Precipice, Interactive Simulation

In collaboration with the US Department of Energy, I worked on an interactive simulation of climate change futures with a team at the Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver, BC. The simulation visualizes future scenarios developed by Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Energy and Environmental Security Directorate. The experience takes place in a 3D environment set in the present day and a future scene set in 2032.

I was the lead on story and content development, writing and sound design for the project. I also assisted with game design, visual design, and production. This was a 3 month student project.

The simulation depicts a present-day reality and the same space in 2032. At the outset of the simulation the 2032 future is bleak; it represents the worst outcomes of the various scenarios. The player interacts with characters in both the present-day and the future. As the player makes choices and interacts with the characters, they  influence the characters’ mindset as it relates to the environment and their world view. If the player makes the ‘correct’ choices in the conversation puzzles then they incrementally improve the future.

The project is an attempt to humanize and personalize some of the abstract issues in this area and to help bridge the attitude behaviour gap that often exists with issues that reach far in to the future.

Here’s a short documentary about the making of Precipice:

The simulation was built in the game engine Unity incorporating traditional game design methodology and scientific research.

The team at the Centre for Digital Media consisted of artists, game designers, writers, and programmers.

Go here to download the game.