Our Climate Story: Exploring local climate challenges and solutions through serious gaming

Cities are disproportionately affected by climate change due to their dense populations, concentrated infrastructure, and unique urban microclimates, which can exacerbate climate risks such as heatwaves, air pollution, and flooding. The European Climate Adaptation Strategy emphasises the importance of local-level action, community engagement, and innovative tools to foster resilience. In this context, Our Climate Story - a serious game developed under the H2020 I-CHANGE project - serves as an interactive and educational tool to raise awareness, promote sustainable behaviours, and empower citizens to address urban climate risks collaboratively.

Urban climate risks pose significant threats to public health, particularly for vulnerable populations. This current and future challenge underscores the need for a deeper understanding of local vulnerabilities and susceptibilities, which often go beyond what is captured by traditional data-driven risk mapping. Our Climate Story bridges this gap by combining participatory science methods with storytelling and gaming.

The serious game incorporates participatory mapping, a method that invites players to co-create a visual representation of their city, identifying local hazards such as flood-prone areas, pollution hotspots, and heat islands. This mapping process allows participants to draw on their experiences and local knowledge as well as enhance intergenerational learning. In addition, Our Climate Story encourages participants to brainstorm solutions such as enhancing public transportation or adopting Nature-based Solutions to mitigate hazards. These discussions encourage active involvement, critical thinking, and collaborative decision-making.

The participatory nature of Our Climate Story goes beyond simply raising awareness. It instils a sense of responsibility for the environment by making the impacts of climate change tangible and personal. Players witness how their actions such as choosing sustainable transportation or reducing waste contribute to mitigating climate risks. This approach aligns with the European Union’s goals of promoting greater environmental awareness but also citizen-driven action.

By integrating scientific concepts with interactive gameplay, Our Climate Story demonstrates that addressing urban climate risks requires not only top-down policy interventions but also bottom-up community engagement and co-created solutions. It showcases the potential of participatory science and gamification to bridge the gap between knowledge and action, inspiring both individual and collective efforts to build climate-resilient cities.