MSU social start-up launches plant-centric semi-digital game

VADODARA: BotanyFest Foundation, a startup incubated by M S University’s Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship Centre, launched Phytohunt 3.0 on Saturday at the arboretum-cum-medicinal plants garden on the university campus.
Phytohunt (phyto-plant, hunt-to search) is a plant-centric treasure hunt game where players have to solve the clue for a plant given in the riddle. The first version of phytohunt was completely outdoor and conducted annually for four years in the Botanyfest at Waghai botanical garden.
“Version 3.0 is based on the plants present at the botanical gardens,” said Krishna Singh Rajput, director of BotanyFest Foundation, the first startup of MSU’s Faculty of Science started by alumni of botany department. “During the pandemic, to get rid of regular studies and boredom, we had started an online phytohunt on Instagram. After success in Gujarat, we organized it for Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu,” Rajput said, adding that the game was based on historical, mythological, medicinal and biogeographical significance of plants in that state.
In phytohunt 3.0, players have to find the plants in the garden on basis of smell, taste and appearance given in the form of a riddle on the website. After finding the plant in the garden, they have to confirm the plant with the help of the website to get the next clue or riddle. First player to solve the clues and find the treasure in the garden becomes the winner.
“The game is structured to create interest for plants among students in schools and colleges and to develop logical thinking and reasoning, problem-solving and communication skills in them,” he said.
“We will implement the same game for Kamatibaug garden and slowly cover all parks and gardens of Vadodara before replicating it for parks and gardens across the state,” Rajput added.