How board games can get people involved in climate action
How board games can get people involved in climate action
How board games can get people involved in climate action
By Sam Illingworth
August 1, 2023
Summary
Climate crisis games pull you into possible futures where our real-life choices shape our current and future climate.
Board games like the soon-to-be-launched Daybreak, and CO₂: Second Chance and card game Tipping Point introduce players to the effects of the climate crisis, forcing them to adapt their strategies to survive and thrive.
My work in designing games such as Carbon City Zero and Catan: Global Warming has provided me with valuable insights into the power of games as tools for communication and education.
While digital and online games such as Horizon: Forbidden West and Terra Nil are also a powerful way of generating conversations about the climate crisis, the very act of getting around a table to play tabletop games means they create a more immediate opportunity for actually talking and collaborating.
Through these experiences, I've seen firsthand how games can inspire players to learn about the climate crisis and motivate them to act.
Games can serve as a potent tool for instilling the notion of taking effective action when it comes to climate issues.
By exploring these fast-approaching realities, games can motivate players to come up with real-world climate solutions, and to really think about how personal and collective actions can contribute.
Reference
Illingworth, S. (2023, August 1). How board games can get people involved in climate action. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/how-board-games-can-get-people-involved-in-climate-action-209707