A sports injury that sidelined him for nearly a year has become the catalyst for one student’s creative breakthrough. After suffering a concussion during a rugby match at Eton College, 17-year-old Harry Liuhan channelled his experience into designing Cagoga, a card game that brings the unseen world of concussion into vivid focus.
Making Concussion Tangible
Concussions are notoriously difficult to identify. Unlike visible wounds, they manifest as sensations: dizziness, fatigue, memory lapses, or headaches. Liuhan wanted to give those symptoms form, to create something that players could not only imagine but hold in their hands. The result is Cagoga, a game that combines colour, strategy, and storytelling to mirror the lived realities of a brain injury.
“My peers won’t really respond to pamphlets or speeches,” he explained. “I needed to reach them with something they would actually enjoy learning from.” The result is a game that teenagers not only play competitively but also learn from.
A Deck Built From Experience
At the heart of Cagoga is its balance of four main categories of cards. Attack Cards, coloured in sharp reds, represent the collisions and jolts that often trigger concussions: rugby tackles, falling objects, or lighthearted inventions like Ultra Falling Bird Poop. Symptom Cards, shaded in deep blues, capture the hidden aftermath: Headache Band, Imbalance, Cognitive Dissonance. These force players to slow down, pause, or rethink strategy, echoing how patients must adapt daily life around recurring symptoms. Utility Cards, shaded in light blue show aspects of a support network such as Awareness and Empathic Understanding. Finally, Healing Cards, shaded green, embody recovery and renewal, offering players moments of reprieve through cards such as Sleep or Healing Retreat.
Character Cards and Gameplay
Every game begins with a Character Card, tied to one of ten “Types:” Fire, Water, Electric, Space, Light, Creation, Radiation, Chemical, Metal, and Normal. These types define each character’s strengths and weaknesses, much as individual resilience shapes recovery in real life. A Water-aligned character, for instance, may resist Fire attacks but be especially vulnerable to Electric ones.
Harry included himself in the set, alongside symbolic figures like Hoot and Mask. The personal touch reminds players that Cagoga was built not from theory but from lived experience.
A Game That Mirrors Recovery
Part of what makes Cagoga striking is its deliberate structure: the gameplay is designed to echo the rhythms of recovery. Players must endure setbacks, shift tactics, and manage limited resources while aiming to heal their character and outlast their opponent. Like concussion itself, the journey is unpredictable: victories are fragile, progress can vanish in a single blow, and healing takes time.
Beginners can start with a shared deck, while more advanced players can engage in deck-building, carefully curating their mix of Attack, Symptom, Healing, and Utility cards. Strategic choices mirror real-world balancing acts: take risks to advance, or conserve energy to protect against relapse.
Blending Seriousness and Play
While some cards are rooted directly in medical reality, others lean into humour and absurdity. Cards like Cyber Monster or Brain Smoothie lighten the tone without undermining the message, ensuring that players stay engaged rather than overwhelmed. “I wanted the game to be fun,” Liuhan said. “If it isn’t fun, then no one will play it, and the message won’t get through.”
That blend of lighthearted creativity and grounded seriousness has resonated with medical professionals. “It’s truly inspiring to see the intersection of medicine and creativity used in such a meaningful way to support healing and foster connection,” said Dr. Teena Shetty, Director of the Concussion Program in Neurology at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
From Classrooms to Hospitals
Since its creation, Cagoga has travelled far beyond Eton. Copies have been donated to children’s hospitals, libraries, and schools, where they serve as both entertainment and education. In settings where young athletes frequently encounter head injuries, the game provides a language for discussing symptoms that might otherwise go unspoken.
One young patient who received a set called it “really fun.” Simple words, but for Liuhan, among the most meaningful. The ability to turn hardship into something that brings joy, while also educating, is the game’s true achievement.
More Than a Game
Ultimately, Cagoga does not claim to cure or resolve the complexities of concussion. Instead, it creates space for recognition and empathy. By weaving together bright art, strategic mechanics, and moments of humour, the game captures the paradox of recovery: nonlinear, frustrating, yet also filled with possibility.
Cagoga asks players to step into the shoes of a concussion patient, to feel the invisible, and to emerge with greater understanding. It is proof that awareness need not be confined to lectures or leaflets. Sometimes, it can come through a deck of cards, a burst of colour, and a game played together.
