A not-for-profit endeavour in healthcare learning.Arrange a session
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Educational board games · Healthcare · Research

Clinical learning,
brought to the table.

CareCombobulation is a not-for-profit endeavour sharing game-based learning methods for healthcare education. Our main aim is to help others understand, adapt, and use the methodology in their own teaching.

Explore our games
Press play to watch the introduction.Watch on YouTube ↗

01 / Our games

Find your next game.

Explore a selection of games made by the CareCombobulation team.

01

Induction & simulation

Dayshift

Dayshift bay board, patient cards, care cards, dice and counters ready for play

2–30 players · Modular format

Learning outcome

Explore the healthcare working day through induction and simulation.

02

Lead II interpretation

ECG Race

ECG Race rhythm cards, heart counters and dice arranged on a blue playing mat

Two teams · Head-to-head

Learning outcome

Interpret cardiac rhythms using Lead II ECG traces.

03

Differentiating types of shock

Shock Who

Shock Who cards laid out on a blue mat with red heart counters

Best with 3–6 players

Learning outcome

Differentiate between types of shock.

Swipe or use the arrows to explore.

02 / Collaborations

Made together.

Explore our ongoing projects and the institutions we’re collaborating with.

MedTalk–CommCare communication skills game and research poster
Communication skills

MedTalk–CommCare

Created by
Anika Kotecha & Emanuele Musumeci

In development
Preview: Not the Bleep: First on Call card back, credited to UHSussex and the Tabletop Simulation Research Group
Bleep-handling simulation

Not the Bleep

Tabletop Simulation Research Group
UHSussex

In development
Preview: Red-Eyed prototype card: acute angle-closure glaucoma, credited to Anthony Loizides and CareCombobulation
Red-eye conditions

Red-Eyed

Tabletop Simulation Research Group
UHSussex

In development
Preview: ABG Detective prototype interpretation card
ABG interpretation

ABG Detective

University of Brighton

In development
Clinical scoring

I’ve Got NEWS for You

University of Brighton & UHSussex

In development
Health law

You’ve Been Summoned

UHSussex

In development
Leadership simulation

Who Is in Charge? Me?

UHSussex

In development
Safe prescribing

MedRound

Brighton and Sussex Medical School

In development
Gastrointestinal anatomy

GI Track

University of Brighton

In development
Swipe or use the arrows to explore.

03 / Around the table

Around the table

Games, people, and the moments in between.

About Emanuele & current research
Emanuele Musumeci with CareCombobulation games

Emanuele Musumeci

Senior Critical Care Nurse · Clinical academic researcher · Educational game designer

I’m interested in gamification, tabletop simulation and widening access to healthcare education. Alongside my clinical role at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, I am undertaking an NIHR INSIGHT-funded Master of Research (MRes) at the University of Brighton.

I am Director and Lead Game Designer at Care Combobulation and Co-Lead of the Sussex Tabletop Simulation Research Group, working with clinicians, educators and researchers to explore how tabletop games can support learning, clinical decision-making and multidisciplinary collaboration.

My ambition is to widen access to education through a range of teaching and learning methods, including gamification and tabletop simulation.

I believe healthcare education should be engaging, inclusive, evidence-based and, wherever possible, fun.

Connect on LinkedIn ↗

Current research

Exploring how games can support healthcare learning, and how to design them with educators and learners.

Gamified OSCE revision for postgraduate critical care nurses

University of Brighton · MRes research project

A quantitative study exploring how gamified revision influences perceived examination stress, confidence and learner experience among postgraduate critical care nurses preparing for Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs).

Acceptability of game-based tabletop simulation in undergraduate healthcare education

University of Portsmouth · Collaborative research project

A mixed-methods study investigating the acceptability and perceived educational value of game-based tabletop simulation among third-year nursing, physiotherapy and paramedic students, using questionnaires and focus groups.

Co-creating evidence-based educational games: a Ludo-Delphi framework

Methodological development project

Developing a structured approach to co-creating educational tabletop games, combining principles of the Delphi method, stakeholder involvement, educational theory and iterative game design.

The aim is to support the development of educational games that are clinically relevant, evidence-informed and responsive to learners’ needs.

Research interests
  • Game-based learning and gamification in healthcare education
  • Tabletop simulation and serious games
  • Co-production and participatory educational design
  • Inclusive and accessible healthcare education
  • Clinical decision-making and multidisciplinary learning
  • Mixed-methods research and educational evaluation
  • Development of evidence-based educational games

Where healthcare comes to play.

04 / Get in touch

Let’s bring your next idea to life.

em@carecombobulation.com

Induction & simulation

Dayshift

What it is

A shared way to explore a working day in healthcare, from competing care priorities to the decisions a team makes together.

Three versions

ITURehab CentrePhysio
Who it’s for
Healthcare students, new starters, and teams
What you’ll learn
Explore the healthcare working day through induction and simulation.
Group size
2–30 players · Modular format

Photos

  • A player choosing an illustrated care card beside the Dayshift bay board
    Dayshift in play
  • A player placing a clear counter on a Dayshift patient card
    Patient cards and counters
  • A Dayshift event card beside yellow counters on the blue bay board
    An unexpected event
  • Dayshift bay board with five numbered beds
    The five-bed bay board
Explore the game
Arrange a session

Tell us your group size and available time when you enquire.

Lead II interpretation

ECG Race

What it is

Bring ECG interpretation off the page with a physical card game built around recognising cardiac rhythms.

