Reunion Creator Builds Card Game World for Island Youth

Moïse Houareau spent three years building a world from scratch, and now he wants Reunion Island’s young people to live in it.

The 36-year-old father has designed roughly 200 cards organized across four elements, multiple character classes, and a narrative woven from magic, dreams, nightmares, and the cultural fabric of Reunion Island. After prototyping and extensive testing, he is launching a crowdfunding campaign on Ulule to bring Xénoscard to production, with a minimum target of 2,000 euros.

The game enters a lineage of trading card games, known as TCGs, that have captivated players and collectors worldwide. Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic, and Lorcana have defined generations of gameplay. Xénoscard aims to add a new entry to that tradition, one entirely imagined and developed on the island itself.

At the center of the story is Senshu, whose name means “the chosen one” in Japanese. This young hero discovers he belongs to the Influencers, a class of beings capable of mastering Xenos energy and summoning creatures. Opposing him are the pirate Barboz and the sorceress Zavane, who seek to capture Influencers and seize their powers. The narrative blends fantasy, science fiction, and local Reunion culture into a cohesive world.

Houareau studied graphic design in Saint-Pierre and worked in the field before turning to creative storytelling. He began writing narratives inspired by daily life and Reunion references, gradually expanding them into a full universe. “I did all the design work myself,” he explains. “It has taken three years of work. When you are working alone, it demands a lot of time. I also used some artificial intelligence tools to save time, while being careful about plagiarism, image rights, and intellectual property concerns. You have to use new technologies, but you must do so carefully.”

The mechanics follow TCG conventions. Each player begins with 35 points of life and aims to reduce their opponent’s to zero through damage while healing themselves. Players build decks from their own card collections and compete one-on-one, though some prefer collecting alone. Xénoscard includes rare, shiny cards that players can trade or resell, much like established games in the genre.

What makes Xénoscard distinct is how deliberately Houareau wove Reunion culture into the game world. Barboz draws inspiration from the historical pirate La Buse. Zavane takes her name from the Creole term for a malevolent spirit and was inspired by Granmèr Kal, a figure from local folklore. Jékorion, one creature, draws from the gecko found in local fauna. The volcano appears as a terrain card. “There is a mixture of different influences, much like the blending of our culture in Reunion,” Houareau notes. He also incorporated Japanese cultural elements, since those traditions dominate the TCG and animation worlds that inspired him, creating a hybrid aesthetic that feels both local and global.

The card set originally numbered around 300 characters but was reduced to 152 personalities divided into classes such as Influencers, Dreamers, and Entities. Additional cards include Machines, Runes, and Privileges (terrain cards), bringing the total to approximately 200. Characters and creatures come in variants with levels one through three; players must sacrifice certain cards to play more powerful ones, beginning with small creatures and advancing to Titans, far more formidable beings.

Houareau completed the game in both French and English, the latter essential since much of the TCG player base is English-speaking. He produced a prototype with printed cards, including rare shiny variants, and tested the game with his 14-year-old son and family members. Testing revealed mechanical issues that required revision. “I had to move forward, test, go back, and start again,” he says. “As this is my first game, the process demanded iteration at every stage.”

The 2,000-euro crowdfunding minimum would enable production of four starter decks corresponding to the four elements: water, fire, earth, and air. Boosters will also be available, requiring players to open them to discover cards, particularly rare ones. Additional funding would allow production of more decks and expanded offerings. More information and campaign details are available at https://imazpress.com/culture/-photos-video-jeu-de-cartes-tcg-xenoscard.

Houareau’s ambition extends beyond the game table. “I want to give them the desire to play, to collect, but also to discover a story and an entire world,” he says. Whether Reunion Island’s young players embrace Xénoscard as their own, the way generations elsewhere claimed Pokemon or Magic, remains the question his campaign will answer.