The Nordic research organisation Nordregio has developed the Nordica Crisis Management Game – an interactive simulation designed to explore the links between sustainability, resilience and crisis governance in a practical way. The game is intended for policymakers, municipal and public administration professionals, educational institutions, students, and anyone with an interest in crisis governance and sustainable development.
The game is available free of charge and aims to stimulate discussion, strengthen understanding, and promote strategic thinking about how societies can reduce long-term risks, prepare for unexpected crises and strengthen overall societal resilience. In the Nordica Crisis Management Game, participants step into the role of decision-makers and guide a fictional Nordic society towards a just and sustainable future. Their task is to prevent crises from escalating into societal collapse.
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The game unfolds over three decades in the fictional country of Nordica, located in the Northern Hemisphere. Participants are tasked with building a society capable of maintaining a safe and just operating space when crises intensify. To navigate uncertain future scenarios, they must develop strategies, respond to crises and adapt their decisions when necessary, while safeguarding the well-being of society.
In each round, participants seek to strike a balance between long-term crisis prevention and short-term crisis preparedness. In doing so, the game reflects the challenges that crisis governance professionals encounter in real life. Rather than presenting crisis governance as a purely technical process, the game demonstrates the importance of strategic decision-making, trade-offs and the ability to act under conditions of uncertainty.
Throughout the game, participants encounter a wide range of crises, from environmental disasters to social and economic disruptions. Some crises emerge suddenly, such as infrastructure blockages or pandemics. Others, including environmental degradation and social inequality, develop gradually over many years.
By working through these scenarios, participants gain first-hand insight into how decisions made today can shape society's resilience and sustainability for decades to come.
A typical game session lasts approximately one and a half hours. Multiple groups can participate simultaneously, with 4–6 participants in each group.
Game background and development
The Nordica Crisis Management Game was developed by Hedda Thomson Ek, Elin Slätmo, Anne Katrine Ebbesen and other colleagues at Nordregio.
To cite this work: Thomson Ek, H., Slätmo, E., Ebbesen, A. K. (2026) Nordica Crisis Management Game.
The work is part of the Nordic thematic group for local and regional resilience and attractiveness. The Nordic thematic groups contribute to the Nordic Co-operation Programme for Regional Development and Planning 2025–2030 under the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Committee of Senior Officials for Regional Policy (EK-R).
