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 weekend:

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.

Ruination: City of Dust is 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.

The Ruination Team

Northern Lights.mn
Steve Dietz, Artistic Director
Erin Lavelle, Ruination Art Director
Ady Olson, Projects Coordinator
Sarah Peters, Director of Public Engagement
Rachel Sear, Ruination Volunteer Coordinator
Alan Skamser-O’Neil, Ruination Producer

Minnehaha Creek Watershed District
Darren Lochner, Education Manager
Mollie Thompson, Education Specialist

WriterGuy
Ken Eklund, Game Designer