Connections

We are living in very uncertain times. Will we manage to address the ongoing challenges of decarbonisation and climate crisis, and their complex knock-on effects, in ways that improve rather than degrade human freedom and wellbeing, and our relationships with the more-than-human world?

Connections is a storytelling game and scenario exploration tool. It was initially developed for a Dstl innovation day which brought together scientists, fiction writers, and humanities scholars. Connections offers a framework for collaborative, narrative exploration of emerging risks and opportunities associated with technological, ecological, and social change in a complex, interconnected world, where information is often limited and uncertain. It encourages both problem-seeking and problem-solving, and it offers an opportunity to reflect on the existing narratives which shape forecasting and preparedness.

Connections can also be focused on specific problems. The key component of the game is a set of prompts in four categories, which is currently available as a Google sheet; to adapt the game to tell stories about particular scenarios, actors, or technological issues or innovations, all you'll need to do is make a copy of the sheet and populate it with your own relevant prompts. Please feel free to download and use the Connections rules; I hope to continue to develop new iterations of the tool, and I would also be interested in your experiences of using it.