Climate change video game

Concept

The primary objectives of global warming games are threefold:

1. To develop the player's familiarity and knowledge of the issue of global warming and related issues
2. To make the player aware of the challenges and obstacles that are faced when addressing global warming
3. Occasionally, the games encourage players to develop ideas and solutions to global warming

The first objective is universal to global warming games. The issues surrounding global warming commonly included are emissions and the emission of other greenhouse gases, the melting of the polar ice caps, sea-level rise, natural disasters and massive changes to lifestyles caused by global warming. Games that do not go beyond the objective of knowledge and familiarity tend to be designed for younger audiences. Games designed for young children often only have the goal to engage the children enough to excite their attention to focus on these basic concepts.

The second objective is integrated into games in a variety of ways. Sometimes demonstrating the challenges of confronting global warming are put directly into the style of gameplay, e.g. to demonstrate the difficulty of international cooperation, players are made to represent different countries and are required to negotiate to fulfill game objectives. Other times, the game includes the challenges as a part of the mechanics, e.g. building 'green factories' is more expensive than building 'black factories.'

The final objective is shared by the most interactive and engaging global warming games. Developing solutions to global warming includes two major types of response: mitigation of emissions and global warming's effects, and adaptation to live sustainably in a new climate. Typically players are given a variety of different options so that they may come up with a number of different creative solutions. Sometimes players are even allowed freedom to create their own unique options to integrate into their strategy.

Design

Climate change games can be differentiated from other games that depict climate change for entertainment. As a type of serious game, climate change games often engage players with action-oriented goals and explicit challenges relating to the environment to encourage feedback and learning.

Impact

Climate change games have been identified as a useful educational tool. Meya & Eisenack identified a climate change game as a useful source of experiential learning, with a positive association with student views on political and international co-operation to address climate change. Pfirman et al. observed a game to have higher engagement and as effective in teaching and assessing content on climate change as reading an illustrated article.

However, more work is needed to confirm the extent of the impact of climate change games to broader audiences. Kwok notes that educational games may have a bias as they attract players that are already informed and concerned about climate change. Razali et al. have also observed that many climate change games are small and lack the sophistication to inform players on more complex aspects of climate change, such as the carbon cycle.

History

Climate change games were initially categorized as a subset of simulation video games relating to political and environmental issues. Ulrich identified 31 titles in 1997, with most games intended to instruct a professional or educational audience. A 2013 review by Reckien & Eisenack observed that the number and sophistication of climate change games accelerated in the late 2000s.

Notable examples

''Act to Adapt''

Act to Adapt,{{cite web |url=https://www.climatecentre.org/games/2541/act-to-adapt/ |access-date=2023-08-12 |access-date=2023-08-14 |access-date=2023-08-12 |access-date=2023-08-12 |access-date=2023-08-12 |access-date=2023-08-12

''Adaptation''

Adaptation{{cite web |url=https://www.adaptationscotland.org.uk/how-adapt/tools-and-resources/adaptation-board-game |access-date=2023-08-12 |access-date=2023-08-12

''Cantor's World''

Cantor's World,{{cite web |url=http://fieldsofview.in/projects/cantors-world/ |access-date=2023-08-17 |access-date=2023-08-17 |access-date=2023-08-17 |access-date=2023-08-17 |access-date=2023-08-17

As of 2023, this game is only available through universities.{{cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/unesco-wants-to-promote-peace-and-sustainability-through-mobile-games/

''Carbon City Zero''

Carbon City Zero is a global warming game published by the climate action charity Possible in January 2021.The game is a collaborative deck-building card game for 1–4 people in which players take on the role of city mayors working to develop sustainable cities by greening transport, transforming industries, and getting their citizens on board. Since its release on Kickstarter, the game has been made available as a free print-and-play download via PnP Arcade and as an online game on Tabletopia.

