The best game about climate change

Sports stories are always evolving over time, and so on Climate change Becoming a bigger and bigger concern for many around the world, it's only natural that it should make its way into video games as well.



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Whether it's disturbing visions of climate catastrophe or optimistic paths to an ecologically healthy future, there are many ways to address the topic of climate change, and many great games that attempt to do so.


8 Frostpunk

Hell is frozen over

issued
April 24, 2018

OpenCritic rating
the mighty

In the world of games about climate change, it's hard to find a more terrifying one Frostpunk. Set in an alternate world of the late 19th century where global temperatures have plummeted due to an ecological disaster, billions die as the few who survive form communities around furnaces, large heaters that can sustain the smaller communities living next to them.


The player takes on the inevitable task of trying to manage a terrifying situation. In the main campaign, the player must prepare an entire growing city for an apocalyptic week-long storm that alone is one of the most stressful experiences in the game (along with many other stressful scenarios in the game). Frostpunk is an excellent post-apocalyptic city-builder, even if it is often very stressful.

7 Horizon zero dawn

Nature reigns supreme

systems

PC-1 Playstation-1

issued
February 28, 2017

OpenCritic rating
the mighty

During marketing and release Horizon zero dawnOne of the main mysteries was how the world was teetering on a near apocalyptic state where all of human civilization had evolved massively, while giant robotic beasts roamed the plains.


No spoilers here, but it's a wonderfully poignant story of ecological collapse, and also ecological rebirth, both brought about by the robots that now rule the planet, reclaiming nature and rebuilding the human world into something astonishingly beautiful.

6 Year 2070

The future is in your hands

Year 2070

The city builder

Real time strategy

systems

PC-1

issued
November 17, 2011

developer
Related design, Ubisoft Blue Byte

Where the future once seemed like a place of hope, these days, it's hard to imagine what that might be like with the oncoming storm of climate change. That's a job Year 2070 Tackles beautifully as one of the best entries in the esteemed series.


Players must build a city in the near future and carefully manage their Eco Balance system, which estimates how much pollution they put into the world. Sometimes, more industry equals better efficiency and production rates, but rising sea levels can cause total disaster. It's a delicate balance to strike, and the game does a remarkable job of modeling real-world conflict in the context of climate change.

5 Death Stranding

Ecological Apocalypse

Top Critic Ratings:83/100 Critics recommend:79%

issued
November 8, 2019

Hideo Kojima always has his finger on the pulse of current issues, and this one is no different death lingers, which depicts a world ravaged by Timefall, an ecological phenomenon where falling rain rapidly ages anything it touches. We will forget about the dead coming back to life for the time being.


What results is a poignantly isolated world where human inhabitants are largely confined to bunkers and sheltered cities while the rest of the world is reclaimed by nature, crossed by the Sam Porter Bridge using a garage full of unique vehicles. It's both apocalyptic and beautiful, and a completely unique way to discuss climate change.

4 the factory

Nature fights back

simulation

Real time strategy

systems

Super grayscale 8 bit logo PC-1

issued
August 14, 2020

developer(s)
Wube software

OpenCritic rating
strong

Lately, factory games have been all the rage, and it's hard to deny the sheer joy of setting up a system that seamlessly churns out beautiful products of various colors. but, the factory A terrifying thorn is ready to annoy every player.


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It turns out that the planet the player lands on is far from empty. In fact, it is the home planet of a bug-like species that tries to take out the player's factory due to the pollution it causes. Soon, the player needs to fight the bugs (and the litany of mods makes that task much easier), even though they are invaders. It's obviously presented in a tongue-in-cheek way, but it's still a pretty impressive way of signaling the stimulus behind climate change.

3 Civilization 6

A gathering storm

issued
October 21, 2016

OpenCritic rating
the mighty

When the gathering storm was released for DLC Civilization 6Some players were uncomfortable with how the game was implementing climate change mechanics Citizen 6 Often in the past when such ecological changes were not such an issue.


However, the result was actually a brilliant and well-thought-out series of interconnected systems involving common carbon emissions across all civilizations, resulting in rising sea levels and concrete penalties against civilizations that emit too much. It's not exactly subtle, but it gets the point across through a series of really engaging mechanics.

2 Terra Zero

Rejuvenate the world

Terra Zero

systems

Phone transparent PC-1

issued
March 28, 2023

developer
free life

OpenCritic rating
strong

Climate change can sometimes be a controversial topic, especially when it comes to discussing how to tackle it, which means sometimes it's best left to the indies. That's exactly what it is Terra Zero It makes for a great game for beginner strategy players to try.


Players are tasked with trying to rejuvenate a wasteland into an ecological paradise. What results is a really interesting puzzle game where players need to strategically find power, build resources to regenerate nature, and then extricate themselves from the newly developed land as if they weren't there in the first place. It is a fun and optimistic game that is worth playing.

1 Final Fantasy 7

Mako Makes Might

issued
January 31, 1997

OpenCritic rating
strong

Final Fantasy 7 It was ahead of its time in more ways than can be counted, but recently, it has been praised for bringing the conversation about climate change and conservation to the forefront, with the player even controlling actual eco-terrorists.


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In the game, players take on the role of Cloud and his group of friends who (at various times) form Avalanche, a group dedicated to taking down the Shinra Corporation which is using a unique planetary resource called Mako, often referred to as The life blood of the planet, for their own benefit. Having players take on the role of eco-terrorists is a really bold move, and one that translates brilliantly to the modern remake series.

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