Document Type
,
Publication date
March 2025
Office(s)
Author(s): UN Global Pulse

Exploring Futures through Game-based Foresight

Description

We believe the future belongs to all, and all should have a voice in shaping it. To make foresight more accessible and inclusive,  we explored innovative, game-based approaches to spark curiosity and imagination. Drawing inspiration from leading foresight practitioners in the field, we co-created a collection of fun, interactive, and thought-provoking games designed to empower diverse perspectives and ideas: 

  • FutureCast:  A prompt-based game designed to help you and your team enhance your election preparedness. Election periods often bring heightened uncertainty, and this game guides participants through plausible events before, during, and after elections. By engaging with these different futures, teams can better anticipate risks and uncover new opportunities that may arise. On our website, you’ll find examples and inspiration to customize your game version to suit your needs. Fun Fact: This game received the Ingenuity Award from the Association of Professional Futurists!
  • Scenario Exploration System on the Future of Data Governance:  Looking for innovative ways to engage with scenarios and amplify their impact? Try this serious board game, originally developed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre to promote the practical application of foresight scenarios. We’ve adapted it to explore various futures of data governance. 
  • Futures Cards: A dynamic gamified learning experience to support inclusive & participatory foresight. It consists of a deck of cards with recommendations on one side and “what if” prompts on the other side, that help you challenge your ways of organizing your foresight process. 

Happy gaming!