“Stop Disasters!” Is a game developed by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR for short). UNDRR brings many organizations, governments, universities, and individuals together with the objective of reducing disaster losses.
”Stop Disasters!” aims to inform individuals of disaster impact and prevention, using challenge and narrative as its primary types of fun. At the start of the game, players are introduced to the target area, which players chose at the beginning of the game (options include: Southeast Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, and more). The player is then warned of an incoming natural disaster and provided useful information about the target area (terrain, population count, etc.). A challenge is then given to the player: to save as many people as possible, through different measures that reduce the impact of the disaster.
Working with a budget, players learn of the risks posed by natural hazards as they explore the area, and learn of ways to build defenses to protect against them, like decreasing the amount of flat land and increasing building development.
The game mechanics include clicking on different natural structures, purchasing land, purchasing various buildings, clicking on ‘Show Risk’ to see high risk areas, and clicking ‘Start Disaster’ to begin the disaster.
The primary dynamic in the game is time pressure, created through a probability bar at the bottom right of the screen that displays the likelihood of a disaster occuring (which increases over time).
The aesthetic goals of the game include challenge, narrative, and occasionally discovery. The people-saving mission and probability bar poses a prominent challenge, provided within the context set up by a short story-line and visual. Players discover areas with different levels of risks, along with the relative costs for development/clearing those areas.
With a clear goal (the mission) and immediate feedback (buildings spawn right after players click the orange shopping button), the game achieves great flow that keeps players concentrated. The game allows for different disasters (wildfires, tsunamis, hurricanes) and three challenge modes (easy, medium, hard), which allows it to provide the appropriate challenge even after multiple play rounds.
The outcome of the game is to gain information (knowledge on natural hazards risks) and attitude change (towards natural disaster prevention efforts). Perhaps behavior change and self efficacy were also intended outcomes, but the actions in the game (quickly clearing land and funding building constructions) isn’t very achievable for most of its intended audience (everyday citizens). What is more achievable is actions such as voting for certain projects that address natural hazards, or donating to organizations with the same goal of natural disaster prevention, but these actions were not seen in the game.
