Serious Games for Coastal and Marine Conservation, Management, and Adaptation

Titlesort ascending Description Target Audience Language
What’s the Catch? Provides players with opportunity to experience benefits of sustainable fishing practices Conservation and management professionals, Stakeholders, University and graduate students, Elementary and secondary school students English, Spanish
Water Life: Rivers meet the Sea Helps players learn about factors that produce healthy estuaries, food webs, and why estuaries are important Elementary and secondary school students English
Tricky Trawling Informs children about the impacts of unsustainable fishing practices such as seabed trawling Elementary and secondary school students English, Danish, Kalaallisut/Greenlandic
Tradeoff! Best Coast Belize! Introduces concepts related to nature’s benefits to people Conservation and management professionals, University and graduate students English
The Watershed Game Helps community leaders understand the connections between land use, clean water, and their community Stakeholders, University and graduate students, Elementary and secondary school students English
The UVA Bay Game Allows players to take the roles of stakeholders, make decisions about their livelihoods or regulatory authority; and see the impacts of their decisions Stakeholders, University and graduate students English
The Marine Ecosystem Services Game Promotes understanding of ecosystem service concepts through a role-playing simulation Conservation and management professionals, University and graduate students English
Sustainable Delta Enables better understanding of water systems and their related restoration and protection measures Stakeholders, University and graduate students, General public English
Sand Suppletion Game Makes players aware of the struggles involved in sand replenishment, coastal protection, nature conservation, and local economy Conservation and management professionals English
ResponSEAble Provides ocean literacy and sustainability education General public English
ReefGame Helps local fishers explore alternative and supplemental livelihoods and coral reef conservation Stakeholders, University and graduate students English
Reef Stakes® Mimics the complexity of multi-stakeholder decision-making processes and highlights threats to coral reefs University and graduate students, Elementary and secondary school students, General public English
Port of the Future Serious Game Supports port stakeholders and policymakers in achieving sustainable development Conservation and management professionals, Stakeholders, University and graduate students English
Pirate Fishing Exposes players to illegal fishing trade and its negative consequences University and graduate students, Elementary and secondary school students, General public English
Panache Expedition Raises awareness of marine protected areas Elementary and secondary school students, General public English
Ocean Limited Enables players to take on stakeholder roles and negotiate interests in marine resources University and graduate students, Elementary and secondary school students, General public English, German
MSP Challenge (multiple variations) Provides a tool for building mutual understanding and communication marine spatial planning Conservation and management professionals, Stakeholders, University and graduate students English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
MarePolis Enables players to manage a marine park Stakeholders, University and graduate students, General public French
Louisiana Coastal Resilience Game Creates opportunity for people and organizations to learn and discuss coastal resiliency challenges Conservation and management professionals, Stakeholders, University and graduate students English
LittoSIM Allows players to experiment with submersion risk management Stakeholders French
In It Together Brings stakeholders together around a map of the estuary to cooperatively explore adaptation strategies, weigh tradeoffs, and achieve greater local resilience Stakeholders, University and graduate students, General public English
GPMax Enables players to experience being a marine scientist working to protect marine mammals Stakeholders, University and graduate students, General public French
Game of Floods Teaches players about adaptation choices for sea level rise Stakeholders, University and graduate students, Elementary and secondary school students, General public English
Fishing for the Future Lets players explore how technology, population growth, and sustainable practices impact fish catch and fisheries management Elementary and secondary school students English
FiShcope Enables players to experience being a fisherman at sea, in port, and on shore Conservation and management professionals, Stakeholders, University and graduate students, General public French
Fishbanks from MIT Sloan Allows players to learn about the challenges of managing resources sustainably in a common pool resource setting with realistic resource dynamics Conservation and management professionals, Stakeholders, University and graduate students English
EcoOcean Demonstrates problems (e.g., overfishing) associated with common pool resources to the public University and graduate students, Elementary and secondary school students, General public English
Cards Against Calamity Teaches stakeholders about strategies they can use to build a more resilient community Stakeholders, University and graduate students, Elementary and secondary school students, General public English
Aquatico Raises awareness about ecosystem connections Elementary and secondary school students, General public English, Indonesian
Ahli Bakau Enables players to manage mangroves Elementary and secondary school students, General public English, French, Indonesian