Training for Uncertainty: Using games to improve disaster risk management skills
(2025) VRSM01 20251Risk Management and Safety Engineering (M.Sc.Eng.)
Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety
- Abstract
- The importance of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) is growing as global risks increase and more actors implement DRM strategies. However, the unpredictable and complex nature of disasters and other risks makes it difficult to train DRM skills in advance. Serious games, which are games designed for educational purposes, offer a promising way to build these skills by simulating real-world challenges in a structured format. This thesis aims to design and evaluate a serious game prototype that strengthens practical DRM skills. The study consisted of two parts: a scoping study and a game development process. The scoping study identified 27 serious physical games about DRM. Most games focused on raising awareness or encouraging discussion, but... (More)
- The importance of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) is growing as global risks increase and more actors implement DRM strategies. However, the unpredictable and complex nature of disasters and other risks makes it difficult to train DRM skills in advance. Serious games, which are games designed for educational purposes, offer a promising way to build these skills by simulating real-world challenges in a structured format. This thesis aims to design and evaluate a serious game prototype that strengthens practical DRM skills. The study consisted of two parts: a scoping study and a game development process. The scoping study identified 27 serious physical games about DRM. Most games focused on raising awareness or encouraging discussion, but rarely targeted specific, transferable DRM skills or addressed the full DRM cycle. Based on these findings and a design science research approach, a board game prototype was developed. It incorporates uncertainty, limited resources, trade-offs, prevention, and recovery strategies. The game was tested by 17 second-year students from a Risk management program, using pre- and post-game surveys to evaluate the effects. The results indicated improved understanding of strategic decision-making and positive engagement. However, feedback also highlighted areas for improvement, such as improving balance, realism, and clarity. In conclusion, the prototype shows potential for supporting DRM education. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- Can Games Improve Disaster Risk Managemenet?
Floods, fires and other disasters are becoming more common, and the need for disaster risk management is growing. But how do you train for something that is unpredictable and complex? That’s where serious games, games designed for learning, step in.
In my thesis, I designed and tested a serious board game prototype to help players practice key skills needed for disaster risk management (DRM). The game was tested on 17 students and received generally positive feedback. The results indicated that participants developed a better understanding of critical thinking and prioritization under pressure which are both important skills for DRM. While the game showed strong potential, some participants... (More) - Can Games Improve Disaster Risk Managemenet?
Floods, fires and other disasters are becoming more common, and the need for disaster risk management is growing. But how do you train for something that is unpredictable and complex? That’s where serious games, games designed for learning, step in.
In my thesis, I designed and tested a serious board game prototype to help players practice key skills needed for disaster risk management (DRM). The game was tested on 17 students and received generally positive feedback. The results indicated that participants developed a better understanding of critical thinking and prioritization under pressure which are both important skills for DRM. While the game showed strong potential, some participants expressed a desire for more realism and complexity, which highlighted opportunities for further development.
The core problem I addressed is that disaster risk management is difficult to practice for. Disasters are most often unpredictable and dangerous, making it hard to train these skills in realistic conditions. Existing educational games in this field often focus on increasing knowledge or awareness rather than practicing skills. The goal was to create a tool that lets people actively train the skills needed such as resource management, cooperation, decision-making under uncertainty and long-term planning but in a safe and engaging format.
The game I developed is intended to be used in educational settings, particularly for students and professionals in DRM. Based on the results from my thesis, the prototype can be further developed to include more realistic scenarios and support deeper learning outcomes.
The thesis started with a scoping study which resulted in 27 academic articles about existing physical games related to DRM. This helped me understand what already exists and what might be missing, as well as gather great inspiriation from what have previously worked and not. Using those insights, I created a board game prototype and tested it in a student setting using pre- and post-game surveys. The combination of literature insights, game design and participant feedback allowed me to explore how games can be a useful tool in this field.
Tilda Persson, RH23. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9206286
- author
- Persson, Tilda LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- VRSM01 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Disaster risk management, risk management, risk, serious games, educational games
- language
- English
- id
- 9206286
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-27 13:44:30
- date last changed
- 2025-06-27 13:44:30
@misc{9206286,
abstract = {{The importance of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) is growing as global risks increase and more actors implement DRM strategies. However, the unpredictable and complex nature of disasters and other risks makes it difficult to train DRM skills in advance. Serious games, which are games designed for educational purposes, offer a promising way to build these skills by simulating real-world challenges in a structured format. This thesis aims to design and evaluate a serious game prototype that strengthens practical DRM skills. The study consisted of two parts: a scoping study and a game development process. The scoping study identified 27 serious physical games about DRM. Most games focused on raising awareness or encouraging discussion, but rarely targeted specific, transferable DRM skills or addressed the full DRM cycle. Based on these findings and a design science research approach, a board game prototype was developed. It incorporates uncertainty, limited resources, trade-offs, prevention, and recovery strategies. The game was tested by 17 second-year students from a Risk management program, using pre- and post-game surveys to evaluate the effects. The results indicated improved understanding of strategic decision-making and positive engagement. However, feedback also highlighted areas for improvement, such as improving balance, realism, and clarity. In conclusion, the prototype shows potential for supporting DRM education.}},
author = {{Persson, Tilda}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Training for Uncertainty: Using games to improve disaster risk management skills}},
year = {{2025}},
}