David Heidt remembers the moment clearly. During his first weeks as an AWS Solutions Architect in Germany, he overheard his sales colleagues discussing "battle cards" and he misunderstood this sales term in the most productive way possible. "I just thought about cards that would battle each other!," said David with a laugh. "I thought to myself 'how cool is that, we have AWS battle cards!' – only to learn that we didn't. Well, not yet."
That misunderstanding sparked an idea that would eventually help more than 15,000 people worldwide learn about cloud computing through play: AWS BuilderCards, a strategic card game that transforms AWS's vast portfolio of more than 240 cloud services into an engaging learning experience.
From family game night to cloud architecture
For David, games have always been more than just entertainment. "I always played board games with my family - first with my parents and siblings, later during university with my flatmates, and now with my kids," he says. This background influenced his approach to creating BuilderCards, where he wanted to strike a perfect balance between complexity and accessibility.
"I intentionally didn't want to create a game that purely relied on randomness," David explains. "Architecting with AWS services is a complex topic. The game needed to reflect this complexity while remaining easy to comprehend, with just a pinch of luck."
Building the cloud, one card at a time
Creating a card game from AWS's more than 240 services wasn't simple. David started with fundamental services like compute, storage, and databases - the building blocks of any cloud architecture. Amazon EC2 for computing power, Amazon S3 for storage, AWS Lambda for serverless computing - each service needed to be translated into game mechanics that were both fun and educational.
"The challenging parts were the services that aren't actively part of an architecture," David notes. "Take Amazon's Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), for instance. It's not one building block with one task, it's more like a frame spanning across several components. How do you design a card that frames other cards?"
From hand-drawn prototypes to global success
The game's first testing ground? David's family dinner table during COVID-19 lockdown. "I actually tested parts of the game with my then 12-year-old son," he shares. "It helped me validate that the game was suitable for people who don't know anything about AWS and want to learn!"
What started as hand-drawn cards has evolved into a professionally designed game that's now available on Amazon globally. The second edition includes new features like a Generative AI add-on pack, reflecting the latest trends in cloud computing.
Creating community through cards
The impact has exceeded David's wildest expectations. At the AWS Summit in Berlin in 2023, the game received a stunning 4.8/5 customer satisfaction score - a rating that has remained consistent as more than 1,600 players provided feedback while learning to play at AWS events worldwide. It's been translated into Japanese, traditional and simplified Chinese, and Korean, becoming a universal language for cloud architects.
"At AWS re:Invent, our annual global conference in Las Vegas, I've even had people ask me to sign their card decks," David recalls with a laugh, clearly not used to the attention.
More than just a game
Today, AWS BuilderCards has become more than just a learning tool - it's a bridge between technical complexity and human understanding. The game includes special cards featuring AWS leaders like Jeff Barr, AWS's Chief Evangelist, adding an extra element of excitement when players meet them at AWS events.
"What's most delighting to me," David reflects, "is that once you present a well-written plan and solid metrics, people will stick to our Leadership Principles and help you out. This game's journey from idea to reality really shows the power of Amazon's culture of innovation."
Whether you're a seasoned cloud architect or just starting your AWS journey, BuilderCards offers a unique way to explore the possibilities of cloud computing. As David puts it, "The AWS ecosystem gave me the perfect guidance on what should be possible in the game - just like it guides our customers in building their solutions."
The game is now available to purchase on amazon.com and multiple local Amazon stores. Find rules and tutorial videos at buildercards.aws, and join us at AWS re:Invent 2025 at Caesar's Forum, Sunday through Thursday (look for BuilderCards in the Session Catalog).
