As the world grapples with the escalating climate crisis, rising sea levels pose a significant threat to coastal cities. To help spread more knowledge and awareness of this issue, "Sinking Cities," the board game, aims to provide an immersive and engaging way to illustrate the complexity of sea level rise. Through the board game, players not only gain an understanding of the impact of climate change on cities but also experience the pressures and challenges these cities face due to rising sea levels.
"Sinking Cities" is a game where players must survive the constant rise of the sea while building their civilizations. Players must balance energy production, research, and construction while minimizing the environmental impact that contributes to global temperature increases. The ultimate goal is to accumulate the most points from cities and other buildings by the game's end, all while managing the rising sea levels caused by global warming.
In the future, we aim to continue this project and hopefully bring it to the public. We plan to develop further and spread more knowledge about various climate issues through a range of different board games.
The Process
Our project began with a single insight, "sinking cities," on a sticky note, sparking an initiative to explore sea level rise through an engaging board game. We, a multidisciplinary team, united our diverse skills—ranging from service design, information experience, product design, photography, and environmental architecture to craft an educational yet entertaining experience. We examined the multifaceted impacts of rising seas on global cities, which informed the realism and depth of our game's content. This foundational stage was critical, setting the tone for our creative and collaborative journey ahead. We played and tested various types of board games and drew inspiration from them to build our own.
A pivotal moment in our process was a field trip to Eastbourne, where witnessing the tangible effects of coastal erosion deepened our commitment and enriched the game's narrative. The subsequent phase of player testing was enlightening; gathering feedback from a diverse group of testers, we identified opportunities to enhance the game's educational impact and gameplay mechanics. This journey from a simple idea to a comprehensive educational tool underscores the power of collective creativity and the importance of addressing environmental challenges through innovative approaches.
