D7.4 Serious Game

“Bridging the Silos” is a game designed by Marleen de Ruiter, Anaïs Couasnon, and Philip
Ward at the Institute for Environmental Studies of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. It was
originally developed as a tabletop board game, and then further adapted to a web-based
version by Justin Daneau, with input from Marleen de Ruiter and Nicole van Maanen. For an
in-depth description of the tabletop version, see the original paper. Although the serious game
(D7.4) released on the MYRIAD-EU dashboard differs in design and features from the original
game, the core purpose remains the same: giving the opportunity to keen climate researchers,

policymakers, and civil society to move past a “silo mentality” and reinforce cross-
disciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration to inform a better hazard response.

Designed for both expert and general audiences, it ultimately serves as a tool to educate about
a multi-hazard DRR perspective. By adopting a role play approach, the game encourages
players to familiarise with the concept of multi-hazard disaster risk reduction (DRR), implement
so-called “measures” which help to either mitigate or prevent damage caused by natural
hazards, and witness firsthand the challenges of decision-making in a changing climate. The
game focuses on three of these natural hazards: floods, tropical cyclones, and droughts.
Players can choose among eight roles: president, finance minister, engineer, national
flood coordinator, agricultural representative, citizen representative, national housing
chief, international aid representative. These are then plunged into fictitious yet plausible
multi-risk scenarios where they are encouraged to discuss in multiple rounds, discuss their
views, and finally reach a consensus on how to deploy aid and money. All in all, the game
invites users to take on different stakeholder roles and explore strategies and tools for
managing complex, interconnected risks. A storyboard was initially created to structure
scenarios and choices, which was refined through input from stakeholders during a beta testing
phase.
The first usability testing session for the MYRIAD-EU serious game ‘Bridging the Silos’ was
held on Monday, 2 December 2024. Overall, this trial run revealed several gameplay-related
challenges. One major issue encountered was that switching to other browser tabs during
gameplay caused players to be disconnected, disrupting the session. One main remark
focused on the ambiguity around the target audience and intended outcomes of the game, with
questions raised about whether it is meant as a university-level educational tool or a training
resource for disaster risk management professionals. A summary screen at the end of the
game was found to be helpful in facilitating reflections and consolidating learning. Participants
also expressed uncertainty about what actions to take and how to navigate the game. In
response, the developer implemented pop-up tutorial windows at the start of the game,
designed to guide players through the initial stages and ease the onboarding process.
Additionally, the varying levels of enthusiasm among players in assuming their roles
highlighted the need for a more consistent gameplay dynamic. As a potential solution, some
participants suggested introducing a neutral moderator role, namely an external guide tasked
with subtly steering the session forward and ensuring balanced participation across the group.
During the second usability testing session, conducted on Friday, 7 March 2025, a second
set of constructive feedback was gathered to inform future improvements. Participants noted
that it still took several rounds to understand the objectives and gameplay mechanics. This
time, a supporting manual distributed ahead of the simulation, suggested the inclusion of at
least one test round among standard good practices, to allow players to familiarise with the
dashboard. Visually, the game was perceived as cluttered and somewhat primitive.
Participants suggested that adding topographical features could help create a clearer sense

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of movement across a national landscape, rather than appearing confined to a city. However,
this idea was ultimately discounted out of fears that introducing additional visual elements
might exacerbate the clutter and further complicate the user experience. Concerns about
inclusivity were also raised, particularly regarding the male-dominated appearance of role
character silhouettes. In terms of gameplay dynamics, participants questioned whether access
to all resources by all players might enhance engagement, and whether allowing edits to
character bios could introduce more diverse perspectives and decision-making tensions.
Additionally, the timing of events within the game was found to be unclear: many actions
occurred post-disaster, leading to confusion around anticipatory responses like evacuation.
Clarifying the sequence of events, possibly through a chat box message at the beginning of
the scenario, was suggested to help orient players more effectively. All these remarks were
addressed in a timely fashion to bring the latest version of Bridging the Silos to fruition.

The serious game is now available at: https://bridging-the-silos.myriadproject.eu/