Game Twins

Digital twins – virtual replicas of physical systems used for simulation and monitoring — have become widespread in engineering and industry. Game twins adapt this concept with a different purpose: rather than mirroring a system in full technical fidelity, a game twin is a lightweight, interactive counterpart of a real-world process, designed to make complex ideas accessible through play. Game twins distil one aspect of a real-world system into a structured, engaging experience that lowers barriers to understanding, sparks interest, and supports decision-making – without requiring prior expertise or specialised equipment. They do not have to be digital; board games, tabletop exercises, and hybrid formats can serve the same function.

The SDU Metaverse Lab is developing game twin approaches with a particular focus on civilian preparedness and resilience. Modern societies face compounding risks – from natural disasters and infrastructure disruption to the psychological effects of AI-generated misinformation and social media manipulation – yet most citizens have limited opportunity to rehearse their responses or develop informed intuitions about these threats. Game twins offer a scalable way to build such preparedness: by placing people inside simplified but faithful representations of crisis scenarios, supply chain disruptions, or information environments, they support experiential learning that lectures and leaflets cannot deliver. Beyond civilian resilience, game twins have applications in recruitment, public engagement, organisational training, and as entry points into more advanced educational or simulation pathways.

The Metaverse Lab brings established expertise in AI-driven game design, adaptive systems, player behaviour modelling, and serious games to this emerging research direction. We are actively seeking partners across defence, civil protection, public health, education, and industry to co-develop game twin frameworks and applications.