Who it’s for
Healthcare students and clinicians learning ECG interpretation
What you’ll learn
Interpret cardiac rhythms using Lead II ECG traces.
Play format
Two teams · Head-to-head

Photos

  • ECG Race rhythm cards, heart counters and dice arranged on a blue playing mat
    ECG Race on the table
  • Easy, intermediate and hard ECG Race cards arranged across a blue mat
    A range of rhythm cards
  • An ECG Race rhythm card surrounded by red heart counters
    A closer look
  • ECG Race blue easy-level rhythm card
    Easy rhythm card
  • ECG Race intermediate-level atrial fibrillation card
    Intermediate rhythm card
  • ECG Race hard-level rhythm card showing third-degree AV block
    Hard rhythm card
Explore the game
Arrange a session

Tell us your group size and available time when you enquire.

Differentiating types of shock

Shock Who

What it is

Explore the features of different types of shock through a shared tabletop learning experience.

Who it’s for
Healthcare students and teams studying shock recognition
What you’ll learn
Differentiate between types of shock.
Group size
Best with 3–6 players

Photos

  • Shock Who cards laid out on a blue mat with red heart counters
    Shock Who in play
  • A player turning over an anaphylactic shock card during Shock Who
    Revealing a card
  • A player holding a Shock Who heart block card above the playing mat
    The cards in your hands
  • Shock Who cardiogenic shock card
    Cardiogenic shock card
  • Shock Who hypovolemic shock card
    Hypovolemic shock card
  • Shock Who heart block card
    Heart block card
Explore the game
Try Shock Who Arrange a session

Tell us your group size and available time when you enquire.

Bleep-handling simulation

Not the Bleep

Tabletop Simulation Research Group
UHSussex

In development

What it is

A tabletop simulation for practising how to handle bleeps with large groups. Bringing the decisions and demands of bleep handling into a shared learning experience.

Who it’s for
Healthcare learners and teams practising bleep handling
What you’ll learn
Practise prioritising and responding to bleeps.

Artwork

Not the Bleep: First on Call card back, credited to UHSussex and the Tabletop Simulation Research Group
Not the Bleep · First on Call
Not the Bleep prototype scenario card
A bleep-handling scenario
Discuss this project ↗

Red-eye conditions

Red-Eyed

Tabletop Simulation Research Group
UHSussex

In development

What it is

A game about differentiating between conditions that cause red eyes, made in partnership with the Tabletop Simulation Research Group at UHSussex. Ask yes-or-no questions, follow the clues, and identify the cause before your opponent does.

Who it’s for
Healthcare learners studying red-eye presentations
What you’ll learn
Differentiate between conditions that cause red eyes.

Artwork

Red-Eyed prototype card: acute angle-closure glaucoma, credited to Anthony Loizides and CareCombobulation
Acute angle-closure glaucoma
Red-Eyed prototype card: anterior uveitis, credited to Anthony Loizides and CareCombobulation
Anterior uveitis
Discuss this project ↗

ABG interpretation

ABG Detective

University of Brighton

In development

What it is

An arterial blood gas (ABG) interpretation game in development with the University of Brighton. Bringing blood gas results to the table for hands-on learning and discussion.

Who it’s for
Healthcare learners studying blood gas interpretation
What you’ll learn
Interpret arterial blood gas results.

Artwork

ABG Detective prototype interpretation card
The interpretation card
ABG Detective prototype example card titled Normal
An example from the deck
Discuss this project ↗

Clinical scoring

I’ve Got NEWS for You

University of Brighton & UHSussex

In development

What it is

A game-show-style game about calculating the correct National Early Warning Score (NEWS) for patients. Developed in collaboration with the University of Brighton and UHSussex.

Who it’s for
Healthcare learners practising patient observation scoring
What you’ll learn
Calculate the correct NEWS from patient observations.
Discuss this project ↗

Health law

You’ve Been Summoned

UHSussex

In development

What it is

A game exploring health law and professional accountability, developed for the UHSussex “You’ve Been Summoned” module.

Who it’s for
Participants in the UHSussex You’ve Been Summoned module
What you’ll learn
Explore health law and professional accountability.
Discuss this project ↗

Leadership simulation

Who Is in Charge? Me?

UHSussex

In development

What it is

A tabletop simulation about taking charge as a Band 5 nurse for the first time. Developed for UHSussex and used in training for nurses taking charge at its hospitals.

Who it’s for
Band 5 nurses preparing to take charge for the first time
What you’ll learn
Practise decisions involved in taking charge of a ward.
Open Ward Creator ↗Discuss this project ↗

Safe prescribing

MedRound

Brighton and Sussex Medical School

In development

What it is

A safe prescribing game developed for Brighton and Sussex Medical School, turning the review of patients’ drug charts during a ward round into a game-based learning experience.

Who it’s for
Medical students practising prescribing and drug-chart review
What you’ll learn
Practise reviewing patients’ drug charts during a ward round.
Discuss this project ↗

Gastrointestinal anatomy

GI Track

University of Brighton

In development

What it is

A game developed for the University of Brighton to support teaching about the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in undergraduate nursing.

Who it’s for
Undergraduate nursing students
What you’ll learn
Explore gastrointestinal anatomy.
Discuss this project ↗

Communication skills

MedTalk–CommCare

Created by Anika Kotecha & Emanuele Musumeci

In development

What it is

A tabletop card game designed to help preclinical medical students practise communication through realistic scenarios, discussion, and reflection. Players explore adapting their communication, explaining complex information, and navigating challenging conversations in a shared learning environment.

Who it’s for
Preclinical medical students
What you’ll learn
Practise adapting your communication to different patient scenarios.

Behind the game

The poster documents an early playtest with two Foundation Year doctors and three preclinical medical students, alongside learner feedback and plans for further development.

MedTalk–CommCare: Building Confident Communicators. Poster by Anika Kotecha and Emanuele Musumeci describing the game, a five-participant playtest, learner feedback, and future plans.
MedTalk–CommCare · Building Confident Communicators
Discuss this project ↗