About
How can we sustain healthy human communities in space?
We’re researching effective strategies for navigating dilemmas of shared resources, common good and collective action under conditions of high uncertainty and high risk, like those in space. Players are citizens of an early Martian community charged with working together to provide for the sustained welfare of the settlement. All player actions are tracked and analyzed. We examine what behaviors tend to produce success, and what tends to produce failure. Each instance of gameplay is a simulation, a modeling exercise for future human space communities.
Status
Active
Category
Research and science | Media and public outreach
Environment
Moon and Mars
Contact
Key accomplishments
- Created a card-based Port of Mars game and conducted a pilot study.
- Developed a digital version of Port of Mars to improve data collection and increase sample sizes.
- Launched a larger study with the digital game: The Mars Madness Tournament.
In the news
- ‘A science experiment cos-playing as a game’: What Port of Mars can teach us about successful communities
- ‘Port Of Mars’: ASU Professor’s Game Imagines Social Relationships In Space
Publications
News
Mars Madness tournament imagines life on the red planet
April 12, 2021 | Karin Valentine
ASU’s “Mars Madness” tournament challenges students to strategize for sustainable life on Mars.
Team
Skaidra Smith-Heisters
Liz Leo
Titus Lunter
Explore more projects
Learn about our research programs dedicated to creating a future in space that prioritizes people and environments. Collaborate with experts and students to explore groundbreaking ideas and solutions that drive positive change.