Serious gaming
Serious games have a role to play in communicating and educating about climate change. CRESCENDOschools activities in this field included a climate adaptation game and a climate quiz.
CRESCENDOschools activities included the participation in several popular science events, such as the Bolin Centre Climate Festival in Sweden, physically in May 2018 and May 2019, and remotely in May 2020 and May 2021. CRESCENDOschools was also present at the Science is Wonderful! online exhibition in September 2020, organized by the European Commission. Activities included, besides the more traditional lectures, serious gaming: a climate adaptation game and a climate quiz.
Climate adaptation game
The Climate Adaptation Game aims to develop better understanding for the effects of climate change, and how to meet the challenges it brings. In the game the player is in charge of adapting the city of Weatherton to climate change. Extreme weather events like heat waves and heavy rain pose challenges which calls for decision making in the game. The player will for example be asked to save the hospital from flooding, and to increase the robustness of the agriculture in case of droughts.
The game is ideally played at workshops, with the participants divided among different interest groups, such as the Agricultural Society and the Business and Trade Association. These groups then act and interact in their own interest, but through voting take united decisions with the other groups.
Climate adaptation game
Play here (smhi.se)The game is easy to play and is available for everyone, for free, at SMHI’s webpage. All workshop material, including a ready-made presentation, voting papers, and a workshop guide, is also available for free.
Explore workshop material (smhi.se)
External link.
Climate quiz
Through the climate quiz, prepared by SMHI's climate researchers, the students have the opportunity to have fun while being guided through a selection of current climate issues. The quiz can be played individually or in small groups.
The climate quiz is available online in the Kahoot! Platform, both in Swedish and in English.
Explore the climate quiz in Swedish (kahoot.it) External link.
Explore the climate quiz in English (kahoot.it) External link.