Playful Learning 2026 Programme
Flood Walls or Candy Bars? Making Climate Choices Under Uncertainty
Lead Author: Annette Kern
Additional authors:
Timetable: Thursday Session 4: 10:00-10:45, Gallery Room 2
Description:
In this session, participants will play and reflect on an interactive simulation game focused on climate adaptation under uncertainty. The game explores the challenge faced by communities, regions, and countries when making investment decisions in climate adaptation while future climate outcomes remain uncertain—even when probabilities are known.
An ordinary die is used to simulate the realization of future climate conditions, while candy bars represent the alternative uses of financial resources that are not invested in protective measures. Through these simple mechanics, the game illustrates core concepts such as risk, uncertainty, opportunity costs, and trade-offs in sustainability decision-making. By deliberately abstracting from real-world complexity, the game creates a transparent and accessible setting in which participants can directly experience the tensions inherent in adaptation choices.
The rules are intentionally straightforward, making the game easy to facilitate and adaptable to a wide range of contexts. It can be used effectively in higher education classrooms (for example in economics, political science, ethics, sustainability studies, mathematics, and related fields), as well as in town hall meetings, stakeholder workshops, or other adult—and even youth—learning environments.
Following the gameplay, the session will include a short discussion of participants’ experiences and insights. If time allows, we will explore possible variations of the game, reflect on how its simplifications relate to real-world climate adaptation challenges, and discuss potential limitations or pitfalls when using such simulations for teaching, engagement, or policy dialogue.
References, web links and other resources:
A publication of the game description is underway, and I will share the link/info once it’s available!