<i>Earth Girl Volcano</i>: characterizing and conveying volcanic hazard complexity in an interactive casual game of disaster preparedness and response

Abstract

This paper focuses on the process of developing the Earth Girl Volcano game, and presents some of our best professional practices and lessons learned. The paper shares our experience of weaving storytelling in the not-so-straightforward process of interdisciplinary collaboration between artists and scientists. Our practice-based research approach to games is centered around a diligent and rigorous game development method that is story-centric and that uses storytelling to communicate scientific concepts. Our development methodology is presented in detail without the usual focus on quantitative evaluations: games are not scientific projects but audiovisual interactive catalysts of engagement. The survival of many communities during volcanic emergencies is tied to their knowledge of volcanic preparedness. Unfortunately, there is a gap between scientific terminology and the non-technical language used by the general population. For this reason it is necessary to develop and implement engaging outreach strategies that familiarize communities at risk with volcanic hazards, that show how a volcanic event unfolds, and what to do in case of an emergency. Interactive games provide a perfect alternative to engage communities and to impact their resilience. The Earth Girl Volcano game is about making strategic decisions that minimize risk in communities exposed to volcanic hazards. Conveying the complexities of volcano disaster preparedness to a general audience is a communication challenge in itself because of the multi-layered, interrelated, and technical nature of the information. We use interactive dramatizations of hazard scenarios with people for players to identify with the characters in the game and to empathize with communities impacted by volcanic hazards. We present our approach for characterizing multiple hazard scenarios and dynamics in precise but nimble ways and for designing engaging gameplay within the context of a casual strategy game. We seek to engage mainstream audiences and familiarize them with volcanic evacuations and disaster risk management by providing a high degree of playability, using storytelling to create empathy, making creative use of staging and visuals, and using plain language. We believe that the combination of all these techniques yields a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, a perfect storm that is able to create an emotional connection between players and the hazard scenarios presented in the game.