Shelter GO: multiplayer location-based game to promote knowing shelters for emergency evacuation

Abstract

In the event of a disaster, we evacuate to a shelter. However, if we do not know where to go for refuge, we consume time or end ourselves at an unknown shelter. Furthermore, we cannot decide on a suitable shelter if we do not know its capacities and features. To promote knowing shelters in advance is essential for successful emergency evacuation. A promoting approach is the use of a location-based game. Thus, a prototype of a multiplayer location-based game known as “Shelter GO” was developed to promote players to become acquainted with shelters by adopting a game element similar to Pokémon GO. The game feature allows players to not only earn points by visiting and observing shelters and collecting digital creatures at disaster-related spots but also exchange their collected digital creatures with encountered players. The digital creature exchange entails knowledge exchange. A preliminary comparative experiment demonstrated that Shelter GO can promote knowing shelters and that knowledge exchange may not be frequently done but promote knowing shelters.