Creativity, CppCon, and the C++ Alliance

Turning Boost into a Game: Creativity, CppCon, and the C++ Alliance

Rob Beeston, creative director of the C++ Alliance, describes how creativity and new ways of looking at problems drive big discoveries in programming and reflect the Alliance’s “let’s try it” ethos. Wanting a convention handout that people wouldn’t throw away, he turned a typical brochure idea into a collectible card game inspired by games he played and created, featuring Boost “namespaces and classes” as cards such as RAII Guides and libraries with bonuses. Launched at C++ Con, the game sparked curiosity, rule questions, and positive reactions on Twitter. The gameplay centers on completing a feature card using code/library cards, and each card includes a QR code linking directly to the corresponding Boost library so players can learn more. He also emphasizes mentorship that pushes people to go all the way.

Get the game or play online at https://boostccg.org