Abstract:

Effective responses during natural disasters and emergency situations depend on rapid decision-making, situational awareness, and familiarity with appropriate safety procedures. However, most individuals rarely have opportunities to practice these skills in realistic conditions, making it difficult to translate safety guidelines into effective real-world actions. This paper presents the design of a gamified training tool that uses adaptive scenario simulation to support experiential learning for emergency preparedness.

The interactive system places learners in simulated emergency scenarios such as fires and earthquakes, where they must interpret environmental cues, assess risks, and make time-sensitive decisions. The gameplay structure mirrors the typical timeline of real-world emergencies and is divided into three phases: early situational awareness, active emergency response, and post-event evacuation and recovery. During the first phase, learners observe environmental signals, identify potential hazards, and prepare for possible escalation while distinguishing between reliable and misleading cues. In the second phase, the emergency unfolds dynamically, requiring players to apply protective actions and rapid decision-making under pressure. The final phase focuses on evacuation and post-event challenges, such as aftershocks or structural instability.

To enhance realism and replayability, the system incorporates adaptive scenarios that vary conditions such as disaster severity, event progression, and hazard locations. This variability encourages learners to repeatedly engage with the simulation while developing flexible response strategies based on established safety guidelines. Multiple solution paths are supported, allowing users to explore different protective actions while understanding their consequences.

In the future, the platform will also integrate learning analytics that record player decisions, response times, and outcomes. These data will be summarized into feedback tables that highlight correct actions, mistakes, and overall performance, supporting reflection and iterative learning. By combining gamification, adaptive simulation, and immediate feedback, the proposed approach aims to strengthen situational awareness, decision-making speed, and confidence in applying safety procedures.

This work demonstrates how serious game–based learning environments can provide accessible and scalable tools for emergency preparedness education, enabling learners to practice critical decision-making skills in a safe, virtual setting.

Keywords:

Serious Games, Emergency Response Training and Education, Scenario-Based Simulation, Interactive Learning, Earthquake, Fire.