Ruination: City of Dust

“Contemporary environmental science informs the sci-fi narrative, while elements of art intertwine with physical and mental challenges.”

Ruination: City of Dust

On October 18 and 19, 2014, nearly 400 people time traveled to the year 2314 to explore the ruins of Minneapolis, a city abandoned and covered in dust. Teams of explorers braved the harsh conditions to dig the ruins, searching for answers about which of six Deadly Problems brought the city to its final ruination.

Ruination: City of Dust is a multiplayer mystery game played on bicycles, using the landscape of Lake Nokomis and Minnehaha Creek as a game board. Contemporary environmental science informs the sci-fi narrative, while elements of art intertwine with physical and mental challenges.

Statistics from the game:

Explorers who entered the dust-laden future terrain: 380, in 86 teams
Minimum number of deadly problems: 6
Boron particles (bouncy balls) retrieved and contained: 91,200
Pounds of carp consumed: 12
Plastic bags in the Nokodust Gyre: 312
Precious water vials earned and spent by explorers: 1800+
Dustbasin rovers lost to the quick dust: 0
Old power plants set afire by flaming dungballs: 0
Performers: 16
Contributing artists and designers: 11
Volunteers: 33
Explorers who broke a limb before the event and played remotely: At least 1
Bike tires used in installations: 70
Watercolor postcards printed and mailed: 154
Varieties of seeds vended: 12
Types of garden herbs tasted: 4
Number of bees harmed: 0
Pounds of sand used in installations: 2,600
New organizations to follow on social media: 2

You can visit the Ruination website at ruination.mn. Take a look at photos from the event on our Flickr page, and upload your own photos to our Flickr pool. Updates about the game are posted on our Facebook page. You can find out about future events like this by following Northern Lights and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District on Facebook, or by subscribing to the NL and MCWD newsletters.

Credits

Ruination: City of Dust is produced and presented by Northern Lights.mn in collaboration with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and game designer Ken Eklund, in partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Support for Ruination: City of Dust comes from a Bush Foundation Community Innovation Grant.

Ken Eklund: Game Designer
Erin Lavelle: Art Director
Tim Cronin Hnilicka and Jeff Hnilicka: Graphic Design
Dusty Hoskovec: Photography
Hal Lovemelt and Hamil Griffin-Cassidy: Video Production

Digs and Challenges

Molly Balcom Raleigh:Invasive Species Edible Art
Tony Chapin: Echo Trace Markers and Stenciling Assistance
Neal Cuthbert: iPad Holsters

Understory

Jake Davis: Understory Sound Design
Michael Murnane: Understory Lighting Design
Rehm Design Team: Understory Well Design

Performers

Parker Anderson-Genne: Nokodust Gyre Challenger
Windy Bowlsby: Dungballs of Doom Challenger
Molly Budke: Understory Cyborg
Beverly Cottman: Video Narrator
Gaea Dill-D’Ascoli: “Zar,” Bushwhack Alley Challenger (Lake Nokomis)
Lauren Fechner: Reactor Pool Breach Challenger
Katherine Glover: Nokodust Gyre Challenger
Karin Haase: Understory Beekeeper
John Heimbuch: Understory Cyborg
Soozin Hirschmugl: Cryptoglyph Cafe Challenger
Damian Johnson: Video Narrator
Ted Klyce: Live Echo Trace Farmer
Thalia Bea Kostman: Dungballs of Doom Challenger
Emily Lund: Understory Gardener
Peter Rusk: Understory EcoHank
Breanna Schneidewent: “Raz,” Bushwhack Alley Challenger (Minnehaha Falls)
Natalie Wass: Understory Community Organizer/Survey Taker

Links

Flickr