Game Design

GAME DESIGN FOR CLIMATE LITERACY

Here is a list of topics and related questions based on how the game was designed with climate literacy in mind.

 

Dynamics of Human and Earth Systems:

Climate Cooldown the game - Meter token

◼ Why are there two meters in the game?

  • In order to address and model the dynamic relationship between the increase in average temperature of the globe and human related emissions and impact on that global temperature average.
  • The global meter represents the average temperature increase or decrease and determines potential side effects or impacts related to different levels of increase.
  • The impact meter represents our collective contribution to the global impact which will determine whether the global meter temperature average increases or decreases.

 

 

Resource Inequality:

◼ Why are there different amounts of resources for each of the four regions in the game?

  • Addressing inequality, extractivism, unequal distribution of resources.

 

 

Food Waste:

◼ Why do leftover food resource cards at the end of the round cause the Global Meter to increase by 1 for each food wasted?

  • Addressing the issue of food waste.

 

 

Green Power Emissions:

◼ Why do the Sustainable Power cards cause the global meter to increase?

  • Addressing the issue of development, construction, deployment and environmental impact of adoption of the sources of power.
  • Materials extraction

 

 

Divesting from Unsustainable Power:

◼ Why does it cost so much to divest from an Unsustainable Power?

  • Addressing the issue of the cost of transitioning away from fossil fuels.
  • Consideration of transition to a green powered infrastructure.
  • Considerations of base-load in order to allow for a region to adopt the green power.

 

 

Diplomacy:

◼ Why do we need diplomacy in the game in order to win?

  • Each of the regions of the globe have their own amounts of resources which they can use to invest in climate solutions (Cooldowns) and to make a just transition to sustainable power (Power). Some regions may not have enough to make these investments and need help.
  • Disaster cards in the game can take away needed resources to make changes. Being able to donate resource cards to other regions can help them in disaster relief.
  • Diplomacy allows for the redistribution of resources which can help prevent food waste and unequal distribution of energy, water and food resources.
  • Diplomacy is an action that shows the intent of collaboration and cooperation in order to achieve a shared/common goal of a just transition into a sustainable future.

 

Hard Mode - Disaster Increases:

◼ Why do disaster double their impact in Hard mode when the global meter is in the yellow and red zones?

  • The more that the global average temperature increases, the more frequent and potentially extreme the disasters will become.

 

 

Hard Mode - Full Divestment:

◼ Why do we need to divest from all Unsustainable Power cards in Hard mode?

  • The goal for a sustainable future includes a just transition from unsustainable power to fully sustainable sources of power to generate the energy we need.