Hungry Bats

Be quick, catch your insects and make sure you don't lose it all!

Hungry Bats is a fast-paced card game where quick reflexes, different strategies and a little bit of luck can make all the difference. Each player takes on the role of a bat with their own needs and preferences, competing to collect insects and score points.

The game was developed by young people during the Democracy XP: Rule the Game, Not the People the final activity of IYNF's  2026 Democracy Re:Boot – Engage, Defend, Innovate! project cycle.

While the game is all about speed and competition, there's also something to think about beneath the surface. Different bats have different needs, just as people in society do, and each player has their own way of trying to get ahead. But what happens when pursuing individual interests comes at the expense of everyone else?

Hungry Bats explores how greed and the pursuit of individual gain can put an entire ecosystem at risk. And when that ecosystem collapses, even the players who seemed to be winning might end up losing.

The game can be played simply for fun or used as a starting point for discussions about the ecological crisis, capitalism, competing interests and the risks that arise when some individuals have too much power over shared resources and decisions.

So, how many insects can you catch before the ecosystem is at risk?

You can either choose to download the game here on the website or to contact us at iynf@iynf.org to get a printed copy sent to you. We send the game for free; you just have to cover the shipping costs.

The educational activity and the production of the outcome were kindly funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe and the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.