Viva Project Character Cards
The Viva Project Character Cards are a set of cards designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations develop and explore different characters and personas. These cards can be used in a variety of settings, including workshops, meetings, and creative brainstorming sessions.
What are Character Cards?
Character cards are a tool used to stimulate creativity and imagination. Each card typically features a unique character, along with their background, motivations, and goals. By using these cards, individuals can step into the shoes of different characters and explore new perspectives and ideas.
How to Use Viva Project Character Cards
To use the Viva Project Character Cards, simply shuffle the deck and draw a card. Read through the character's description, background, and goals, and then imagine yourself as that character. What would you do in a given situation? How would you interact with others? What challenges would you face?
Benefits of Using Character Cards
The Viva Project Character Cards offer a range of benefits, including:
- Increased creativity: By exploring different characters and perspectives, individuals can stimulate their creativity and think outside the box.
- Improved empathy: By stepping into the shoes of different characters, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of others and improve their empathy.
- Enhanced problem-solving: By considering different characters and their motivations, individuals can develop more innovative solutions to complex problems.
Example Character Card
Here is an example of a character card from the Viva Project:
Name: Alex Chen
Age: 28
Background: Alex is a freelance writer and artist living in a small studio apartment in the city. She is passionate about social justice and uses her art to raise awareness about important issues.
Goals: Alex wants to use her art to make a positive impact on her community. She is looking for new ways to engage with her audience and amplify her message.
By using character cards like Alex Chen, individuals can explore new perspectives and ideas, and develop a deeper understanding of themselves and others.
Viva Project (formerly known as Shinobu Project), "Character Cards" are specialized PNG image files used to import new 3D anime models and skins into the game. These cards contain embedded metadata or data structures that the game's engine reads to render specific characters, such as the default character, Character Card System Blue Cards (Characters): These contain the main 3D model data for a character. Yellow Cards (Skins):
These contain the texture or skin data that fits onto the character model. Clothing Cards:
Separate single-image PNGs used to change a character's outfit. Main Character Text (Shinobu)
According to the official game wiki, the text data associated with the primary character card for includes the following traits: Personality:
Bubbly, funny, sweet, sensitive, and occasionally short-tempered or grumpy. Alignment: Installation & Customization
To use these cards, you must place them in specific folders within the game's directory: Navigate to the folder where your is located. Place character (blue) cards in /Cards/Characters and skin (yellow) cards in /Cards/Skins Access them in-game using the character customizer found at the bedroom mirror. Ensure images are in PNG format and exactly 1024x1536 pixels to work correctly. Where to Find Cards
You can download verified character and outfit cards from the OpenViva Assets Page or the community Discord server create your own character card using the Blender exporter? OpenViva - Mods & Cards
In the VR simulation game Viva Project (formerly known as the Shinobu Project), Character Cards are essential files that allow players to import and customize AI-driven anime characters. Since the developer, Sir Hal, discontinued the original game in 2022 to work on other projects, these cards have become a cornerstone for the community to keep the experience fresh. What are Character Cards?
Character cards are typically .png files that contain embedded metadata for a 3D model. These cards allow you to swap the default character with new designs, outfits, or entirely different anime "lolis" or "waifus". How to Install Them
To use these cards, you must place the files in specific directories within your game folder:
Characters: Move the "blue" character cards into /Cards/Characters. Skins: Move "yellow" skin cards into /Cards/Skins. Clothes: Move clothing .png files into /Cards/Clothes.
Once installed, you can switch between these models in-game using the bedroom mirror customizer or the onsen character selector. Where to Find Cards
Since the official Discord was banned and the main project discontinued, the community has moved to several mirrors to share their creations:
OpenViva Assets: A community-run repository for verified character and outfit cards.
Sgthale’s Itch.io Devlog: Provides the official manuals and legacy version updates (like v0.6 which first introduced custom character support).
