Moving Mountains: A Board Game to Communicate the Risks of Landslides in High Mountain Terrain

High mountain regions are highly susceptible to landslides and cascading hazards that threaten infrastructure and human life. As populations in mountainous areas are growing and climate change increases these risks worldwide, effective risk communication becomes more important. However, conveying the complexity of landslide processes and risk management strategies to the public remains a major challenge. Here we present a board game as an innovative approach for risk communication, focusing on young adults as the main target group.

In “Moving Mountains” the players manage their own village. As the village economy grows, new inhabitants arrive, allowing players to expand their settlement and earn points. However, the mountains bear a continuous hazard of landslides that threaten to destroy progress. Each decision the player takes, can directly influence slope stability and population exposure, resulting in an increased or diminished risk for their village. Players must carefully decide whether it is better trying to prevent the hazard from happening or prepare people and infrastructure to avoid tragic consequences.

The game includes four distinct valleys. Each exposes the player to different risk contexts with unique game mechanics based on real or realistic hazard scenarios. These scenarios enable players to explore the consequences of their decisions in a controlled environment, while making scientific concepts tangible. To support deeper understanding, a scientific handbook that explains the rationale behind key mechanics and provides background information on the real events that inspired the individual gameplay of the valleys, will be developed in a future step. By combining experiential learning with scientifically informed design, “Moving Mountains” aims to enhance public awareness, foster engagement with preventive measures, and improve understanding of landslide-related risks in high mountain regions.