Totally Accurate Sea Level Rise Simulator is an analog simulation of one result of our climate crisis. It is a construction game where players build structures to survive the rising tides. Total emissions for the player(s)-built structure determine, based on scientific data about material emissions, the rate and total amount of sea level rise.

A group playing the game, in process of placing parts of structures on the randomly-generated terrain.



Their structure being tested by the rising ‘sea’. Only a couple pieces fell off, but a whole neighborhood was drowned.


Installed at the RISD Museum, where patrons played and had their emissions and structural damage scores recorded on a leaderboard.


The material emissions table used for calculating total emissions and thus total rate/quantity of sea level rise. Based on extensive research comparing multiple datasets compiled by researchers. Wood was the most difficult to estimate, as research in this area is hotly disputed and claims vary from carbon negative (-2 to -5 or so) to positive (2 to 10), so I picked a low positive number based on logging ecosystem impact (cutting roads, disrupting forest systems, etc.) balanced with carbon storage.
Mark