Community Forums: Places like Reddit and Itch.io comment sections often feature links to Google Drive backups of massive "card packs". Creating Your Own
For those interested in technical customization, you can create your own cards using the Blender Viva Model exporter addon. This allows you to port 3D models into the game's specific .viva3d format, provided they stay under limits like 65,536 triangles and 255 bones. Viva Project Character Manual for v0.6 and above - sgthale
Viva Project (also known simply as or formerly Shinobu Project ), character cards are specialized PNG image files
that contain all the necessary data to load custom 3D character models into the game
. These cards act as "containers" for the model's textures, bone structure, and appearance settings, allowing users to share and swap characters easily. How to Use Character Cards
To properly install a custom character, you typically need two distinct files: Character Card (Blue) : Contains the base character model data. Skin Card (Yellow)
: Contains the textures and skin details for that character. Installation Steps: the full-size PNG cards from community sources like the OpenViva Assets page or the official Viva Project Discord your game's main folder (where is found). the files into their respective subfolders: Character cards go into Viva Folder/Cards/Characters Skin cards go into Viva Folder/Cards/Skins Clothing cards go into Viva Folder/Cards/Clothes them in-game by using the character customizer found at the bedroom mirror. Creating Your Own Cards
If you are comfortable with 3D modeling, you can create custom cards using the Blender Viva Model exporter addon Technical Limits : Models must stay under 65,536 triangles and 255 bones.
: For the character's eyes to work, you must specifically name bones and use 512x512 PNG textures. Discord server
where most creators share their latest character and outfit cards? OpenViva - Mods & Cards - Viva Project
Where to Find Authentic Viva Project Character Cards
Due to the specific keyword search, you may find that "Viva Project" refers to a localized or open-source curriculum (similar to "OER Commons"). If you cannot find a retail deck, look for these alternatives that operate under the same principles:
- Tarot for Kids (Ravensburger): Uses similar archetype-based storytelling.
- The SEL Deck (Better Kids): Focuses on emotional vocabulary.
- Create Your Own on Canva: Search "Character Trait Flashcards" and modify the prompts to match the Viva methodology.
If you are a school administrator, consider reaching out to the "Viva Project" community on teacher forums (Reddit’s r/teaching or the WeAreTeachers community) to request a PDF printable set.
How to Create Your Own Viva Project Character Cards
You don’t need a proprietary product. The Viva Project Character Cards framework is open-source by design. Here is a step-by-step guide to crafting a deck for your protagonist, antagonist, or supporting cast.
1. The "Shipwreck" Scenario
Best for: Middle school & High school
Lay out 10 character cards face up. Tell the class: "You are stranded on a desert island. A rescue boat arrives, but it only has 5 seats. You must vote to save 5 characters and leave 5 behind. You must defend your choice based on the characters' core traits."
Outcome: This forces students to debate the hierarchy of values (e.g., Is intelligence more valuable than kindness in a survival situation?).
5. Sample Review from a Student Perspective
“Using the character card for Lady Macbeth, I felt more prepared for the viva than just reading notes. The card had her key quotes and a prompt: ‘Was your fainting genuine or an act?’ That question never occurred to me, but when the teacher asked it during the mock exam, I could answer because I had already thought about her manipulative side. However, my classmate who just memorised the card’s sample answer froze when the teacher rephrased the question. So the card is only useful if you actually understand the character.”
— Grade 11 Literature Student
3. Limitations
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Surface-Level Risk: Some students memorize card answers without true understanding.
Solution: Require students to cite page/scene evidence for each trait.
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Time-Consuming: Preparing quality cards (research, design, printing) takes significant teacher effort.
Solution: Crowdsource card creation as a student project.
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Shy Student Exclusion: Intensely oral/performative formats can alienate introverted learners.
Solution: Offer written reflection or one-on-one recorded viva as an alternative.
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Over-Scripting: Cards that list exact predicted questions & answers reduce spontaneity.
Solution: Use prompts like “How would your character react to…” instead of Q&A pairs.
8. Digital Integration (Viva-Web)
The upcoming digital version (Q3 2026) adds:
- Dynamic Card Generation: AI that rewrites the Narrative Roots based on previous session logs.
- Emotion Heatmaps: Tracking which DT shifts occur most frequently per player.
- Cross-session persistence: A character’s DT history creates a "Scar" – a permanent modifier that cannot be reset.