So far, world political leaders are doing a fairly terrible job of moving us towards an environmentally sustainable future and towards resolution of the climate crisis.
If you were in charge of saving the earth, would you do a better job? Now you can find out.
The new computer game ‘Fate of the World’ puts you at the helm of the all-powerful (and thankfully, hypothetical) GEO – the Global Environment Organisation – for the next two centuries.
A far cry from Farmville, Fate of the World isn’t designed for cheap thrills – there are no birds to throw at pigs, or pedestrians to run over with a stolen car – instead, it provides fascinating and challenging strategy play. (For all you parents of teenage gamers out there – this is a smart game!)
Your role (unless you flip to evil-dictator ‘Dr Apocalypse’ mode with intent to destroy the planet) is to find a way to protect Earth's ever-depleting resources and climate whilst reconciling the needs of a growing world population who demand more food, power, and living space – and you have to do it in a democratically-popular way, or you’ll be kicked out of your country!
The game is based on state-of-the-art climate models – the game development team actually employed climate scientists in the development of the various strategy scenarios. You can engage with the principles of geo-engineering and wildlife adaptation as you navigate your way through the options available. You can impose policies such as banning logging in the Amazon rainforest, making all of Europe's public transport run on electricity or imposing a one-child policy throughout Asia. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, and hopefully can create a stable climate for future generations.
We support the effort of the game to raise awareness of climate issues in a fun and engaging game, even though we haven’t been directly involved in the creation of the scenarios. So, we’ve got to put in a quick dislaimer, if you come across any elements that seem a bit weird, we didn’t create it. We’re keen to hear your reviews!
“Fate of the World”, developed by Red Redemption, has been released in partnership with TckTckTck - a global alliance of environmental, development, trade and faith-based organizations campaigning on climate change, of which Greenpeace is proudly a part. If you purchase and download the game ($9.99, £9.99 or €9.99, English language, PC version) by Thursday 3rd March, all proceeds go to the TckTckTck alliance.