Welcome to FloodCraft, an innovative and engaging educational game designed to teach K-12 students about essential flood mitigation strategies in an interactive and enjoyable manner. Built on the popular Minecraft platform, this game provides a unique opportunity for players to explore and understand various flood preparedness techniques, empowering them with knowledge that can make a difference in their real-world communities.
The game is structured into different sections, each dedicated to a specific flood mitigation strategy. From implementing wet floodproofing to deploying sandbags, constructing flood walls, and elevating structures, players will embark on a learning adventure that demonstrates how these methods can enhance community resilience to flooding.
If you would like to play the game, please follow the setup instructions below.
Prerequisites:
- Java Development Kit (JDK) 21 (required for Minecraft 1.21.4)
- Minecraft Java Edition (Version 1.21.4)
- Fabric Loader (Version 0.19.3 or latest for 1.21.4)
You can find tutorials on YouTube for installing these prerequisites on your computer. Below are some links, but feel free to search for other tutorials specific to your operating system:
- Install Fabric Loader for Minecraft 1.21.4 using the installer from the Fabric website.
- Locate the minecraft folder on your computer (or your launcher instance's directory), then navigate to the mods folder inside it.
- Place the following required mods (compatible with Minecraft 1.21.4) into the mods folder:
- Fabric API (Download from CurseForge or Modrinth)
- CreatureChat (Provides the AI-powered NPC interactions, compatible with 1.21.4)
- Easy NPC and Easy NPC Config UI (Handles custom guide NPCs, compatible with 1.21.4)
- Locate the world folder Arnis World 4.2_backup_level4_start in this repository Place the world folder inside the saves folder located in your minecraft directory. When you open the game, you will see the world in your Singleplayer world list. Select the world and start playing!
There are five tasks that players can choose to complete, each representing a different challenge:
Sandbag Defense: Learn how sandbags are used as a temporary barrier against rising water. Observe the floodwaters rise and verify that the sandbag perimeter successfully protects the house.
Wildlife Rescue: Help! Floodwaters are rising in the Jean Lafitte swamp. Locate and rescue two stranded pets: a cat and a dog. Leash them and guide them across the bridge to the safety pen before the timer runs out.
Storm Drains: Leaves and trash are clogging the neighborhood storm drains, causing the streets to flood. Locate and clear all 5 clogged drains (marked with glowing outlines) using your shears to drain the water from the streets.
Save the Furniture: Move valuable furniture and items to safety upstairs. Collect 12 items (beds, bookshelves, jukebox, furnace, crafting table, lectern, and armor stand with diamond armor) using your pickaxe and place them in the upstairs chest before the house floods.
Spillway Repair: Repair a reservoir spillway to safely release high water. Swim down to clear 3 blockages from the spillway gate, retrieve the red cogwheel from the toolbox to place it on the control panel, flip the generator switch, and pull the main lever to open the gates and save the town!
We welcome your feedback! Please report any issues or suggestions by filing an issue on our GitHub page.
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
FloodCraft was developed by the University of Iowa Hydroinformatics Lab (UIHI Lab). Visit us at hydroinformatics.uiowa.edu.
Emiroglu, E., Grant, C. A., Sermet, Y., & Demir, I. (2024). Floodcraft: Game-based Interactive Learning Environment using Minecraft for Flood Mitigation and Preparedness for K-12 Education. EarthArxiv, 7815. https://doi.org/10.31223/X52Q55