On October 2-4 there was a National Climate Game Jam at 11 sites in the U.S. A game jam is an event used to rapidly prototype new games. The National Climate Game Jam used open climate data as the basis of the games, with the objective of helping people understand climate change. Participants made 2-minute videos about their game ideas.
Now the finalists have been named. Here’s the list:
K-8 Division
- First Place Diaper Cow and other minigames
- Second Place Energy Farm
High School Division
- Winner for Best Digital Game Flood Prevention
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Winner for Best Board/Card Game Azure Skies
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Winner for Best Paper Prototype Climate Carey
College Division
- First Place ClimateQuest
- Second Place Climate Conquerors
- Third Place (tie) Countdown
- Third Place (tie) Manta Day
Adult Division
- First Place Reef Revival
- Second Place Three Degrees
- Third Place AdaptNation
- Fourth Place Owl Together
Some of the games are role-playing video games; some are board games. Topics tackled range from the territorial interactions of owls, to protection of coral reefs, to finding ways to decrease methane emissions of cows.
The National Climate Game Jam was part of an initiative launched by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in 2014.
There will be two showcase events for the game jam winners at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC: on January 18th a family event from 1:00–4:00 p.m. and on January 21st an evening program from 6:30–8:30 p.m.
