The Emergent Aspect of Climate Change in Video Games: A Historical Review

Abstract

In response to recurrent natural catastrophes and climate change, research into the use of videogames in sustainability is on the rise, and it is cementing their position as part of the contemporary digital education. The educational impact of such games rapidly becomes an important field. By retracing the history of the main climate change engaged video games, this paper describes and analyses the advantages and drawbacks of using serious games for environmental awareness, showcasing their capacity to simulate major topics in a mediated manner and to invite players to act in an unmediated way.