Roald Dahl Nurse Specialists identified a gap in available resources for educating younger children with sickle cell disease about what their disease means and how to manage it.

A group of Roald Dahl Nurse Specialists have worked in collaboration with Focus Games Ltd to create a family of serious educational games to help younger children, and those around them, understand and manage sickle cell.

We have developed a board game, online game and card game to assist with education for children aged 6-9 years old about keeping healthy, how medications work and how to avoid known triggers for a sickle cell crisis.


Board game


An educational game that is fun but with a serious objective. It is designed for children between 6 and 9 years old It is played with between 2 and 4 teams or individuals. It is expected that this version of the game will be used mostly within hospitals and clinics by healthcare professionals.

It presents information about keeping healthy, how medications work and how to avoid known triggers for a sickle cell crisis.

A typical game takes between 15 and 30 minutes but you can decide how long you play. We recommend that any young people playing the game are supported by an adult to help them understand the information presented within the game.

You can order a copy of the board game from our secure online shop and copies cost £60 plus VAT and delivery. If you wish to buy larger numbers, please contact us for pricing.


Card game


A simple educational card game that is fun but with a serious objective. It is designed to help children and families to learn more about sickle cell and how to manage it effectively. It presents information about keeping healthy, how medications work and how to avoid known triggers for a sickle cell crisis.

It is intended for children between 6 and 9 years old It is played with between 2 and 4 individuals. The card game can be used by anyone in hospitals, schools or family homes.

We recommend that any young people playing the game are supported by an adult to help them understand the information presented within the game.

You can order a copy of the card game from our secure online shop and copies cost £8.99 plus VAT and delivery. If you wish to buy larger numbers, please contact us for pricing.


Online game


We have developed an online version of the board game. It is free to play and there is a link at the end of this description.

The game works through a web browser and can be played on any device. A typical game takes between 15 and 30 minutes but you can decide how long you play. We recommend that any young people playing the game are supported by an adult to help them understand the information presented within the game.

You can play the game free of charge if you visit the Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity website here:


The Sickle Cell Game was created by:

  • Focus Games, the leading experts in game-based learning in healthcare.
  • Development of the game was funded by Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity. Registered Charity No: 1137409. Company Limited by Guarantee in England and Wales No: 7340518. Registered Address: 17, Chiltern Business Centre, 63 - 65 Woodside Road, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP6 6AA www.roalddahlcharity.org/
  • The Sickle Cell Challenge was inspired by and developed with Roald Dahl Nurse Specialists. This project has been possible thanks to:
    • The Burdett Trust for Nursing
    • The Gosling Foundation
    • The Wixamtree Trust
    • The Fence Club Trust Fund
    • The May Gibson Charitable Trust
    • The Pamela Barlow Charitable Trust
    • The Bennett Family Grantmaking Charity

Illustrations © Quentin Blake. Roald Dahl is a registered trademark of Roald Dahl Nominee Ltd.

Would you like to Get In Touch?