''Climate Action Simulation''

Climate Action Simulation{{cite web |url=https://www.climateinteractive.org/climate-action-simulation/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |access-date=2023-08-04 |access-date=2023-08-04 |access-date=2023-08-04

''Climate Adaptation Game''

Climate Adaptation Game{{cite web |url=https://www.smhi.se/en/climate/education/adaptation-game-1.153788 |access-date=2023-08-12 |access-date=2023-08-12 |access-date=2023-08-12

Climate Challenge

Main article: Climate Challenge

Climate Challenge is a Flash-based simulation game produced by the BBC and developed by Red Redemption Ltd. Players manage the economy and resources of the 'European Nations' as its president, while reducing emissions of to combat climate change and managing crises. Climate Challenge is an environmental serious game, designed to give players an understanding of the science behind climate change, as well as the options available to policy makers and the difficulties in their implementation.

''Coral Bleaching''

Coral Bleaching{{cite web |url=https://climatekids.nasa.gov/coral-bleaching/ |title=Coral Bleaching |access-date=2023-08-12

''Crabby's Reef''

Crabby's Reef{{cite web |url=https://seriousgeogames.itch.io/crabbys-reef |title=Crabby's Reef |access-date=2023-08-16 |access-date=2023-08-16

''Cranky Uncle''

The Cranky Uncle game{{cite web |url=https://crankyuncle.com/game/ |access-date=2023-08-02

CrowdWater game

CrowdWater game{{cite web |url=https://crowdwater.ch/en/app-2/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |article-number=e0222579 |doi-access=free |access-date=2023-08-04

Software company SPOTTERON developed and maintains the app and handles legal aspects of collecting such data.

''Dissolving Disasters''

Dissolving Disasters{{cite web |url=https://www.climatecentre.org/games/2516/dissolving-disasters/ |access-date=2023-08-12 |access-date=2023-08-12 |access-date=2023-08-12 |access-date=2023-08-12

''EcoChains''

EcoChains,{{cite web|title=EcoChains: Arctic Life Game| url=https://ecochainsgame.com/ |website=Climate Law: A Sabin Center Blog |publisher=Climate Law Blog |access-date=24 August 2023 |date=13 October 2015}} a board game designed by Joey J. Lee and Stephanie Pfirman and published by Jogolabs, requires players to use action cards to prevent climate change from destroying Arctic food chains.

''Energy Transition'' ''Game''

The Energy Transition Game, intended for a wide range of stakeholders, from financial institutions and government officials to non-government organizations and community members, takes players through the process of developing a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy in spite of resistance against such change.

''Fate of the World''

Main article: Fate of the World

Fate of the World is a 2011 Microsoft Windows and Mac OS game developed and published by Red Redemption, the developers of Climate Challenge. It focuses on global governance, with goals ranging from improving living conditions in Africa, to preventing catastrophic climate change, to exacerbating it. It is based around an intricate model of populations, economic production and greenhouse emissions based on real-world data.

''Flower''

Main article: Flower (video game)

Flower is a video game developed by Thatgamecompany and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was designed by Jenova Chen and Nicholas Clark and was released in February 2009 on the PlayStation 3, via the PlayStation Network. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of the game were ported by Bluepoint Games and released in November 2013. An iOS version was released in September 2017, and a Windows version was released in February 2019, both published by Annapurna Interactive. The game was intended as a "spiritual successor" to Flow, a previous title by Chen and Thatgamecompany. In Flower, the player controls the wind, blowing a flower petal through the air using the movement of the game controller. Flying close to flowers results in the player's petal being followed by other flower petals. Approaching flowers may also have side-effects on the game world, such as bringing vibrant color to previously dead fields or activating stationary wind turbines. The game features no text or dialogue, forming a narrative arc primarily through visual representation and emotional cues.

Flower was primarily intended to arouse positive emotions in the player, rather than to be a challenging and "fun" game. This focus was sparked by Chen, who felt that the primary purpose of entertainment products like video games was the feelings that they evoked in the audience and that the emotional range of most games was very limited. The team viewed their efforts as creating a work of art, removing gameplay elements and mechanics that were not provoking the desired response in the players. The music, composed by Vincent Diamante, dynamically responds to the player's actions and corresponds with the emotional cues in the game. Flower was a critical success, to the surprise of the developers. Reviewers praised the game's music, visuals, and gameplay, calling it a unique and compelling emotional experience. It was named the "best independent game of 2009" at the Spike Video Game Awards, and won the "Casual Game of the Year" award by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

''Gender and Climate Game''

Gender and Climate Game{{cite web |url=https://www.climatecentre.org/games/2510/gender-and-climate-game/ |access-date=2023-08-12

The game was developed with support from the American Red Cross (International Services Team), and from a research grant to the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN Action Lab Innovation Fund).

