Active project

De Drempel Over

De Drempel Over ('Crossing the Threshold') is a mobile escape experience housed in a converted caravan. In it, key professionals experience first-hand what it's like for vulnerable citizens to get stuck — for example due to low literacy, digital exclusion, or distrust of government. A debrief afterwards directly links this experience back to their own work. Key professionals often understand the problems facing their target group in theory, but don't really feel them. As a result, their approach doesn't always match what vulnerable citizens actually need. The experience is designed for neighbourhood teams, social workers and other professionals who bridge the gap between citizens and government. By making people experience these problems rather than just explaining them, De Drempel Over deepens understanding of vulnerable residents and encourages better-suited support and communication. Source: public summaries phase 1, RVO

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Escape Room Wageningen

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Achter de voordeur

Behind the Front Door is a mixed reality experience that puts civil servants at the table with a resident who's stuck in their dealings with the government. Working with key stakeholders, directors and professional actors, recognisable situations are turned into true-to-life scenarios – for example, an incomprehensible letter or a service desk where someone hits a dead end. A reflection session follows afterwards. Dutch Rose Media/4DR Studios is carrying out the feasibility study in collaboration with BUas and the municipality of Eindhoven. Source: public phase 1 summaries, RVO

Intergenerationeel en spelenderwijs naar een weerbare samenleving

HackShield is exploring an immersive game experience in which children practise crisis situations — such as cyber incidents, disinformation and power outages — together with parents and grandparents. Game-based learning, board game elements and escape-room mechanics are being explored as ways to encourage conversation, collaboration and mutual resilience across generations. The contribution to social cohesion starts small: with the cross-generational conversation that so often doesn't happen today. The experience can build on the existing HackShield programme, so these themes carry through at school and at home. Delivered through schools, municipalities and libraries, the approach has the potential to reach multiple generations. Practising together doesn't just build resilience — it also strengthens the bond between families, neighbours and communities. Source: public phase 1 summaries, RVO

SamenSterk

SamenSterk is a collective crisis role-play in Mixed Reality. Teams of 4 participants experience a crisis situation together, such as 72 hours without tap water. During the game, they need to come up with solutions and weigh different interests against each other, such as health, social wellbeing and safety. The experience makes crisis preparedness active and collaborative. By making decisions together and experiencing their consequences, participants discover what a crisis demands of themselves and those around them. Source: public summaries phase 1, RVO

LifeSwap XR: ervaar de wereld achter de voordeur

LifeSwap XR is an immersive learning and reflection experience for key figures and professionals in the social domain. Users work through realistic XR scenarios covering topics such as debt assistance and financial security, experience different perspectives, and make choices. Guided reflection then translates the experience into concrete action points and working agreements. The innovation is not a standalone VR experience, but a scalable learning and reflection approach that can be deployed locally and later expanded to other municipal domains, such as the Social Support Act (Wmo), participation, youth care and civic integration. The solution is aimed at, among others, neighbourhood team professionals, social workers, and customer contact and policy staff. LifeSwap XR helps professionals better understand residents' everyday reality, communicate more thoughtfully, and make more suitable referrals. In doing so, it aims to help build trust and reduce drop-out in public services. Source: public phase 1 summaries, RVO

WijkWijs

WijkWijs is a mobile app that helps residents prepare for a crisis at neighbourhood level. Under normal circumstances, users follow a playful AR trail past emergency facilities and key locations in their own neighbourhood, complete with immersive explanations and an AI assistant. When the internet goes down, the app switches to an offline crisis mode featuring a local map, and the on-device AI assistant remains available. The feasibility study is being carried out by Dutch Rose Media/4DR Studios in Eindhoven, with Magic Trailz and Mear Fryslân as operational partners and the municipality of Eindhoven serving as the test site. Source: public phase 1 summaries, RVO

EmpathieSim: wandel in de schoenen van kwetsbare burgers

EmpathieSim is an interactive experience that lets key figures feel first-hand what it's like to get stuck in red tape with the government. Participants step into the shoes of a resident who, for example, receives a complicated letter or has to use a website with DigiD. Their choices affect both the outcome and the character's emotions. The solution is aimed at key figures, civil servants and policymakers, and is being developed for municipalities and implementing bodies. Key figures spend a lot of time explaining to the government how complex residents' problems really are, and there's no standard way to train new helpers. By experiencing residents' situations first-hand, users gain a better understanding of where people get stuck. This helps key figures support residents more effectively and helps policymakers create clearer, more understandable rules. During phase 1, Game Tailors is investigating whether EmpathieSim is feasible: which stories work best, which format fits best (screen or VR), and whether the experience genuinely changes how people think. Source: public phase 1 summaries, RVO

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