PARATUS Systemic Risk Game

The dynamic nature of hazards and risk drivers increases the complexity of decision-making process. In such complex situations, more expert knowledge is required to be able to set the right strategies. This requires a high level of collaboration and interaction of various stakeholders from different expertise. A serious game is one of the tools that can serve to enhance collaboration and interaction in environments dominated by uncertainties and systemic complexities.

In the PARATUS project, we developed the Systemic Risk Card Game to provide space for conversation of various stakeholders to develop a shared vision towards informed decision-making. The Systemic Risk Card Game is developed based on the principles of scenario-based simulations to engage diverse stakeholders in DRR-related decision-making.  The systemic risk card game is helpful in region-specific challenges such as urban floods to give a clearer mind map to the stakeholders about infrastructure interdependencies or transboundary crises.

The core strength of the PARATUS systemic risk card game is its ability to make conversation on disaster risk tangible and accessible to a wide range of stakeholders. The structure of the game enables the players to recognise hazard(s) and simulate behavioural preparedness and reflect on real-world spatial and temporal dimensions. The game incorporates layered scenarios involving natural (e.g., earthquake, volcanic eruption), technological (nuclear disasters, airplane crashes), and social (e.g., displacement, poverty) components. The game highlights the importance of system-wide thinking in risk reduction in both urban and rural contexts, where infrastructure networks and geographical features act as conduits for cascading hazard interactions, allowing the players to visualize these interactions and simulate DRR decisions. Another valuable feature of the PARATUS serious game is its ability to delve into historical disaster events as learning cases. By reconstructing past events, players can learn how past vulnerabilities shaped the outcomes of real disasters and shape alternative strategies to prevent the impact of potential future events.