Cosmo Hunters - a card game for middle-school (K12) Astronomy Education

We explored the potential of the original card game COSMO HUNTERS to engage low secondary school students and promote interest in astrophysical observations and the electromagnetic spectrum. We involved 175 Italian 13-years-old students and compared a game-based learning activity that used Cosmo Hunters with a frontal lesson with the same content. We tested the interest in the addressed scientific aspects before starting the activity, immediately after, and four weeks later. Overall, we concluded that our game-based learning approach is enjoyable and engaging. We also noticed that it enhances more efficiently the interest in the scientific aspects embedded in its game mechanics, i.e., the existence of different frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum and the multi-frequencies observations used in astronomical research. We concluded that COSMO HUNTERS can offer a compelling alternative to standard lectures for introducing and engaging the students with the basic concept of the electromagnetic spectrum and astrophysics observations.