Devolver Digital’s upcoming reverse city builder Terra Nil, in which the player restores natural life in a devastated environment is just one of many new releases that discuss environmental issues. With growing concerns about climate change and humanity’s impact on the world, it’s not surprising that many upcoming games continue to explore these issues..
Since these issues have been recognized by some since the 1800s, all art forms, including video games, have a long history of incorporating environmental themes. Some of these games, such as the Sonic the hedgehog franchise, paying particular attention to these concerns.
Sid Meier’s Civilization (1991)
The original 1991 turn-based strategy game The Civilization of Sid Meier is often known for the genesis of the 4X genre, but this game was also one of the first to incorporate climate change into its gameplay. As players develop modern cities and technology, the resulting pollution can cause certain tiles to become damaged and unusable, and too many of these duds can lead to global warming.
Although the mechanics of climate change in Civilization II and III, the most recent episodes have sadly omitted it, although it came back in the DLC Civilization VI: Gathering Storm. While environmental issues are not the focus of these games, their significant incorporation in this and other old titles such as SimCity show that these concerns have always been strong in games, which has continued with other franchises such as the Horizon and failure.
We are the caretakers (2021)
Inspired by challenging turn-based strategy RPGs like xcom, We are the caretakers is an Afrofuturistic science fiction squad management RPG released in early access in 2021. Set in the fictional African nation of Shadra, the player manages squads of mysterious protectors known as Caretakers, who fight to protect the rhinoceros-like creatures called Raun from poachers.
In addition to being a fun and polished gameplay experience already, the game focuses not only on the importance of protecting the environment and the living things that inhabit it, but also on these issues from a non-western perspective. In addition to the morally gray battle around conservation, the game also has a direct impact on the real world by donating 10% of its revenue to the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Rhino Recovery Fund.
The Fate of the World (2011)
Developed by Red Redemption, who also created the 2006 game titled Climate challenge, the fate of the world is a 2011 turn-based strategy game in which the player controls a fictional global organization known as the GEO that is responsible for solving the world’s economic, social and environmental problems. With the money from different regions, the player can recruit agents that can be used to implement policies, which are represented by cards.
While the main focus of the game is on climate change, the experience also teaches how difficult it is to balance the Earth’s problems, as each policy has its own unintended consequences. For example, something that seems like an obvious solution to global warming could also lead to wars or financial ruin.
A New Beginning – Final Cut (2012)
Created by Daedalic Entertainment, currently working on the upcoming action-adventure game The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, A New Beginning – Final Cut is a point and click adventure game. As Earth’s ozone layer has been ruined due to catastrophic climate change, an approaching solar flare is about to wipe out the rest of humanity in two weeks, so a young woman named Fay is sent back in time to change the future.
In 1982, Finland, she meets a retired bioengineer named Bent Svensson, who may hold the key to this “new beginning,” but there’s also an energy tycoon who plans to use Bent’s research for his own financial gain. While the voice acting is extremely dry, the game makes up for it with its beautiful cartoonish art style and accessible gameplay mechanics.
Lumino City (2014)
Created as a sequel to the 2011 game lumen, Lumino City is an award-winning puzzle adventure game from 2014 in which the entire in-game world is handcrafted using paper, cardboard, miniature lights and motors, resulting in a 3 meter high model city. After Lumi’s grandfather is attacked and kidnapped by an intruder, Lumi heads to Lumino City to look for him.
With the help of Grandpa’s Handy Manual, Lumi must solve various point-and-click item puzzles to get through the city’s beautifully crafted locations. All locations use renewable energy technologies, which players can learn more about by solving the puzzles and reading about the mechanics in the Handy Manual.
Deliver Us the Moon (2019)
With the sequel Deliver us from Mars scheduled for release on September 27 this year, now is the perfect time to play the original 2019 award-winning story-focused puzzle adventure game Get us the moon. The World Space Agency is set in a near future where humanity has stripped Earth of its natural resources, discovered an energy source on the moon and established lunar colonies to process it.
While this worked for a while, humanity was once again put in dire conditions when Earth lost contact with the lunar colonies. As a last resort, they send the main character to the colonies to find out what happened and if there is still hope. In addition to a well-written story that addresses important issues, the game’s puzzles are also captivating.
Alba: An Adventure in the Wild (2020)
Developed by Ustwo Games, who are best known for their award-winning Monument Valley series, Alba: an adventure in the wild is a 2020 open world game that takes the gameplay of pokemon snap with the plot of the 2005 film Hurrah. In this beautiful feel-good title, the player controls a young girl named Alba Singh who visits her grandparents in the fictional island town of Secarral.
When the city’s mayor announces that the local nature reserve will be turned into a luxury hotel, Alba and her best friend Inés team up to collect enough signatures to stop this. This is done by helping the locals, cleaning gallons and taking pictures of local wildlife. Every download of the game leads to a tree that is planted in real life.
Endling – Extinction Is Forever (2022)
Released on July 19 this year, Endling – Extinction is forever is a 2.5D survival adventure game in which the player controls the last mother fox on earth who just gave birth to four cute cubs. When one of the cubs is kidnapped by a mysterious man, the mother fox sets out to find her child before it’s too late.
As she searches for the missing cub, she must also find food for her three cubs, avoid dangers, fight enemies and make sure they all come back to their hideouts before each night is over. Throughout the experience, the player will witness the gradual destruction and pollution of the natural environment by humans, as well as the changing of seasons.
Sonic the Hedgehog Franchise (1991–present)
While most players may not be aware of it, the Sonic the hedgehog series has always had environmental messages at its core. In nearly every entry, Sonic and his other animal-inspired friends battle Dr. Robotnik and his robots, showing the conflict between nature and the destructive power of modern technologies.
During a 2010 interview with franchise creator Yuji Naka, he said This is my joystick!, he even confirmed these themes by saying that Dr. Robotnik is intended to be a “radical representation of all of humanity and the impact humanity is having on nature.” Since Naka didn’t speak out about his environmental views in 1991, he instead used video games to discover how modern technology and pollution harm nature.
Eco (2018)
Released in early access in 2018, eco is an award-winning open-world simulation game in which the player must save the in-game world from an impending meteor attack by developing technology to the point where the meteor can be destroyed before it arrives. But players should be careful as their actions will affect the world around them.
As the player builds civilizations, they must keep an eye on the world’s plants, animals, and climate to avoid killing the world while trying to save it. Every detail in the game’s world affects the in-game charts and heatmaps, which the player can use to see how their actions affect the world and what laws need to be implemented.
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