Course:CONS200/2024WT1/Having fun while learning? An overview of the use and impact of board games for climate education

Board games can be an effective tool for teaching about the earth’s climate. By modeling the global climate and inviting collaboration and discussion between players, games provide deep understanding of climate change and related topics, without utilizing traditional methods of teaching.

Use

Board game CATAN New Energies forces players to decide whether or not to pollute their world

Climate change themed games have remained a relatively unpopular genre of board games, but research suggests they can be highly effective tools in some aspects of climate communication. Below are five popular board games that have seen success in climate change education:

Keep Cool (2004) - Simulated global climate policy making game where winning is supported by the players’ economic gain, but careless decision making results in everyone losing.

CO2 (2012) - Players roleplay as energy company CEOs balancing profit and carbon emission quotas set by the government. Focuses on the complex trade-offs involved with green energy and public-private cooperation.

Evolution: Climate (2016) - Players must design a species resilient to a constantly changing climate. The game does not involve greenhouse gas emissions, or humanity at all for that matter, and is entirely about animals fighting for survival in an increasingly hostile climate.

Daybreak (2023) - Cooperative game where players attempt to stop climate change through policy and technology. Emphasis on complex teamwork and climate adaptation and mitigation.

CATAN New Energies (2024) - Strategic board game allows players to choose between renewable and nonrenewable energies, with cheaper sources polluting your civilization. Compares economic benefits of fossil fuels with ecological benefits of clean energy.

Impacts

Board games are a promising method of climate education, for a number of reasons. The simulated world systems within board games that mirror our own supports learning, and is best utilized alongside other methods of education. Games also increase players' sense of personal responsibility related to climate change and increases optimism both for the future and for international politics.

Drawbacks

Because board games rely on simplification of complex problems to convey information in an engaging manner, some games suffer from oversimplification, leading to inadequate understanding or misunderstanding of climate topics.