Serious gaming for Natech Risk Awareness: Introducing EGNARIA

Raising awareness regarding natural hazard-induced technological accidents, specifically those involving the release of hazardous materials (Natech), is essential for involving communities in their effective risk management and bolstering disaster preparedness. This study investigates the efficacy of serious gaming as a tool for Natech risk communication through the development of EGNARIA, an innovative, educational, role-playing board game. Focused on earthquake and tsunami scenarios leading to potential chemical accidents, the game prompts players to take disaster preparedness actions in response to natural and chemical hazards. EGNARIA aims to enhance community awareness of Natech accidents and stimulate discussions among stakeholders on risk management strategies, chemical information disclosure and risk-informed decision-making. A quasi-experiment, including a questionnaire survey before and after a workshop with university affiliates, assessed the game’s impact. Our preliminary findings indicate a positive reception, with participants viewing the game as an engaging, educational tool. EGNARIA’s immersive scenario-based game design seems to foster experiential learning by encouraging dynamic strategy development, enhancing spatial awareness of chemical accident risks, and effectively conveying complex technical concepts to broader audiences. The game successfully raised awareness about Natech accidents, emphasising the importance of community involvement and chemical information disclosure. • This study proposes and develops EGNARIA , a novel, educational board game designed to raise awareness about Natech accident risks, featuring earthquake and tsunami scenarios with potential chemical accidents. • The serious game engages players in discussions on disaster preparedness, chemical information disclosure, and decision-making related to Natech accidents. • Preliminary findings from the trial application indicate a positive reception, with participants viewing EGNARIA as an engaging and educational tool that effectively raises awareness about Natech accidents and emphasises the importance of community participation in disaster risk management. • EGNARIA fills a research gap as the first serious game specifically developed for Natech risk awareness, offering promising results as a proof of concept for its potential use in disaster risk reduction education programs.