''Go Goals!''

Go Goals!,{{cite web |access-date=2023-08-22 |access-date=2023-08-17 |access-date=2023-08-17

''Greenhouse Gas Game''

The Greenhouse Gas Game{{cite web |url=https://www.climatecentre.org/games/2508/greenhouse-gas-game/ |access-date=2023-08-14

''Invest in the Future''

Invest in the Future,{{cite web |url=https://www.climatecentre.org/games/2506/invest-in-the-future/ |access-date=2023-08-14 |access-date=2023-08-14 |access-date=2023-08-14

''Keep Cool''

Main article: Keep Cool (board game)

Keep Cool is a board game created by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and published by the German company Spieltrieb in November 2004. Up to six players representing the world's countries compete to balance their own economic interests and the world's climate in a game of negotiation. The goal of the game as stated by the authors is to "promote the general knowledge on climate change and the understanding of difficulties and obstacles, and "to make it available for a board game and still retain the major elements and processes." A quantitative-empirical study with more than 200 students shows that Keep Cool facilitates experimental learning about climate change and helps "to develop individual beliefs about sustainable development by experiencing complex system dynamics that are not tangible in everyday life."

''LogiCity''

LogiCity is an interactive Flash-based virtual-reality based computer game, produced by Logicom and the National Energy Foundation, an English charity. The game is set in a 3D virtual city with five main activities where players are set the task of reducing the carbon footprint of an average resident. At the end of the game they are taken forward to 2066 to see if they have done enough to save England from the worst problems associated with global climate change. The game's conclusion and focus on 2066 is designed to bring home to players the reality of the changes they may face in their lifetime. In response to low interest in the game, there was an online discussion about revamping the game to make the game and players larger.

The game was created as part of Defra's (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Climate Challenge programme to increase public awareness of Climate Change across the country. The National Energy Foundation, Logicom and British Gas also provided support to the game's development. LogiCity is designed to be used both by individuals and in an educational context. It is stated to be suitable for most children from the ages of 10 or 11 upward (English KS3+), although the main target group is young adults aged 16–26.

''Master that Disaster''

Master that Disaster{{cite web |url=https://www.climatecentre.org/games/2503/master-that-disaster/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |access-date=2023-08-15 |access-date=2023-08-15

''Minions of Disruption''

In the board game Minions of Disruption,{{cite web |url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/322718/minions-disruptions-collaborative-climate-game-org |title=Minions of Disruption |access-date=2023-08-10 |access-date=2023-08-10

''New Shores: a Game for Democracy''

New Shores: a Game for Democracy, developed by the Centre for Systems Solutions (CRS), sets players on an imaginary island with a lush forest canopy over useful coal deposits that could improve the island's economy. They can either collaborate democratically to achieve the best outcome for all, or serve their own needs, disregarding the welfare of the rest of the island's inhabitants with attendant consequences.

''Paying for Predictions''

Support for developing the Paying for Predictions game{{cite web |url=https://www.climatecentre.org/games/2501/paying-for-predictions/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |access-date=2023-08-15 |access-date=2023-08-15

The game is intended for a range of professions: disaster managers, volunteers, branch officers, meteorological service authorities, donors, etc.

PHUSICOS NBS simulation

The PHUSICOS NBS (Nature Based Solutions) simulation was created by the Centre for Systems Solutions (CRS) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) with funding from European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The game is intended for a variety of users, including educators, sustainability experts, public administrators, and members of local communities, and it simulates how nature-based solutions may be developed by stakeholders with varying interests and worldviews. Role playing requires players to consider climate change issues from other stakeholder's viewpoints.

