The world today has grown increasingly tense on the climate crisis front, with the urgency of environmental issues becoming more and more prominent. The always-expanding world of video games has provided plenty of entertainment that has emphasized green concerns over the years.
Some ofthese environmentally-focused gaming experienceshave managed to provide immersive experiences for players, while also helping to raise awareness of climate-related problems. Such games often encourage players to consider more sustainable practices, confront environmental problems, and appreciate the interconnection of the natural world and human communities. At their best, these types of games can help to increase both a greater appreciation for the planet at large, and a general sense of shared responsibility for its well-being.
This eclectic city-builder has abit of something for everyonein its gameplay. On top of the city-building, it also serves as a rewarding economic simulator, and provides some surprising real-time strategy action as well.
As the title suggests, the game is set in the future, and sees players having to work on fostering and maintaining sustainable societies both on Earth and, eventually, all the way to the moon. The game’s sense of expansion and accomplishment make it a rewarding experience. Once players have progressed enough on Earth, they can begin putting togetherthe budgeting for moon expeditions. It makes for a thought-provoking game that heavily emphasizes resource and financial management. Through the use of futuristic technology and the maintenance of ecological balance, gamers can enjoy an effective meditation on the importance of protecting the planet’s natural resources.
A Bizarre, Land-Consuming Experience
Donut County
Donut County is a story-based physics puzzle game where you play as an ever-growing hole in the ground. Meet cute characters, steal their trash, and throw them in a hole.Raccoons have taken over Donut County with remote-controlled trash-stealing holes. You play as BK, a hole-driving raccoon who swallows up his friends and their homes to earn idiotic prizes. Trash is treasure! But when BK falls into one of his own holes, he’s confronted by his best friend Mira and the residents of Donut County, who are all stuck 999 feet underground… and they demand answers!Why does the hole keep growing?Explore every character’s home, each with their own unique environment. Move the hole to swallow up their stuff, growing bigger each time. Combine objects inside for crazy effects: cook soup, breed bunnies, launch fireworks, and more. Catapult things back out of the hole. You can use it to solve puzzles…or just destroy stuff. Devour everything.The hole won’t stop until the whole county is all gone.
InDonut County,gamerstake on the role of a holethat just keeps on growing. As it expands and deepens, it begins to swallow up objects from the world around it.
While this sounds simple at a glance, the game is more complex than expected. It emphasizes maneuvering the holeto strategically set upengulfing the environment in each level. When water gets involved, players must be especially cautious, moving the hole to drain the area and get to the objects that need to be consumed. A light bit of silly fun at a glance,Donut Countycarries a message of environmental ownership by covering themes such as waste, consumption, and the impact of human involvement on the natural world.
This surprisingly ambitious life simulation game takes players on an epic ride, starting with the beginning of a species. From single-celled organisms up to breathing mammals, players get to create their own lifeforms.
Along withthe concept of life creation,Sporeprovides an interesting blend of real-time strategy, procedural generation, and RPG elements. The life-development can move into futuristic fare. Players can develop their species to the point of high-tech space travel, making this one of the most ambitious simulation games ever developed. The various stages of life offer thoughtful meditations on environmental welfare and synergy, as the lives developed expand and multiply.Sporeis one of the most thought-provoking, endlessly playable games out there.
As the title suggests, thisSkylinesexpansion encourages players to develop environmentally friendly cities. To do so, players must implement sustainable urban planning, tackle pollution, and, of course, emphasize the use of renewable energy resources. The game’s main thematic purpose is environmental awareness.Successful elements of city-buildinginclude prioritizing sustainable infrastructure and balancing the demands of an ever-growing population.
By highlighting the importance of environment conservation, the game encourages players to think critically about the environmental impact that urban development can have. Providing players with plenty of tools to develop environmentally-conscious cities,Green Citiesisa fun city-building experience.
This ambitious world-building simulation challenges playersto develop an entire civilization. On top of that, players must prepare for an impending asteroid strike that coulddestroy the whole planetif it is not stopped.
Players must strike a balance between building the technology needed to prevent the asteroid from hitting, and maintaining a healthy environment. This forces players to act carefully when it comes to resource management. Balanced diets and food consumption also come into play. Gamers must consider the health of their citizens, while considering the state of the surrounding land.Ecofunctions as a planet-saver on two levels. Eco-conscious development functions alongside the more dramatic impending asteroid collision, providing players with an expansive gameplay experience.
