Motivation and engagement in disaster mapping in Europe (MEDiME): Understanding hydrogeological risks and vulnerability through serious gaming

This paper presents the development and pilot evaluation of Map@Me, an RPG-based serious game designed to improve understanding of hydrogeological risks and evacuation planning. Developed within the Motivation and Engagement in Disaster Mapping in Europe (MEDiME) Horizon Project, Map@Me targets a diverse audience and was tested in formal education settings, specifically middle and high schools.

The game integrates real local hazard maps, allowing players to explore their own environments and engage in realistic evacuation scenarios. With Map@Me, the player traces a realistic evacuation route that takes into account diverse mobility conditions, including disabilities, as well as advantageous and challenging factors, such as access to local knowledge and unfamiliarity with the area. Using a randomised system to determine the fictional character’s features in a real hazard map scenario, Map@Me represents a good example of how traditional disaster education can be supported by participatory methods of learning, whereby the agents can, in a controlled environment, experiment creatively with their behavioural choices and address their intrinsic biases.

During the presentation of the preliminary results from pilot sessions conducted with students, we will highlight both traditional learning outcomes—such as knowledge of evacuation sites and emergency preparedness measures—and “soft” learning outcomes, including cooperation, empathy, and collective responsibility.

The findings suggest that serious games such as Map@Me can enhance inclusive, place-based disaster preparedness, hazard map literacy and risk awareness, and overall contribute to a more socially aware approach to risk communication among younger audiences.