Games for Future
The man-made climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. In every domain, we're forced to question the status quo, and the gaming industry is no exception. On this wiki, we aim to tackle a fundamental question: How can we, as a sensitive and self-reflective community of independent game developers and academics, contribute to shaping a sustainable future for both our medium and our planet? Inspired by the positive utopias of solarpunk, we want to look into a hopeful future and discuss how games might play a positive part in it.
The wiki was part of the Seminar Games for Future v2: Solarpunk (Summer 2024), the Games for Future workshop at the A MAZE Festival(Berlin, 10.05.2024) and ongoing research.
Manifesto
Game Design
How can game design contribute?
- Unique impact potential What is the unique impact my game should have?
- Storytelling What stories can inspire us or help us rethink a better future?
- Mechanics - Empower Players How do we enable self-determined and humane play?
- Activism How can games change behavior in real life?
- Technology What use of technology enables sustainable play?
- Development How should the production of games change?
- Game Critic What is going wrong in game design and the game industry?
What is already happening?
- Climate Games Games that deal with climate crises, sustainability.
- Game Jams Game Jams that tackle the topic.
- Green Gaming Industry “Green” initiatives in the gaming industry.
Solarpunk
Solarpunk sees itself as a counter-movement to the dystopian view of cyberpunk. Through art, literature and media formats, it creates a utopia in which people live in harmony with nature and our planet's resources in a climate-neutral world. However, Solarpunk is more than just a naive vision of the future; it is a movement that focuses on local action and unites supporters from various fields such as design, environmental protection, agriculture, engineering, software development and open source. The vision of a sustainable future should not only be told, but also lived.
“We are solarpunks because optimism has been taken away from us and we are trying to take it back.” - solarpunk manifesto
More about Solarpunk …
Seminar
The Games for Future Wiki is part of the Games for Futures Seminars at BURG Giebichenstein University of Art & Design Halle.
2024
GAMES FOR FUTURE V2 - SOLARPUNK
In the seminar Games for Future v2: Solarpunk (Summer 2024) we explored the narratives and concepts of solarpunk and considered how we, as multimedia designers, can make a meaningful contribution to the discussion around climate change and sustainability. A special focus was placed on the medium of video games. Video games and interactive applications offer a unique opportunity to experience alternative future scenarios, raise awareness, and foster empathy. They can also encourage players to rethink and change existing behaviors through nudging and gamification. To get going we started with short 5 Minutes Inputs.
At the same time, it is important to promote critical reflection on the medium and mindful use of technology and resources within the entertainment industry. In the seminar, we examined open-source game technologies (Godot workshop and game jam 5R GameJam with Friedrich Hanisch from Rat King), engaged with futurists (Workshop with Mascha Schädlich from Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie, 16.4.2024, Zukunft für alle! (pdf)) and delved into solarpunk utopias ( Games for Future 2: Solarpunk, lecture by Pawel Ngei, 9.4.2024, vimeo). Additionally, a Solarpunk Games for Future Manifesto was created together with game designers at the A.MAZE Festival in Berlin.
The students results were presented at the annual exhibition of BURG.
Results: Student projects
2019/20
Seminar: Games for Future
Research
Related ideas ...
Future
Institutions, links and ideas for forecasting and thinking about the future: