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Habitat in Peril is a table top role playing game in which the first human settlement outside of the Solar System needs to be secured. In this fun, challenging and engaging multi-disciplinary space adventure, the participants have to solve two challenges with increasing urgency before being confronted with the consequences of their actions. Through their own investigations and actions, the participants learn about planets outside our Solar System, get in touch with the predictions of astrophysics research, and learn how to approach a crisis situation when resources and knowledge are limited. Up to 20 players can explore five different challenges of human space exploration in which they discover an uncharted exoplanet, critically investigate the work of previous scientists, and take on the responsibility for an entire space station. Habitat in Peril has been developed in collaboration with exoplanet scientists and is based on contemporary exoplanet research topics. The natural interdisciplinarity of space travel means that this activity can be fit into a variety of curricula topics, and includes transferable skills like problem-solving and teamwork.
“The weather on the exomoon was way worse thanthe projections. Landing the Ship was bumpy, butwent mostly according to plan, but since then, itdoesn't seem like anything's been going onHabitat's favour.”
Image: some pages of the provided Handbook
Participants will learn:
The game takes place on Moon, a tidally locked exomoon orbiting a tidally locked gas giant. Its atmosphere is non-lethal but not breathable. While basic data was gathered from Earth, settlers quickly learn that models have limitations and uncertainties. Just as we still don’t fully understand nearby planets like Venus, exoplanets remain largely unpredictable until directly explored.
Image: an artistic impression of an exoplanet. Credit: IAU/L. Calçada
Here is some basic information:
Exoplanets
Thousands of planets have been discovered outside our Solar System—called exoplanets. Some resemble planets in our Solar System, while others are drastically different. Current detection methods are biased toward large planets close to their host stars, making Earth-like planets rare and hard to study. Researchers use atmospheric models to simulate possible conditions and determine whether these planets could support life or be hostile like Venus or Mars.
Exoplanet Climates
Many exoplanets likely have environments unsuitable for human life. To predict temperatures and winds on exoplanets, scientists adapt Global Circulation Models (GCMs) used for Earth's climate. These models reveal that exoplanet climates can be extremely harsh:
Exomoons
Moons are common in our Solar System and are likely common around exoplanets too. Some moons, like Saturn's Titan, have thick atmospheres. Although no exomoons have been confirmed yet, if they are large enough and in the habitable zone, they could potentially support life—making them promising targets in the search for habitability.
Tidally Locked Planets
Close-in planets often become tidally locked to their stars, always showing the same face to the star—leading to very hot day sides and frozen night sides. However, a moon orbiting such a planet could still experience a normal day-night cycle, depending on its rotation and orbit.
Exoplanet Atmospheres
Atmospheric composition is critical for habitability. For example:
Life affects atmospheric composition—for instance, oxygen and methane coexist on Earth due to biological processes. These chemical "biosignatures" can be detected from afar. However, most known exoplanet atmospheres are not life-friendly, and future human settlements will likely face very challenging environments.
Before starting the game
Habitat in Peril is a tabletop role-playing game in which the first human settlement outside of the Solar System needs to be secured. Over the course of 6 hours, the participants have the opportunity to solve two challenges with increasing urgency before being confronted with the consequences of their actions. Through their own investigations and actions, the participants learn about planets outside our Solar System, familiarise themselves with the predictions of astrophysics research, and learn how to approach a crisis situation when resources and information are limited.
Up to 20 players, guided by 1 to 5 facilitators, can explore five different challenges of human space exploration in which they discover an uncharted exoplanet, critically investigate the work of previous scientists, and take on the responsibility for an entire space station.
Players will experience first-hand the challenge of working with limited data, making critical decisions under uncertainty, and adapting to new scientific discoveries as part of survival.
Image: using the power point prestation to introduce the game
How to use Habitat in Peril in your classroom
Suggested Timing: 6 hourNumber of facilitators: 1 - 5Suggested number of players: 2 - 20
This game was designed for up to 20 players with up to 5 facilitators (Game Masters). There is an overarching storyline, with 5 different 'tracks'. Each track requires one Game Master (GM), and between 1 and 4 players. You can choose to run as many or as few tracks as you need. The class should be divided into groups of 3 to 6 students. The number of groups should correlate with the number of facilitators (between 1 and 5). These groups should all be at separate tables/workspaces.
The game consists of different phases, and the suggested total time for this activity is approximately 6 hours (taking into account buffer time). These 6 hours do not need to be consecutive, and could be split between multiple lesson slots if needed:Set-up Phase including character building, and introduction takes approximately 45 minutes.Phase 1 gameplay takes approximately 2 hours.Phase 2 introduction and gameplay takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.Phase 3 summary, conclusion, and evaluation takes approximately 50 minutes.
Detailed instructions on how to play are in the handbook.It is suggested to introduce the game using the presentation slides provided.
Image: a phase of the game
Ending the game
The final stage of the game is explained in detail in the handbook. During the final ‘consequences’ stage, the teachers/facilitators will summarise the outcomes of the group's work, and discuss how their actions affected the outcome of the mission. This is a good time to include the scientific reasoning behind the consequences of their actions and how they relate to the (astro)physical setting of their adventure. At the end of this game, teachers should facilitate student reflection on the scientific implications of their discoveries and actions.
Teachers may choose to provide students with a copy of the scientific background included in the handbook at the end of this experience to aid in this reflection.
Suggested Post-Game Evaluation/Summary Activities:
This activity is interdisciplinary in nature and, therefore, could fit many different subjects. The overall theme of planetary exploration fits into both physics and earth science. The communications and politics of the game fit into a number of humanities subjects. The food growing operations lean on biology knowledge, and the structural integrity of the habitat lends itself to engineering. Planning provisions and travel times involves mathematics problems, and the climate and weather patterns fit into geography.
