Simulations in the Minetest video game (Luanti) for sustainable development themes

Abstract. Since 2016, IGN France has offered a web service that allows users to generate worlds in the format of the sandbox video games Minecraft or Minetest (now renamed Luanti), which contain geographical data (relief, land use, hydrography, roads, buildings, etc.) on any location in France and around the world. With these playable worlds describing the territory of an existing location, the IGN has added functions to Minetest that enable simulations of physical phenomena to be carried out, to raise awareness of sustainable development issues. This article presents two types of simulation tool (flooding and photovoltaic energy) and compares the results obtained with real phenomena observed in reality.