| Archetype | % of cohort | Mean escape time (min) | Team size preference | |-----------|-------------|------------------------|----------------------| | Routinizer | 42% | 58 | 2–3 | | Scout | 35% | 47 | 1–2 | | Guardian | 23% | 82 | 4–6 |
The gamified zombie apocalypse functions as a powerful, low-stakes proxy for real urban crises (blackouts, floods, active threats). The -v2024-10-15- -mayorto- iteration successfully identified a critical gap: adults over 45 significantly overestimated their physical sprint capacity, while adults under 30 underestimated their risk of “social contagion” (following a wrong leader). Recommendations include incorporating analog backup mapping and randomized leadership rotations in future v2025 exercises.
Zombie preparedness, adult play, urban resilience, wayfinding, public health simulation, mayorto. 1. Introduction The zombie genre has long served as a metaphor for pandemic response, social collapse, and herd mentality (Brooks, 2003; CDC, 2011). However, the “Escape From Zombie U” series operationalizes this metaphor into a physical, timed, cooperative challenge. Version 2024-10-15, designated “Adult Escape,” deliberately removed child participants to study unmediated adult behavior under non-lethal duress.
Operation I: Adult Escape From Zombie U -v2024-10-15- -mayorto- Subtitle: A Case Study in Experiential Learning, Urban Wayfinding, and Public Health Messaging Under Duress Document ID: v2024-10-15-mayorto Date of Simulation: October 15, 2024 Author: Mayor’s Office of Strategic Urban Resilience (mayorto) Abstract Background: The annual “Escape From Zombie U” event, version 2024-10-15, represents a unique intersection of adult play, civic preparedness, and cognitive stress testing. This paper analyzes the “Adult Escape” iteration, focusing on how adult participants (N=150, ages 25–60) navigated a simulated zombie outbreak across the University of U’s urban campus. The exercise, codenamed “Operation I,” aimed to assess real-time decision-making, resource allocation, and inter-group communication under a low-mortality but high-stress fictional scenario.
Mixed-method evaluation: pre/post-surveys (Likert scales on self-efficacy, map reading, cooperative behavior), GPS tracking of escape routes, and facilitator-led debriefings. The scenario included 12 “infection” checkpoints, 3 safe zones, and a dynamic “horde” timing mechanic.
| Archetype | % of cohort | Mean escape time (min) | Team size preference | |-----------|-------------|------------------------|----------------------| | Routinizer | 42% | 58 | 2–3 | | Scout | 35% | 47 | 1–2 | | Guardian | 23% | 82 | 4–6 |
The gamified zombie apocalypse functions as a powerful, low-stakes proxy for real urban crises (blackouts, floods, active threats). The -v2024-10-15- -mayorto- iteration successfully identified a critical gap: adults over 45 significantly overestimated their physical sprint capacity, while adults under 30 underestimated their risk of “social contagion” (following a wrong leader). Recommendations include incorporating analog backup mapping and randomized leadership rotations in future v2025 exercises. i--- Adult Escape From Zombie U -v2024-10-15- -mayorto-
Zombie preparedness, adult play, urban resilience, wayfinding, public health simulation, mayorto. 1. Introduction The zombie genre has long served as a metaphor for pandemic response, social collapse, and herd mentality (Brooks, 2003; CDC, 2011). However, the “Escape From Zombie U” series operationalizes this metaphor into a physical, timed, cooperative challenge. Version 2024-10-15, designated “Adult Escape,” deliberately removed child participants to study unmediated adult behavior under non-lethal duress. | Archetype | % of cohort | Mean
Operation I: Adult Escape From Zombie U -v2024-10-15- -mayorto- Subtitle: A Case Study in Experiential Learning, Urban Wayfinding, and Public Health Messaging Under Duress Document ID: v2024-10-15-mayorto Date of Simulation: October 15, 2024 Author: Mayor’s Office of Strategic Urban Resilience (mayorto) Abstract Background: The annual “Escape From Zombie U” event, version 2024-10-15, represents a unique intersection of adult play, civic preparedness, and cognitive stress testing. This paper analyzes the “Adult Escape” iteration, focusing on how adult participants (N=150, ages 25–60) navigated a simulated zombie outbreak across the University of U’s urban campus. The exercise, codenamed “Operation I,” aimed to assess real-time decision-making, resource allocation, and inter-group communication under a low-mortality but high-stress fictional scenario. The scenario included 12 “infection” checkpoints
Mixed-method evaluation: pre/post-surveys (Likert scales on self-efficacy, map reading, cooperative behavior), GPS tracking of escape routes, and facilitator-led debriefings. The scenario included 12 “infection” checkpoints, 3 safe zones, and a dynamic “horde” timing mechanic.