Clouded Judgments: An Educational Board Game for Teaching Meteorological Decision-Making Under Uncertainty

"Clouded Judgments" is an educational board game designed to deepen understanding of meteorological alert systems and the complexities of decision-making under uncertainty. Inspired by the weather alert framework used in Liguria, Italy, by the Regional Agency for the Environmental Protection of Liguria (ARPAL), the game introduces players to the probabilistic nature of forecasting and the challenges of managing uncertainty in predictions. Players navigate scenarios involving varying degrees of forecast reliability, balancing the risks of overestimating threats (leading to economic and social costs) and underestimating dangers (potentially compromising safety and lives).

Game mechanics include thematic card decks (e.g., "Atmospheric Events" and "Actions"), reliability tokens, resource tokens, and dice rolls to simulate probabilistic outcomes. Players begin with limited resources and must decide whether to invest in improving their forecasting reliability—by upgrading instrumentation or analysis tools—or to use action cards for immediate benefits. Measurements are conducted over successive days, represented by dice rolls, which determine the accuracy of weather data based on the players’ reliability levels. While uncertainty decreases as more data is collected, players must still interpret incomplete or contradictory information and issue an alert specifying its intensity, time of the day, and type. Correctly issued alerts reward resources, while underestimations incur penalties, simulating the societal and economic consequences of misjudged decisions. To avoid underestimations, players may adopt cautious strategies by overestimating threats, prioritizing safety but potentially incurring economic losses.

The game simulates the chaotic nature of atmospheric events, and the resource trade-offs faced in real-world forecasting. By immersing players in scenarios that require critical decision-making and risk management, "Clouded Judgments" allows students to experience the complexities of meteorological management firsthand, beyond theoretical knowledge.

Designed for educators and students, "Clouded Judgments" fosters critical thinking, engagement with meteorological concepts, and an understanding of uncertainty and risk management. By blending real-world analogies with interactive gameplay, the game connects scientific principles to practical applications, making it a valuable tool for teaching and outreach.

Future plans include classroom playtesting phases and outreach activities to evaluate the game’s educational impact and refine its mechanics. "Clouded Judgments" exemplifies how gamification can effectively bridge the gap between complex systems through which meteorological events are managed and public understanding, offering a novel approach to science education and decision-making training.