We live in a time in which the effects of climate change are becoming more visible and severe. That’s why being aware is important now more than ever. Spreading awareness is crucial for two main reasons. It creates understanding and invites action.
Why is it important to spread awareness of climate change?
First, even a basic understanding of climate change can make the issue more clear and relevant to people. This is important because it isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s a much wider problem that affects everything and everyone in the world. Climate change already causes more severe weather, rising sea levels, and changes in nature. This damages economies, destroys property, harms public health, and threatens food security.
Playing for the Planet: Games That Grow a Greener World
We live in a time in which the effects of climate change are becoming more visible and severe. That’s why being aware is important now more than ever. Spreading awareness is crucial for two main reasons. It creates understanding and invites action.
Second, awareness is the driving force behind action. When people know about climate change they can make informed choices. They are more likely to make environmentally conscious decisions and support sustainable practices. Awareness also helps shape public opinion which pushes governments and companies to prioritise sustainability.
How games can make people environmentally aware
Gaming has become a big part of modern life, especially in recent years. A 2023 statistic shows how popular gaming has gotten: about 40% of people globally are online gamers. It’s also interesting to note that most video game sales these days are happening online.
The huge popularity of gaming, together with its online connectivity opens up a world of possibilities. For example, games can be used to educate on important topics and allow people to engage with them.
By immersing you into their world, games help you understand complex ideas. They break down big concepts into something you can understand. This is done through storytelling, narrative, worldbuilding, and game mechanics. You can make your own decisions, giving you a feel for the consequences of different choices. As a player, you’re encouraged to get involved and solve problems, which is a big part of learning.
There’s new research that proves that gaming is an invaluable learning tool. Here are a few reasons why that is:
Narrative and Context: Games provide a strong and engaging narrative, which is vital for learning. The narrative creates a context that helps connect new information to what we already know. This makes the experience more memorable and meaningful.
Motivation and Emotional Engagement: Games use storytelling, challenges, and rewards to trigger emotions. Emotions tie to a person’s motivation which makes learning have a bigger impact.
Freedom to Make Mistakes: Games provide a safe environment for players to make and learn from mistakes. This encourages experimentation and exploration without fear of real-world consequences.
Independent Decision-Making: Games encourage players to become independent decision-makers. This is important for learning, as it builds curiosity and problem-solving skills.
Okay, by now you already know how popular online gaming has become. You also learned how games provide an effective way of learning. So it shouldn’t surprise you that they can be used to educate a huge number of people on issues like climate change. This can start the conversation in a big way and make people more environmentally aware.
A game with a (not so ) hypothetical scenario
Eco Empires: Battle for the Earth is an online strategy game that explores the very real possibility of climate change running wild.
In the near future, Earth is on the brink of collapse due to climate change and the depletion of resources. Major civilizations have fallen. Survivors, set back centuries in progress, gather in small, isolated communities. From these conditions, three tribes emerge. The Frozen Vanguard, The Stormbringers, and The Waterborne.
Each fights for dominance over the world but shares a common goal with the others: to save the planet and honor nature.
As the leader of your chosen tribe, you face a difficult task. You have to guide and protect your people while rebuilding and growing your village.
But there’s a catch…
You have to balance your expansion with preserving the environment. Some actions have a carbon footprint which means they produce carbon dioxide (CO2). These endanger the already fragile ecosystem. To counteract this, you’ll need to plant trees to absorb the CO2 emissions.
Your empire’s growth brings more resources, allowing you to absorb more CO2. However, expansion requires land and since you’re not alone, you will have to compete with other leaders for it. This requires you to come up with strategies against them. While you fight for your empire’s survival and dominance, you also have to preserve the planet and its resources.
The goal is to build the world’s most successful and eco-friendly empire and absorb the most CO2.
Alright, we covered the game’s basics and plot so let’s do a recap:
Medieval fantasy setting? Check.
Surviving a climate catastrophe? Check.
Getting players to make environmentally conscious decisions? Check.
It’s a strategy game that promotes sustainability and wraps it up in a medieval fantasy package.
And this would be a pretty good summary of the game…if it didn’t hide many more surprises in its metaphorical sleeve.
So far this is only the tip of the (Frozen Vanguard) iceberg.
What gives Eco Empires its special sauce?
Eco Empires is a shared experience that focuses on competitive, as well as cooperative play.
Not only do you have to compete with others for lands and resources but you can also cooperate with them too. The game has a guild system that lets you form alliances and cooperate with other players. This means you can play with or against your friends and see who can build the biggest empire.
There’s also a global leaderboard that shows how players rank against one another. Since every empire has to be carbon-neutral by default, the top players are also masters of offsetting their CO2 emissions. This ties into a secret game mechanic that has an important real-world use. Remember that for later.
Speaking of other players, Eco Empires was made with the loving support of an awesome community of eco-minded blockchain enthusiasts. They’re active on Carbify’s Discord server and you can join them if you’re looking to meet like-minded people with whom to have fun. Once you pick an in-game faction, you can hop on your faction’s channel and join in the hijinx.
Engaging with the community and playing with friends make up a big part of the experience in Eco Empires, however, there’s one more important thing.
Arguably what the game is best at and that is…
Gamifying Sustainability
In Eco Empires, you’re not only tasked with building an empire, but you also have to do it in a way that’s good for the planet. You have to manage your resources and grow while also making sure your CO2 output doesn’t harm the environment. By playing, you learn about the importance of making environmentally conscious decisions.
But Eco Empires doesn’t only inform.
There is a secret hidden in its core game mechanic…
In the game, you need trees that absorb CO2 to expand. These trees have real-life counterparts in the Amazon that absorb CO2 emissions.
While you grow and prosper in the game you are also helping to fight climate change in the real world. This means…
You can have fun and help save the planet – at the same time!
Gamification is a powerful tool for driving change. That’s why we developed a game that allows players to offset their carbon footprint in a fun and interactive way.
The game weaves environmental awareness with actual climate action. It’s a clever blend of entertainment and education that gamifies sustainability.
Eco Empires: Battle for the Earth is an example of how gaming can be used to promote sustainability. It’s a fun experience that lets players see the consequences of their actions on the environment within the game’s world. As they work towards building a civilization that balances growth with CO2 neutrality, players learn about sustainability and the real-life challenges of reducing carbon emissions. Eco Empires shows how games can go beyond entertainment, creating understanding and inspiring involvement in environmental issues.
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