''Ready''

Ready,{{cite web |url=https://www.climatecentre.org/games/2499/race-for-risk-reduction/ |access-date=2023-08-15

''Rescue Polar Bears''

Rescue Polar Bears{{cite web |url= https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/205544/rescue-polar-bears |title=Rescue Polar Bears |access-date=2023-08-10

''Shocks and Shields''

Shocks and Shields{{cite web |url=https://www.climatecentre.org/games/2491/shocks-and-shields/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |access-date=2023-08-15 |access-date=2023-08-15

''Stabilization Wedge Game''

Main article: Stabilization Wedge Game

The Stabilization Wedge Game, or what is commonly referred to as simply the "wedge game", is a serious game produced by Princeton University's Carbon Mitigation Initiative. The goal of the game creators, Stephen W. Pacala and Robert H. Socolow, is to demonstrate that global warming is a problem which can be solved by implementing today's technologies to reduce emissions. The object of the game is to keep the next fifty years of emissions flat, using seven wedges from a variety of different strategies which fit into the stabilization triangle.

''Survive the Century''

Survive the Century{{cite web |url= https://survivethecentury.net/ |title=Survive the Century |access-date=2023-08-04 |access-date=2023-08-04 |access-date=2023-08-04

''The 30-Day Minimalism Game''

Developed by The Minimalists Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, The 30-Day Minimalism Game{{cite web|url=https://www.theminimalists.com/game/ |title=The 30-Day Minimalism Game |access-date=2023-08-10

''The Climate Game''

Created by The Financial Times{{cite web |url= https://www.ft.com/ |title=The Financial Times |access-date=2023-08-10 |access-date=2023-08-10 |access-date=2023-08-10

The game's questions follow the three pathways the IEA's World Energy Outlook 2021 report used for cutting emissions, and they relate to electricity, transport, buildings and industry: the four sectors principally responsible for energy-related CO2 emissions.{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/6c405e69-a7da-4a36-a3eb-ff3e5aecc60f |title=How we made the FT Climate Game |newspaper=Financial Times |date=21 April 2022 |access-date=2023-08-10

''The Road to 10 Gigatons''

Developed by Max Pisciotta, Cassandra Xia and John Sanchez, The Road to 10 Gigatons{{cite web |access-date=2023-08-10

''The World's Future''

The World's Future, developed by the Centre for Systems Solutions (CRS) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), is a card-driven board game intended for everyone from public administrators and members of non-governmental organizations to youths. Players consider tradeoffs, such as whether it is possible to provide food for all without exceeding the boundaries of natural ecosystems, or how we might increase climate change mitigation while generating enough energy to meet everyone's basic essential needs.

''Urban Climate Architect''

Urban Climate Architect, created by the Hamburg University Cluster of Excellence CliSAP, is an online climate game specific to the challenges of urban settings. Players can develop the city, adding buildings for residence, commerce and industry as well as natural spaces like parks and ponds while noting the effects such changes have on the city's climate.

''World Climate Simulation''

The World Climate Simulation game from Climate Interactive,{{cite web |url= https://www.climateinteractive.org/ |title=Climate Interactive |access-date=2023-08-08 |access-date=2023-08-08 |access-date=2023-08-08 |access-date=2023-08-08

Xbox 360 Games for Change Challenge

The Xbox 360 Games for Change Challenge is a collaborative effort between Microsoft and Games for Change (G4C), a subgroup of the Serious Games Initiative. The challenge is a worldwide competition to develop a global warming game with Microsoft's XNA Game Studio Express software. Winners will be awarded scholarships from Games for Change and Microsoft, and the winning games will have the possibility of being available for download on the Xbox Live Arcade service. The Xbox 360 Games for Change Challenge has been cast by Microsoft as a "socially-minded" initiative, joining the larger serious games movement. Suzanne Seggerman, a co-founder of Games for Change, shared these comments in a radio interview:

