A new game has been created, its storyline woven around the achievements and legacy of Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, one of Poland’s greatest explorers. The game showcases illustrations depicting places and facts related to Strzelecki’s extraordinary life, his legacy, and places of remembrance dedicated to the explorer.
The card game “Strzelecki – Journey into the Unknown” is based on the rules of the globally recognized game “7 FAMILIES,” ensuring that this concept promoting Poland and its historical sites abroad related to the Great Pole is appealing to children, youth, and adults alike.
“I must admit that this project is particularly close to my heart because we managed to combine educational and promotional values within a concept that educates and entertains. We are convinced that the game will bring much joy while being a source of knowledge,”
says Mirosław Banach, president of the foundation.
The game was created by the “Polskie Maki” Foundation as a project funded under the 2023 Polonia and Poles Abroad competition by the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. As part of the project, the game is distributed by the Foundation free of charge to Polish schools, Polonia-promoting organizations, those promoting the Polish language and culture, as well as organizations uniting the Polish diaspora worldwide.
“Since early September, we have been in contact with numerous Polish schools and institutions in, among others, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Argentina, and many other countries worldwide. We have gathered hundreds of applications and received very positive reactions from the Polonia community, for which we are immensely grateful. Currently, we are finalizing the preparation of packages that will literally be sent to four different corners of the world. This makes the project even more exciting, that thought that members of the Polonia will play the game in various parts of the world,”
adds Mirosław Banach, president of the foundation.
The “Polskie Maki” Foundation’s project is more than just the Strzelecki card game. The game is complemented by an online platform enabling hybrid gameplay—a novelty and innovation in the market. Each card contains a unique QR code that, when scanned, takes players to a virtual map containing additional trivia. Players gain access to an additional quiz, solving which allows them to receive additional sets of virtual cards.
“I am particularly proud that the game also has an innovative value. As part of the project, we have prepared something exceptional for players—a hybrid gameplay. Players will be able to further enhance their gameplay by answering questions in the online quiz and earning additional virtual cards,”
says Mirosław Banach, president of the foundation.
Where Did the Idea for the Game Come From?
In 2023, the 150th anniversary of the death of Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, a Polish explorer who passed away on October 6, 1873, is commemorated. By the decision of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, the year 2023 has been declared the year of Paweł Edmund Strzelecki as the patron of the year. The Foundation’s project involves creating a card game utilizing the achievements of Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, an explorer, geologist, geographer, researcher, and discoverer, who was the first Pole to individually circumnavigate the world for scientific purposes. He visited all continents except Antarctica, and made numerous key geographical discoveries in Australia, most of which have been incorporated into the canon of geographical names bearing his surname (including Mount Kosciuszko, Mount Strzelecki, Strzelecki River, and Strzelecki Desert). Paweł Edmund Strzelecki was also a great philanthropist, focusing his activities in Ireland, where he saved over 200,000 children from death by starvation.
