High Tide is a community-centred, phygital role-playing game designed to help neighbourhoods like Red Hook, Brooklyn, build trust and resilience through immersive disaster preparedness. The project transforms traditional emergency drills into collaborative, location-based missions that use AR, storytelling, and neighbourhood landmarks to engage players in realistic flood response scenarios.

Rooted in growing urgency—from climate projections to local lived experiences—High Tide addresses the decision paralysis, hesitation, and confusion that too often arise during emergencies. Through our research on Hurricane Sandy’s impact in Red Hook, we found that many residents were left without clear guidance, supplies, or support networks, despite living in a high-risk flood zone. And yet, our interviews revealed that a surprising number of residents are unsure of where to go, what to pack, or how to respond during a flood. Several preparedness initiatives exist, but they’re often passive, inaccessible, or top-down.
By 2030, high-tide flooding is expected to become a regular occurrence in many coastal neighbourhoods. So the question becomes: What are we doing about it, together? How do we balance personal safety with community care? How can design make preparedness accessible, fun, and emotionally resonant? How might we help translate policy into real-world action?