References

References

1. (2021-06-01). "Gamification for climate change engagement: review of corpus and future agenda". Environmental Research Letters.
2. (2021). "Game-based Climate Change Engagement: Analyzing the Potential of Entertainment and Serious Games".
3. (2018). "Effectiveness of gaming for communicating and teaching climate change". Climatic Change.
4. (2021). ""Stickier" learning through gameplay: An effective approach to climate change education". Journal of Geoscience Education.
5. Kwok, Roberta. (2019). "Can climate change games boost public understanding?". PNAS.
6. (2022). "Identifying and validating game design elements in serious game guideline for climate change". Heliyon.
7. Ulrich, Markus. (1997). "Games/Simulations About Environmental Issues: Existing Tools and Underlying Concepts".
8. (2013). "Climate Change Gaming on Board and Screen: A Review". Simulation & Gaming.
9. "Carbon City Zero".
10. Styles, Christopher. (2021-02-15). "Carbon Countdown - Using games to recontextualise "wicked problems".".
11. "Carbon City Zero".
12. "Carbon City Zero: World Edition".
13. "Climate Interactive".
14. "Climate Challenge". BBC.
15. (7 Dec 2019). "Cranky Uncle game takes on climate crisis denial and fake news". Guardian News & Media Limited.
16. (October 2018). "An overview of serious games for disaster risk management – Prospects and limitations for informing actions to arrest increasing risk". International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.
17. (17 June 2022). "Introducing Jogo Labs".
18. "Energy Transition Game". Centre for Systems Solutions - CRS.
19. (2019). "Facilitating sustainability transition through serious games: A systematic literature review". Journal of Cleaner Production.
20. Red Redemption. (28 February 2011). "Fate of the World: Real Science. Real Consequences".
21. Jack Arnott. (31 October 2010). "Fate of the World - review". The Guardian.
22. (January 2021). "Games on Climate Change: Identifying Development Potentials through Advanced Classification and Game Characteristics Mapping". Sustainability.
23. (5 April 2020). "'Go Goals' family board game to learn about Sustainable Development". United Nations.
24. (27 March 2021). "Simulation Gaming Through Times and Disciplines". Springer.
25. Eisenack, Klaus. "The Authors: Science and Games".
26. (August 2018). "Effectiveness of gaming for communicating and teaching climate change". Climatic Change.
27. "Climate Change in a Virtual World".
28. "LogiCity: Will You Survive?". [[National Energy Foundation]].
29. "Logicity Revamp / Logicity 2.0?". Mouse Hat Games.
30. "Climate Challenge Project". [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
31. Simonite, Tom. (2007-11-15). "Climate change in a virtual world".
32. "New Shores; A simulation for climate and democracy". Centre for Systems Solutions (CRS).
33. "Nauru Game: For Active Citizenship of Youth". Cyprus Interaction Lab.
34. "Centre for Systems Solutions - CRS".
35. "Games for a New Climate: Experiencing the Complexity of Future Risks". Boston University.
36. (June 9, 2023). "The Phusicos NBS Simulation".
37. "Learn more about our organization".
38. https://iiasa.ac.at/ {{Bare URL inline. (August 2024)
39. (8 October 2018). "Shocks and shields". United Nations.
40. Pacala and Socolow, Stephen and Robert. (2004-08-13). "Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years with Current Technologies". [[Science (journal).
41. (22 May 2021). "Online game 'Survive the Century' shows ordinary people what they can do about climate change". South China Morning Post.
42. "The World's Future". Centre for Systems Solutions.
43. "A RECIPE for Teaching the Sustainable Development Goals". h International Conference on Computers in Education.
44. "Centre for Systems Solutions".
45. "International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)".
46. "The urban climate architect". Universität Hamburg.
47. (January 2022). "Identifying and validating game design elements in serious game guideline for climate change". Heliyon.
48. "Clusters of Excellence".
49. "World Climate Simulation".
50. (9 January 2014). "WORLD CLIMATE: A Role-Play Simulation of Climate Negotiations". Simulation & Gaming.
51. (2007-06-11). "Xbox 360 Games for Change Challenge". Microsoft.
52. Gellerman, Bruce. (2007-06-22). "Global Warming Games". [[Living on Earth]].