Andrew's Cards
Andrew's Cards: a serious game co-designed by people with a learning disability
Are you looking for a resource to help with change?
Andrew’s Cards is a fun and friendly conversation game designed for people with a learning disability, including those with dementia. It helps individuals connect with new friends or supporters by chatting about likes, dislikes, and everyday life.
Perfect for times of change – like moving into a shared or care home, or meeting a new support worker – Andrew’s Cards make it easier to get to know others and share personal preferences. It’s also a great tool for planning ahead and understanding someone’s wishes as they age. Family members and support staff are encouraged to join in too!
Dementia game
The outcomes of Andrew’s Cards align with the quality frameworks of UK care regulators, including the Care Quality Commission (England), Care Inspectorate (Scotland and Wales), and RQIA (Northern Ireland). This helps staff show they understand each person with a learning disability as an individual, supporting current needs, wishes, and transitions – while recognising preferences and opinions may change over time.
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Co-designing the game
Expert Advisors Justin, Jenna and Neil co-designing Andrew’s Cards
What is a serious game?
Andrew’s Cards was co-designed and tested with people who have a learning disability – including some with dementia – as well as social care staff from care homes and support services. It’s built around key quality of life themes: feeling safe and stable (physical wellbeing), being heard and respected (rights and inclusion), having choices (self-determination), and building relationships (emotional wellbeing). These are reflected in four colour-coded categories: At Home, Favourite Things, Knowing Me, and For Fun.
As a ‘serious game’, Andrew’s Cards combines meaningful conversations with a fun format to support change and transition in an engaging way. The game is simple to play, with optional responses and thoughtful questions designed to be inclusive, easy to use, and genuinely helpful.
Conversations with support
Closed questions, such as offering a choice, can be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or a single word answer. Open questions, whilst intended to be easy to answer, allow the respondent to decide how much information to share. Not everyone may find the questions easy to understand and prompts may be helpful. Go with the flow if the conversation goes off topic and enjoy the conversation!
Conversations with caution
Some questions in the game involve reminiscing, which can be enjoyable but it’s important to remember that not all memories are happy. Some people might feel unsure about joining in, especially if they’re worried about remembering things. Reassurance matters, and it’s important to go at each person’s pace. Players are always free to skip a question using the pass card as often as they like.
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