Learning Experience

Wildfire Café Game

A collaborative wildfire | Talk

A shared wildfire experience in 40 minutes. A group of people must talk through collaborative actions as, together, they imagine evacuating and returning to a damaged neighborhood.

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Ignite conversation

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Our interactive café game spurs a group of people to imagine that a wildfire is threatening their neighborhood, and consider how they would work together to get the community through safely. Grounded in their real-life circumstances, players experience how the decisions they and their neighbors make before, during and after an actual fire can affect their options and well-being, and how community cooperation can make things better for everyone.

Specifications:

4 to 40 players
40 minute play time
1 facilitator
Also offered in Spanish

GET IN TOUCH to bring a game to your community →

Our interactive café game spurs a group of people to imagine that a wildfire is threatening their neighborhood, and consider how they would work together to get the community through safely. Grounded in their real-life circumstances, players experience how the decisions they and their neighbors make before, during and after an actual fire can affect their options and well-being, and how community cooperation can make things better for everyone.

Specifications:

4 to 40 players
40 minute play time
1 facilitator
Also offered in Spanish

GET IN TOUCH to bring a game to your community →

”Great idea to play the game! It makes you think, discuss & remember the actions to take!”

— Sean, Participant, Wildfire Café Game, American Canyon CA

An entire wildfire in 40 minutes

1

Who are we?

To start the game, players quickly assess their own households to determine who they are concerned about, and what their current state of readiness is.

1

Who are we?

To start the game, players quickly assess their own households to determine who they are concerned about, and what their current state of readiness is.

2

Ready and … go!

As the urgency of the situation increases, players must individually decide what actions they will take before evacuating, when to evacuate, and how “neighbors” might help each other.

2

Ready and … go!

As the urgency of the situation increases, players must individually decide what actions they will take before evacuating, when to evacuate, and how “neighbors” might help each other.

3

Coming home …

As they return home, each household in the “neighborhood” discovers different challenges and different resources, determined by their real-life preparations, in-game actions, and a bit of luck.

3

Coming home …

As they return home, each household in the “neighborhood” discovers different challenges and different resources, determined by their real-life preparations, in-game actions, and a bit of luck.

4

Staying home!

To win, the “neighborhood” must work together to ensure that every household has what they need to restart their lives.

4

Staying home!

To win, the “neighborhood” must work together to ensure that every household has what they need to restart their lives.

“It was clever that the more prepared people were in real life, the smoother their gameplay was.”

— Abigail Flores, Napa Valley COAD, Wildfire Café Game, Yountville CA

Learning objectives

Wildfire preparedness

Assess real-life household needs and state of preparedness.
Understand essential wildfire preparedness, including ember danger and the importance of Zone 0 protection, official emergency notifications, and early evacuation.
Anticipate the possible challenges of returning to a damaged neighborhood, prioritizing safety, water, and food.
Identify one immediate action, along with the motivation to complete it.
Experience the uncertainty and unpredictability of wildfire behavior.

Social resilience

Discover community interdependencies.
Recognize the power of working together.
Practice collaboration skills.
Strengthen social connections.

Inspire

Players imagine a wildfire together. But they must make decisions in the very real context of their personal circumstances, and must collaborate with their “neighbors” to succeed. This helps them to strengthen real social connections, recognize the importance of their local community connections, and inspires them to talk with friends and neighbors about preparedness and mutual support in an actual event.

Educate

In addition to key elements of wildfire preparedness and best practices, the game is designed to increase social resilience. Players experience the power and importance of sharing information and physical resources, and strengthen their communication and collaboration skills. They have an opportunity to validate what they know, discover gaps and share knowledge with peers, and discuss questions with experts.

Educate

In addition to key elements of wildfire preparedness and best practices, the game is designed to increase social resilience. Players experience the power and importance of sharing information and physical resources, and strengthen their communication and collaboration skills. They have an opportunity to validate what they know, discover gaps and share knowledge with peers, and discuss questions with experts.

Empower

The game presents players with individual and shared challenges, and then gives them the freedom to choose their actions. As events unfold, they see how their and others’ decisions affect their own safety and comfort, and experience the power of community. By the end of the game, players have sketched out their own evacuation and recovery plans, as well as a vision of how they can work with their real-life neighbors.