What is ‘ĀinaQuest?
A gameplay that centers around the interaction of plants in ‘āina, cultivating our ahupua’a and mitigating invasive plants.
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Official release date coming soon!
‘ĀinaQuest: A Case Study About Indigenous-Led Design
As an Indigenous-led indie game studio, we're passionate about merging ancestral knowledge with modern gaming to help people reconnect with ʻāina. Our cute plant monsters aren't just characters - they're bridges between ancient Hawaiian stories and today's players, fostering real relationships with native plants and the land.
Hawaiʻi is a beautiful and unique place as the most isolated island chain in the world. Hawaiʻi is home to thousands of native and non-native plants, and 40% of the total endangered plant species in the United States. As kanaka and kamaʻāina of this land, we believe it is our duty to preserve the beauty of Hawaiʻi for future generations--and that includes our plants! In order to educate and inspire people to care about native plants, we must meet the community where they are at, and we believe our fun and educational card game will help players cultivate the knowledge needed for environmental stewardship and conservation.
Featured
April 25, 2025
Center for Indigenous Innovation & Societal Impact
‘ĀinaQuest: A Case Study About Indigenous-Led Design
Written by Amy McKee, a Graduate Assistant at the University of Hawaiʻi System Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation (OIKI). She is also a PhD student in Education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the Co-Founder & CEO of ʻĀinaQuest.
Edited and Supervised by Alec Wagner, Program Manager (Design and Innovation), OIKI.
April 26, 2024
Hanahau’oli School
Progressive Education
‘ĀinaQuest: Place-Based Gameplay in Education
April is Native Hawaiian Plant Month, and as many still have Earth Day in their hearts and minds, we are happy to feature a local organization that is working to re-develop people's relationships with native plants. ‘ĀinaQuest is a wonderful example of collaboration, innovation, and ‘aina-inspired action for improved education in 21st Century society. – Amber Strong Makaiau
April 02, 2024
Experiment.com
Research Grant
How can we make building pilina (relationships) with native plants fun for the whole family?
Our stories in Hawaiʻi tell of the strong relationships (pilina) our ancestors had with the natural world. However, today many of us are unable to recognize our plant relatives, much less differentiate native and canoe plants from non-natives and invasive plants. Therefore, how can we help people build pilina (relationships) with native plants? How can we increase community interest in plant stewardship? We are proposing ʻĀinaQuest, an educational card game, as a solution.
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