Stakeholder Engagement in Maritime Spatial Planning: The Efficacy of a Serious Game Approach

This study evaluates the MSP Challenge, a constructionist tabletop serious game designed to help stakeholders engage with maritime spatial planning (MSP), a process the EU MSP Directive requires member states to implement by 2020. Its central aim is to test whether the game can overcome common engagement barriers, including stakeholder diversity, unfamiliarity with MSP, and low trust. Since its development in 2016, the game has been played in twenty countries across roughly 32 sessions involving about 650 people, with 310 participants providing survey data.

The evaluation draws on questionnaires from 310 participants across 19 sessions in three contexts: generic events, Belgium, and Scotland. Participants rated the game's reflection of real MSP challenges highly (mean 4.1 out of 5) and reported improved understanding of MSP. The strongest learning effect appeared among Scottish players new to MSP (mean understanding 4.2 out of 5), compared with 3.5 among Belgian players who had prior experience, suggesting that prior involvement can dampen perceived gains. Observations and participant quotes indicate high engagement and immersion across sessions.

Overall enjoyment was high (mean 4.3 out of 5, highest in Scotland at 4.7), and players expressed strong willingness to recommend the game (4.2 out of 5). Mediating analysis indicated that enjoyment and learning varied with country of origin, prior MSP involvement, gender, and sustainability perspective, though these effects were not consistent across the three cases. The authors conclude that stakeholders from diverse backgrounds can appreciate the game, while emphasizing that facilitation quality, group size (15 to 21 players recommended), and player characteristics shape learning outcomes. The study's reliance on self-reported data and heterogeneous participant backgrounds limits direct cross-case comparison.