Screenshots of Earth Girl 2, an interactive game about making strategic decisions during earthquake and tsunami scenarios. View video demonstration of the game.
An interdisciplinary team of game artists and scientists at the Earth Observatory of Singapore have developed Earth Girl 2, an interactive game about making strategic decisions to increase survival rates in coastal communities during earthquakes and tsunamis. Earth Girl 2 is based on real-life situations, with an emphasis on learning preparedness and survival skills. It was inspired by kids who live in coastal communities throughout Asia, and the stories told by survivors of recent tsunamis.
The game play encourages proactive exploration and discovery of evacuation strategies and scenarios. Earth Girl, the host and guide throughout the game, provides knowledge, tips and feedback allowing players to make strategic decisions based on the information collected.
A screenshot of the market area, where players hear a variety of opinions about tsunamis. They must use their judgment to distinguish between fact and fiction.
There are four main parts to the game: Market, Map, Toolbox and two dozen game levels with different evacuation challenges. An example of basic game play includes learning about tsunami hazards by talking to people at the market, choosing tools within a budget, exploring the site and making strategic decisions, and learning from watching simulated scenarios. The success rate of players in the game depends on their level of interaction with the virtual community.Earth Girl 2 was developed as a strategy game for iPads and Android tabloids. It is in beta release and at the final stage of user testing. A full release of the game through the Apple and Android application stores, and an Indonesian version are scheduled for launch December 2014. Earth Girl 2 may be produced and released in several languages in early 2015.
Earth Girl 2 was developed by Prof Isaac Kerlow from Earth Observatory of Singapore. It was funded by NRF under the Research Centres of Excellence programme, together with the Ministry of Education and Nanyang Technological University.
