Game Night: Learn AWS Architecture with AWS BuilderCards

🗓️ Agenda
18:00 – Welcome & Table Assignments
18:15 – Introduction & How to Play (guided first turns together)
18:45 – Complete Your First Game & Extra Games
19:50 – Survey, Quiz & Feedback
20:00 – Closing

About This Session
This time, we're doing something different. We're playing AWS BuilderCards, a deckbuilding card game created by AWS that teaches you how AWS services fit together to build well-architected cloud workloads. Think strategy meets architecture diagrams, but way more fun.

First glance? Looks intimidating. But my 11-year-old daughter plays it — and wins. 😄 The game is designed for ages 14+ and you absolutely don't need AWS experience to enjoy it. Though if you do have it, you'll have a blast debating architecture choices with the person sitting next to you.

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What is AWS BuilderCards?
You start as a freshly hired IT architect. Your mission: migrate away from on-premises infrastructure, adopt AWS services, build cloud-native architectures, and score Well-Architected Points before your competitors do.
Each turn you'll:

• Deploy cards from your hand — single services or combos that unlock bonus effects
• Build Architectures — pair services like Lambda + SQS, or EC2 + CloudWatch — real combos, real synergies
• Adopt new Builder Cards from the Console (the shared marketplace) using your TCO and AWS Credits

The player with the most Well-Architected Points when the stack runs out wins. A game typically lasts 20–30 minutes — perfect for an evening like this.

Watch Before You Arrive — Seriously, Please Do!
We'll walk through the mechanics together at the event, but watching this short video beforehand will make your first turn much smoother and a lot more fun:
👉 How to Play AWS BuilderCards (YouTube) — by the AWS for Games team
You can also grab the Quick Reference Card to print or keep open on your phone during the game.

How the Evening Will Run
We'll introduce you the games, the cards, the dynamics
Then We'll start play together — the first couple of turns will be guided as a group so everyone gets comfortable with the mechanics: how to deploy cards, build an architecture, spend credits, and grab Well-Architected cards from the Console.
Then you take over — complete the first game at your own pace, apply combos, debate choices, ....
After that, free play — start a new game and keep going.

🪑 Table Assignments
To make sure every table has a rich mix of experience and that there's genuine sharing happening each turn, we'll assign seats based on your background. When you RSVP, please let us know:

• Your AWS experience level (Beginner / Intermediate / Expert)
• Whether you've played deckbuilding games before (Dominion, Clank, etc.) — even a yes/no helps!

We'll mix AWS veterans with newcomers, and card game veterans with first-timers, so that every table has someone who can help explain a combo and someone who'll ask the question everyone was thinking.

👥 Who Should Attend
This event is perfect for anyone who wants to have fun with their cloud knowledge — or build some new knowledge without realizing it. Whether you're a developer, architect, student, or AWS-curious, you'll find your rhythm quickly. The game rewards curiosity more than memorization.