Games for sustainable development

It is easy to set ambitious goals, but it can be very hard to achieve them. For example, to fight climate change, and to achieve a sustainable development, mankind set itself the goal to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

While the goal is clear, the practical implementation is not at all straight forward. We are confronted with complex problems, that cannot be solved easily; even more, as various factors interact with each other.

The session has a look at two examples of games based on simulations in the field of the built environment. After the presentation of the games, the panel will discuss the potential of games to support the decision-making process when we are confronted with complex problems. And, importantly, how games can be used to teach complicated facts, while we live in a society that is more and more active in the digital space.

Presentations
– Murgame presented by Ralf Mauerhofer, Koboldgames
– Re(use) presented by Stéphane Magnenat, ETH Zurich

Panel
– Urs Honegger (Host), Hochparterre
– Catherine Berger, geo7
– Ralf Mauerhofer, Koboldgames
– Fabian Kastner, ETH Zurich
– Michel Bohren, CRB

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About

Murgame
MurGame is a game-based debris flow simulation in which players defend a picturesque alpine village from huge debris flows. The game is aimed at players with a preference for realistic data and behaviour, which is achieved in the game by implementing real debris flow modelling (RAMMS::DEBRISFLOW). MurGame is also used for educational purposes to raise awareness of the dangers and damage caused by debris flows in Switzerland and to show what protective measures can be taken.

Development: geo7, Koboldgames, SLF / Supporting Partners: Fondation de prevention des établissements cantonaux d’assurance, Die Mobiliar, Federal Office for the Environment FOEN

re(use)

The player takes the role of the owner of Hotel Schatzalp, with the challenge to sustainably transform the building in order to meet a CO2 budget as weel as to achieve guest satisfaction. The game starts in 1900 and finishes in 2050. If the player runs out of money or exceeds the CO2 budget, the game is lost. The player can renovate any part of the building with materials available at that time.

This project is an internal collaboration within ETH Zurich between the architecture department (D-ARCH) and the Game Technology Center (GTC)