NatureNews feature
‘Publish or Perish’ is now a card game — not just an academic’s life
A citation race, academic rivalry and publishing satire — explored in Nature’s reporting on the game.
A Game Where We Embrace Plagiarism and Academic Chaos
The Publish or Perish Game is a humorous party game about academic publishing. Players race to publish manuscripts with useless nonsense while sabotaging each other's research. Suitable for academics seeking catharsis and families who don’t mind light emotional damage.
- Ages: 14+
- Players: 3–6
- Playtime: 10 minutes per player
Join the Madness
Type:
🎁 All‑in Bundle: The Publish or Perish Game + All 3 Expansion Packs
Regular price
$79.99
Sale price
$79.99
Regular price
$91.96
Type: Card Game
Publish or Perish — Academic Publishing Party Game
Regular price
$46.99
Sale price
$46.99
Regular price
Type:
Midterm Grading Extravaganza (Expansion 3)
Regular price
$14.99
Sale price
$14.99
Regular price
Publish as Many Manuscripts as You Can Before They Are Scooped
The player with the most citations wins the game!
Play Your Cards Strategically to Your Advantage
Use Research Cards like Idea and Data to publish, Mishap Cards to sabotage, and cards like Collaboration and Workshop Attendance to get ahead!
Sprinkled with Fun Facts from 20+ Disciplines!
Trivia cards with carefully curated trivia questions and weird but true facts were specifically designed for those who are intellectually curious about everything in the world!
The All-in Bundle
Order your Publish or Perish Game with all 3 expansions together and save!
Serving the Academically Overwhelmed, Globally
Shipping to most places where ambition meets poor time management. Free for select destinations.
All orders are shipped from our global fulfillment centers in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Canada, Australia, and China.
Extensively Tested by Academics
Created by Max Hui Bai Ph.D., tested by grad students, professors, and scholars from research institutes across the world.
Game Rules
Easy to play: the rules are all on one page!
Testimonials
Jay van Bavel Ph.D.
Professor
“It was a blast — it pokes fun at a lot of absurdities of academia. A perfect game for a lab party!”
Karla Paniagua Ph.D.
UNESCO Chairholder in Games
“I love it!”
Keith Blevins
Trader
“One of my favorite card games I’ve ever played!”
Raymond Ho
Ph.D. Student
“It was an incredible bundle of fun! My friends and I absolutely adored this game!”
The Publish or Perish Game Also Speaks Chinese!
Type:
🎁 全家桶套装：《论文大爆炸》 本体 + 全部 3 个扩展包 + 3 个「Accept」护符 | Chinese All‑in Bundle: The Publish or Perish Game + All 3 Expansion Packs + 3 Enchanted Charms
Regular price
$78.90
Sale price
$78.90
Regular price
Type:
论文大爆炸 | The Publish or Perish Game Chinese Edition
Regular price
$46.99
Sale price
$46.99
Regular price
Type:
高校全沦陷三部曲（三款扩展包）| The Full Campus Meltdown Trilogy Chinese Edition
Regular price
$38.90
Sale price
$38.90
Regular price
Type:
评审人2的复仇（扩展包1）| The Revenge of Reviewer 2 Chinese Edition
Regular price
$12.90
Sale price
$12.90
Regular price
Type:
学术无下限（扩展包2）| Academic Sh*tpost Chinese Edition
Regular price
$12.90
Sale price
$12.90
Regular price
Type:
期中批改狂潮（扩展包3）| Midterm Grading Extravaganza (Expansion 3) Chinese Edition
Regular price
$12.90
Sale price
$12.90
Regular price
Press Coverage
Articles, interviews and conversations about
The Publish or Perish Game.
Chemical & Engineering NewsNewscripts
A game of publish or perish
A look at the mechanics, scholarly satire and an early playtest with friends and coworkers.
Karla Paniagua R. · MediumCommentary
The Publish or Perish Game: About the Crazy Adventure of Publishing Scientific Journals
A scholarly-journal editor reflects on how the game mirrors the experience of publishing research.
Sina Games · 新浪游戏Chinese coverage
科研人专属桌游
Coverage of the citation race, research sabotage and the game’s improvised paper presentations.
il venerdì di RepubblicaItalian print clipping
Pubblica o muori, la ricerca si è messa in gioco
Marco Cattaneo’s column considers how publishing pressure, fabricated papers and citations become a game.
Print clipping · article URL unavailable
The Washington PostNewsletter clipping
Book Club
A clipping by Ron Charles, with the game pictured alongside recollections of graduate-school life.
Archive destination · clipping match unconfirmed
New ScientistFeedback
Fancy publishing ‘nonsense’ and sabotaging your fellow scientists?
Feedback explores the game’s satirical version of building a career in scientific research.
Rédaction MédicaleFrench commentary
Vacances : remplacez votre Monopoly par un jeu de cartes ‘Publish or Perish’
A French commentary on academic competition that points readers to Nature’s coverage of the game.
The ScientistInterview
Publish or Perish: The Board Game of Academic Survival
Laura Tran talks with Max Bai about the game’s origins, publishing mechanics and connection with other people.
FEBS LettersInterview
The publish or perish game: an interview with the inventor
The inventor discusses the game’s inspiration and development in a published interview. Max Bai is also a listed co-author.
Croatian Medical JournalJournal commentary
The card game of publish or perish: a satirical approach to the reality of academic publishing
Marko Lucijanić examines the game’s satirical treatment of academic publishing and its incentives.
TikTok BoardGamesCreator collaboration
TikTok BoardGames plays Publish or Perish
A sponsored creator collaboration with TikTok BoardGames, hosted on Instagram.
Sliding DoorsVideo review
The “Publish or Perish” Party Game
Sliding Doors reviews the party game and its depiction of pressure to publish.
Nature PodcastPodcast
Publish or Perish on the Nature Podcast
From “Where weird plants thrive: aridity spurs diversity of traits”. Jump to 19:03.
Gaming with SciencePodcast
Publish or Perish (Academic Publishing)
Gaming with Science’s S1E10.1 episode focuses on the game and academic publishing.
Are you an influencer, a journalist, have a sizable academic following, or are willing to post a video (e.g., for a play-through)? Write to max@publishorperish.games. Max would love to hear from you!