Facing Floods: a stakeholder river management game

River management projects involve multiple stakeholders with different interests, priorities, and constraints. As these stakeholders could have conflicting perspectives, river management entails complex decision-making processes. While technical expertise is essential, students in higher education should also develop an understanding of the societal impacts of engineering interventions. Integrating such skills into engineering curricula is crucial. One effective method is the use of serious games, which simulate and simplify the realworld complexities (Kriz, 2003). These games provide a safe space for students to explore practical challenges without facing real-world consequences (Freese et al., 2020). Serious games are also proven to enhance the learning outcomes and increase motivation, even in professional contexts (Bekebrede and Champlin, 2022).

We developed Facing Floods, a game designed for students in higher education to simulate the challenges of river management projects. Players take on the roles of stakeholders, each with specific goals, needs, and budgets. Through discussion and negotiation, they must balance individual objectives with the shared responsibility of effective river management.