Reverse the Odds
- Brand
- Channel 4
- Year
- 2014
- Objective
- Engagement
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Mechanic
- Puzzle
- Platform
- Web
- Agency
- Channel 4
- With
- Maverick TV
- With
- Chunk
Objective
Channel 4 partnered with Maverick Television and Chunk Digital to support Stand Up To Cancer (October 2014), an annual fundraising event for Cancer Research UK. The campaign aimed to engage mass audiences through entertainment while contributing directly to cancer research through citizen science, where players could analyze real medical data rather than simply donating.
Solution
Reverse the Odds is a mobile puzzle game available on iOS, Android, and Amazon where players help a race of creatures called 'the Odd' restore their declining world by analyzing real cancer cell microscopy images. The game mechanic leverages citizen science: players spot patterns, shapes, and colors in actual cell slides from Cancer Research UK research—each analyzed image is validated and submitted to researchers studying bladder cancer treatment effectiveness. The cute, free-to-play puzzle-adventure format makes scientific contribution accessible and engaging for global audiences.
Results
Nearly 4.5 million cancer cell images were analyzed with a 5 million target set for March 2016. The game expanded internationally with translations in French, Spanish, Italian, and German. Reverse the Odds won the Best Game award at the Broadcast Digital Awards.
