Crisis 2050: A sustainability themed, role-playing game for post-primary students.
Year Awarded
2025
Amount
€62,250
- Organisation:Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
Project Summary
Crisis 2050 is a sustainability-themed, table-top role-playing game for post-primary students. Played over 3-4 weeks, students role-play as researchers and work in cooperative teams to solve environmental challenges, from food waste to biodiversity loss. In their role-play as researchers, they must apply for funding, design and conduct research projects, publish papers, engage stakeholders and present about their work. This is followed by a real scientific project mentored by a STEM researcher to solidify learning.
Crisis 2050 combines elements of Dungeons and Dragons, as well as a choose-your-own-adventure narrative. This allows students to create their own imaginative stories, while at the same time providing a pedagogical structure. Special encounters during the game call for occasional interaction with the teacher, who can role-play as characters within the story. Importantly, students will play as a customisable researcher character they can develop over the course of the game. At the end of each game challenge, a scientific ‘conference’ is held to explore lessons from each team and to construct a roadmap for solving each environmental challenge.
Crisis 2050 is designed to target eco-anxiety and the barriers to STEM careers identified by education research. Stepping into the role of a researcher will build science capital, identity and self-efficacy in STEM, whilst solving ethical scientific dilemmas supports transformative learning. Post-game conferences and visioning exercises will build futures literacy and resilience. Meanwhile the dynamic, engaging structure of the game and post-game project facilitates the development of 21st Century skills such as creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.