click the padlock icon next to the title to lock the game until you're ready for players to start. While it's locked, players see a The party hasn't started message, and the game opens for everyone at the same time when you unlock it.

• Attempts: if you limit how many times each player can play, players who reach the limit see a message like You've used all 3 tries.

Locking or reaching the attempt limit never interrupts a round that's already in progress. Players can finish the round they started.

Editing a Wildcard game

Click Edit at the top of any Wildcard game you created. Wildcard games are edited through the Chat tab. Type what you want to change in the Request changes box, like "make the later levels harder" or "use bigger buttons", and Wildcard reworks the game. Each change is saved as a new version in the chat.

Most changes keep existing scores on the leaderboard. If a change affects how the game is scored, for example the scoring scale or the difficulty, scores from earlier versions no longer count toward the new version.

The Settings tab has the same leaderboard and Live Activity options as other Arcade games.

Usage limits

Wildcard is currently free, with a daily usage limit. Builds and edits both count toward it, and bigger builds and edits use more of it than small ones. The limit resets every day.

You won't see your usage most of the time. When you get close to the day's limit, Wildcard shows how much you've used as a percentage. We may change the limit in the future.

Tips for Best Results

• Describe what players do, not just the topic. "Fractions" gives the AI very little to go on. "Players slice cargo into equal parts to load a ship" gives it a mechanic to build around.
• Bring your own material. Attach the reading, worksheet, or video your class is already using, so the game sticks to your content.
• Play it before you share it. Wildcard games are built from scratch every time, so play through once to make sure everything works the way you want.
• Ask for one change at a time. When something isn't right after the build, a specific request in chat (for example, "the timer is too short on level 3") works better than asking to redo the whole game.

Current Limitations

Insights aren't available for Wildcard games yet, but they're coming soon.