CRISIS RISES DOCUMENTATION

The game “Crisis Rises” was created to bring understanding and raise awareness about the threat of rising waters due to the climate crisis. The goal of the game is for the players—split into 8 teams, each representing a different city agency—to collectively come to a solution to save the city. Since the game cannot be won without seawalls in at least seven of the sixteen districts, it is crucial for the players to discuss and collaborate on a strategy. The timed component adds urgency, compelling players to build alliances quickly in the face of the rising flood.

Throughout the game, we explore the edge conditions bordering lower Manhattan and flood mitigation methods to address the climate crisis. Flood prevention involves not only responding to emergencies but also creating preventive measures. The preemptive creation of green infrastructure makes areas safer from flooding, prevents the loss of commercial and residential assets, and is more financially viable in the long term. Strategic city planning is needed to manage the flood through appropriate infrastructure distribution. On harder difficulties, players must decide which zones to sacrifice, either permanently or temporarily, to save others. We hope that playing the game helps players understand the dynamics of power between city agencies and districts.

Feedback from the Playtesting on the Game

Thankfully, the playtesting has revealed that our game is fun! The short deadlines imposed by the timer made the game more challenging, forcing us to make quick decisions and build the most efficient wall possible to win.

However, we wondered if there could be more tension between players. Despite personal motivations early in the game, such as guilt from flooding other districts or the desire to protect one’s own district, players ultimately united to prevent further losses. Earlier playtests involved more personal win states, leading to false alliances and backstabbing. Unfortunately, this did not make it to the final iteration. It’s something we might reincorporate into ‘Crisis Rises’ as we further develop it.

Something That We Have Learned from Playing the Game

Throughout playing the game, we learned the hard way that time is extremely limited in an emergency, and we must work together as a team to solve the crisis as efficiently as possible to save the maximum area of Manhattan. The best decisions are often made collaboratively, as each player has unique abilities, whether codified within the game or based on personal skills. When each person shares their skills and ideas, we can achieve our goals more quickly.