UC Digital Futures and Cincinnati Fire Museum launch educational video game

The ideas for Fire Escape were sparked by D'Arcy Smith, Director of the Digital Performance Lab and CCM Professor of Voice and Acting. After spending seven years coaching performers on AAA video games, Smith wanted to channel his expertise into a tool designed to help kids.

"Most of games I've worked on are military simulation games," he said "I wanted to build something that helped kids and used gameplay to teach them how to be safe."

Inspired by visits to the Cincinnati Fire Museum with his own children, Smith sought to create a resource that could support the museum's educational mission while addressing reductions in school fire safety visits caused by budget cuts.

Fire Escape was developed by UC IT student Tyler McCall who served as the game's sole developer. Using Unreal Engine, McCall designed the game world, mechanics, dialogue system and character animations. He collaborated closely with Smith, UC Digital Features researchers and the Cincinnati Fire Museum to ensure the game balanced engagement with accurate safety practices.

“There is a delicate balance between being fun and being educational," McCall said. "If the game is too dramatic or unrealistic, it could unintentionally teach unsafe choices. If it's too instructional, kids won't stay engaged."

The game was truly a collaborative project including professional voice acting provided by CCM acting students, allowing young players to hear instructions and story elements aloud, making the game more immersive and accessible. Dr. Shane Halse and Digital Futures Center for Immersive and Spatial Computing (DF-CISC) provided mentorship, guidance and equipment to McCall during development, and the Esports Lab in UC's 1819 Innovation Hub provided gameplay testing and feedback.

For Sarah Strickland, Executive Director of the Cincinnati Fire Museum, the partnership strengthens the museum's mission. "Children learn differently today," she said. "Interactive experiences supported by technology are often the most effective. A video game kids where they are and helps essential safety information stick."

Strickland believes Fire Escape will be a valuable tool for teachers facing fewer in-person firefighter visits. She also anticipates families and community organizations using the game to reinforce safe decision-making at home or during field trips.

Fire safety remains a pressing concern nationwide. Each day, at least one child dies in a home fire and hundreds more are injured. Smith hopes this project helps shift those statistics. "Maybe we can have some fun and save some lives in the process," he said. "This is a chance for us to solve problems that matter."

Fire Escape has just recently been installed at the Cincinnati Fire Museum where visitors can play the game. Later this year will be available for download so that educators can use it for free. The game will be released on https://itch.io and can be downloaded and installed on a PC computer.