The Curious Gastronaut: Exploring the World of Food Through Play

An Interactive Game by Nalisha Chouraria

Kids can be suspicious of new food and often categorize it as 'yuck' even before trying it. Many foods remain unexplored and mealtimes are reduced to mundane chores. The Curious Gastronaut is a culmination of Nalisha Chouraria's passion for food and specialization in Children's Design. By using curiosity and play, the game aims to inspire kids to be curious and take the first bite, possibly being rewarded with a surprising discovery.

The game offers a unique approach to exploring the exciting world of food. It encourages players to use their imagination, bite-size edible experiments, and all five senses. Whether playing with real food or without, the goal is to discover flavors, textures, and combinations that are out of this world! The Curious Gastronaut reinvents how families eat and encourages playful exploration beyond the game. It makes no mention of specific food items, instead encouraging players to reimagine food and experiment from the ground up.

The Curious Gastronaut is realized as a physical card game, perfect for collaborative play with the potential for digitization. The game seamlessly combines play with dining without becoming a distraction. It is portable and perfectly sized for little hands. The prompts on the cards are whimsical and humorous, while the visuals are gender-neutral and simplistic, stimulating the imagination and triggering joy and curiosity. The open-endedness of the game allows for multi-use, endless interpretations, and high playability.

The technical specifications of The Curious Gastronaut include a packaging box with a slip-on lid measuring 120 x 170 x 50mm. It contains 55 ingredient cards measuring 96mm, a book of curious recipes (12 pages) measuring 110 x 160mm, a gameplay handbook (12 pages) measuring 110 x 160mm, and a Gastronaut's Guide Card (double-sided) measuring 85 x 120mm.

Interacting with The Curious Gastronaut is a delightful experience. Players follow the prompts on beautifully illustrated cards, using their imagination to gather ingredients, creatively combine them to create weird and wonderful bite-size edible experiments, name them, and explore them together using all five senses. They can play with real food or imaginatively, with or without cooking, and choose from solo, collaborative, and competitive modes. The game allows players to discover the exciting edible world on their own terms.

The Curious Gastronaut project started in January 2015 in Gothenburg, Sweden, and was completed in January 2020 in Gold Coast, Australia. It was exhibited at HDK Academy for Design and Art in 2015 and was awarded the Iron A' Design Award in 2020. This prestigious award recognizes well-designed, practical, and innovative creations that meet professional and industrial requirements. The Curious Gastronaut is respected for integrating industry best practices and competent technical characteristics, providing fulfillment and positive feelings, and contributing to a better world.

The Curious Gastronaut is the perfect blend of play, education, and creativity. It fosters healthy food relationships in children through the transformative power of play. By inspiring curiosity and exploration, it encourages a lifelong love for food and a willingness to try new flavors and combinations. Whether playing with friends or family, The Curious Gastronaut promises endless fun and discovery in the world of food.