Speaking as a river — a guide for implementing multispecies role-playing games

General Information

This is a guide for the application of multispecies role-playing games as a tool in education, transdisciplinary research or participatory governance. Four game materials are presented in different urban planning scenarios. The players slip into the roles of human or non-human characters and are given the task of discussing and negotiating a spatial conflict together.

This guide is associated with the research article ‘Designing multispecies role-playing games: From human-nature partnerships towards multispecies justice’ (Harms et al. 2025). The four game designs were developed by various design teams as part of the URBNANCE research project at the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development between 2022 and 2024. Their use is described and explained in detail in this accompanying guide. We welcome feedback, application and further development of the game materials.

Overview of available files

01_Guide_Multispecies_Role-playing_Light.pdf
This version contains the explanatory guide without the game materials. It is optimised for display on a monitor.

02_Guide_Multispecies_Role-playing_Full.pdf
This version contains the explanatory manual and all additional game materials. It is optimised for output on printers.

03_Guide_Multispecies_Role-playing_Game01.pdf
This version contains only the game material for the game ‘Future visions of a sister city with nature’ without the explanatory manual. It is optimised for output on printers.

04_Guide_Multispecies_Role-playing_Game02.pdf
This version contains only the game material for the game ‘Biodiversity vs. climate: can we save both’ without the explanatory manual. It is optimised for output on printers.

05_Guide_Multispecies_Role-playing_Game03.pdf
This version contains only the game material for the game ‘Resource conflicts in the ecologically just city’ without the explanatory manual. It is optimised for output on printers.

06_Guide_Multispecies_Role-playing_Game04.pdf
This version contains only the game material for the game ‘Speaking as proxies for nature’ without the explanatory manual. It is optimised for output on printers.

Credits

Game design: Game 1: Future visions of a sister city with nature: Maeve Hofer, Susanne Müller, Mabel Ramisch & Philip Harms; Game 2: Biodiversity vs. climate: can we save both: Neelakshi Joshi & Philip Harms; Game 3: Resource conflicts in the ecologically just city: Friederike Freund, Claudia Fröde, Luise Hertel, Lukas Klotzsche & Sonia Ortner; Game 4: Speaking as proxies for nature: Neelakshi Joshi & Philip Harms

Editing: Philip Harms & Sonia Ortner

Layout of the guide: Sonia Ortner & Nicolaas Bongaerts

Layout of the game materials: Steffi Klein & Sonia Ortner