Veterinary Games: 5 Games That Prove Laughter is the Best Medicine (next to Dex, obviously)
- VAI Crew
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Let’s be honest: vet med is stressful. Clients Google everything, cats explode diarrhea at the exact wrong moment, and someone always forgets to refill the printer paper. Enter veterinary games, designed by vets, for vets, that let us laugh at ourselves, sharpen our brains, and occasionally say the things HR would not approve of.
According to AAHA Trends and VetEd Teaching Solutions, gamification is not just for kids. Games improve retention, encourage collaboration, and make education suck less. In other words, they let us fail safely and loudly, without an angry Yorkie owner breathing down our necks.
So here are five veterinary games that deserve a spot in your clinic, classroom, or next “wine and whine” night.
1. Vets Against Insanity
The OG, the scandalous, the party starter. Vets Against Insanity is the first card game that started the entire firestorm of veterinary gamification, it's just that good.
Think Cards Against Humanity but with more parvo, anal glands, and awkward client interactions.
Perfect for conferences, CE afterparties, or surviving a hell week with coworkers. Plus, there are expansion packs for techs, students, and even a safe for work version.
💡 Pro tip: Use promo code INSANITY for 20% off, because nothing says “I love my team” like morally questionable humor on cardstock.
2. Furbitten Words
It’s like Taboo, but instead of “banana” or “elevator,” you’re trying to describe “metronidazole” without blurting out “diarrhea.” Furbitten Words is fast, frantic, and full of those “oh my god, I can’t believe you just said that” moments.
Great for sharpening communication skills, or at least proving which of your coworkers should never, ever be left to explain things to a client.
3. Dr. Know It All
From the man who made “Cone of Shame” famous, here’s trivia that mixes legit vet med with pop culture and inside jokes. Expect questions that make you think, plus a few that make you question your life choices.
Perfect for clinic lunch breaks when you want to prove you’re smarter than the techs, only to get annihilated because they actually remember pharmacology.
4. Cat’s Eye Tarot
Is this technically a game? Maybe not. Is it designed by a veterinarian and dripping with feline realness? Absolutely. Cat’s Eye Tarot is equal parts beautiful and haunting, created by vet Dr. Debra Givin.
Use it for mindful reflection, awkward icebreakers at CE events, or late-night “will I survive another day in general practice” readings.
5. Empiric: Small Animal Veterinary Card Game
Finally, a game that makes you feel smart and stressed, just like real practice. Empiric simulates clinical reasoning: draw a case, order tests, choose treatments, and see if you save Fluffy. Bonus points: no actual pets die, and you won’t get a 1-star Yelp review.
It’s competitive, educational, and nerdy in all the right ways. Great for students, new grads, or that one coworker who thinks they’re basically House, DVM.
Why Veterinary Games Work
Beyond laughs and bragging rights, these games are backed by science. Research on gamification in veterinary education shows that:
Games make learning stick. Trivia, case cards, and fast recall beat death by PowerPoint every time.
They give a safe space to fail. Better to kill a fictional Yorkie in Empiric than a real one in surgery.
They build community. Playing ridiculous games together reminds us why we still show up.
They support mental health. Laughter lowers stress, and snarky jokes about anal glands count as wellness.
How to Use Veterinary Games Without Getting Fired
✅ Lunch and learn: Replace that boring journal club with trivia or Empiric (or Vetlingo).
✅ Conference afterparty: Break out Vets Against Insanity when CE hours are done and cocktails are flowing. 🍹
✅ Clinic retreats: Vets Against Insanity is safer than karaoke. Slightly.
✅ Self care nights: Pour wine, shuffle Cat’s Eye Tarot, and ask, “Will I get through this week without rage crying in the bathroom?” 🔮
TL;DR (because you are busy, no judgement)
Veterinary games aren’t childish. They are survival tools disguised as cardboard and cardstock. Whether you are laughing until you cry with Vets Against Insanity, flexing trivia muscles with Dr. Know It All, or pretending to predict your destiny with Cat’s Eye Tarot, these games remind us that vet med is ridiculous, and we love it anyway.
So go ahead. Order a deck, crack open a bottle, and use promo code INSANITY for 20% off your next order of Vets Against Insanity. Because laughter might not heal parvo, but it sure as hell heals us. 🤗
All our slightly scandalous love and happy gaming ~ The VAI Team 😆
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