Main board
A central board organizes the game rounds and serves as a shared reference during collective game phases.
SAVIT Tabletop Game
About SAVIT Game
SAVIT Tabletop Game is a physical board game. It uses a realistic disaster scenario to support the exploration of issues related to spontaneous help, as well as the identification of potential approaches to better integrate informal helpers in DRM. It is typically used in combination with SAVIT Catalogue.
During the game, participants work in teams and, rather than role play, use their own experience, usual perspectives and functions. As a group of experts, their objective is to recommend potential approaches to local authorities and stakeholders (who can then decide on their implementation). Participants are not asked to manage the situations described in the scenario, but rather to reflect on the needs, challenges and opportunities created by actions of the population. The collaborative discussion serves as a basis to identify what tool or approach they would have liked to have at their disposal in the given situation.
Game elements
Player board
Each team receives a player board to guide its analysis of the scenario elements at each round (e.g., identification of relevant actors and needs).
Solution cards
A set of solution cards derived from SAVIT Catalogue. Each card presents the solution type, geographical origin, mapping to the main functions, and a short description. A typical deck contains 24 cards supporting a variety of functions.
Scenario
A locally grounded scenario that reflects a specific context (hazards, locations, characteristics, and formal and informal actors) and spans the full DRM cycle.
Handouts
Guiding information summarising the game rules. They include a reference function booklet providing definitions for the functions and sub functions, and the scenario.
How to play the game
The facilitation guide (downloadable from this site) describes the game rules in detail. The following is a short summary.
- The game is facilitated. The Game Master is responsible for setting up teams, sharing the necessary game materials to each team, and presenting the game elements and rules to all.
- The Solution cards are distributed in an ad-hoc way between teams such as teams play with different cards. Several card stocks can be used. Each team should get 8 to 12 cards.
- The participants are organised in teams of 3-5 persons. Preferably, each team involves stakeholders with various backgrounds. Players participate in their real-world roles (e.g., a firefighter plays as a firefighter).
- The gameplay is structured into several rounds. Each round corresponds to a new phase in the scenario. In each round:
- The Game Master introduces the new situation in the scenario.
- Each team analyses the situation at hand and discusses a potential solution by completing their player board.
- Each team presents their selected solutions to the other teams.
- All teams vote for the preferred option.