Climate Change Video Game Jam 2024
Join our first annual national climate change video game design competition!
Each year, we will have a new topic and social issue connected to climate change. This year, we’re looking for games that address climate change, oceans, and women leaders. Climate change is a major world issue, and it needs far greater communication about the challenges of climate change, how it will or could affect environmental and human systems, and what the future could look like. Game jams are a fun space to build game development skills, create community, and learn about a thematic area. We want your creativity!
College students (undergraduate & graduate) will have ~2 weeks in February 2024 to design and submit a game on our Itch.io site. No experience necessary! Join as a team or join now and find a team!
Prizes awarded in 3 categories:
Science Communication
Women Leadership
Creativity
and honorable mentions in best original music, artwork, story, and other categories!
Learn more at our itch.io site or join our Discord server to receive email updates, events announcements & more!
New to Game Jams?
⬅️Check out this video by Game Maker, read this primer by gamemaker.io, or explore our resources tab for examples of climate & oceans games, game building engines & tips from experts, and more.
No experience is needed for this Jam! We encourage teams that include developers, artists, and climate scientists!
Games will be evaluated by a panel of judges including game design experts, creative writers & artists, and oceans and climate scientists. The top games in each category will receive cash prizes. The top 2-3 games in each category will be made available for the public to play at the University of Delaware e-sports arena; they will also be hosted online and used in teaching demos over the next year (with credit to the developers). Developers retain all rights to their game; we only have the ability to play and use games for purposes of judging, advertising, and education with attribution.
Timeline
23-28 Jan - Webinar: Game Design & Game Jam 101 (An introduction for new designers and tips for experienced jammers)
30 Jan - Webinar: Ocean Science Inspiration (Ask a Marine Scientist) (also time available to chat with possible teammates) - Register HERE
1 Feb - Jam Opens: Teams may continue to join throughout
1-18 Feb - Resources, videos, and tips on environmental game design and science communication shared on Discord server
18 Feb - Jam Closes; Judging team scores games and provides feedback; submissions due on Itch.io site by 23:59 Hawai’i Standard Time
4-8 Mar – University of Delaware Geek Week events, including public playthroughs of finalist games at the e-sports arena, speed run competition, live board game events, and panels on the role of games in climate education
8 March - Celebration & Winners Announced; Networking, open game play, food, and presentations as part of the University of Delaware Geek Week. Stay tuned for keynote speakers and game company attendees. (Participants are all invited but do not need to attend to be eligible to win.)
Eligibility
Games may be submitted by individuals or teams. We encourage teams to include climate or marine scientists and game developers. *RELEVANCE TO THEME IS CRITICAL FOR THIS JAM* All team members must be enrolled part-time or full-time in a United States two- or four-year college undergraduate or graduate program. You can absolutely design a game solo if you like, but climate change involves many different angles, so we also encourage collaboration. Only one person needs to join itch.io to submit the game. Others may be tagged as collaborators.
Stay tuned for details about the high school division!
Themes
This jam combines the themes of: climate change, oceans, women leaders, and video games.
Anything related to oceans is fair game: life underwater, human uses of the oceans, marine ecosystems, ships, ocean weather, past and future oceans. You can interpret this theme however you like, but we will rate games higher that include some elements related to climate change -- whether that means showing how oceans are affected by climate change, how oceans can contribute to climate solutions, what a future ocean might look like, or something else entirely. We are looking for creativity and surprising perspectives!
Similarly, women leaders is a broad theme. Maybe the submitting team is led by a female game developer. Maybe the content portrays female scientists. Maybe the game engages with gender dynamics in climate science. By female, we mean characters who identify as female, not necessarily as assigned at birth. We are also open to gender non-binary and other types of diversity in teams and game representation. Challenge conventions about how females and gender norms are portrayed. Consider how gender influences the way people interact with and are affected by the world (and oceans and climate change). For more information on how gender is portrayed in media (and ideas and tools to change these norms), see https://seejane.org. For an introduction to how climate change affects women, see https://unfccc.int/news/five-reasons-why-climate-action-needs-women.
Categories
Science Communication – Games in this category will convey climate change or oceans-related science in ways that are accurate, engaging, and understandable to a public audience. We particularly want to challenge you to think about the goal of the climate content in your game: for example, is your goal to raise awareness of climate in general, educate about a particular issue, highlight solutions, build community, imbue empathy, illustrate a range of futures?
Creativity – Games in this category will challenge norms or conceptions, take a new spin on an old idea, or demonstrate aesthetic creativity or creativity in their game design. Games may demonstrate particular technical skill in the game development, art, and music.
Women Leadership – Games in this category will advance women as leaders – in life, science, or game design – and demonstrate thoughtful consideration of gender representation and inclusion.
We will also name the games with best original soundtrack, best original artwork, and best narrative / story.
Scoring Rubric
Coming soon!
Submission Instructions
Coming soon! Check out Itch.io for general submission rules and requirements.
Acknowledgements
Funding for this Jam is provided by the National Science Foundation and the Kaleta A. Doolin Foundation as part of their support for UN Ocean Decade Champions program, and by the Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub, University of Delaware College of Arts and Sciences, College of Earth Ocean and the Environment, and the Delaware Sea Grant. Dr. A.R. Siders is the University of Delaware oceans champion organizing the Jam, along with a team of contributors from across the University of Delaware, including the Disaster Research Center Coastlines and People Hub, the Game Studies and eSports program, and Delaware eSports. Alex Irwin and Isabella Andres have been critical in organizing the Jam. Thanks to Nicholas Bezio and Macsen Evans for creating our graphics, and thank you to all those who have contributed their time and energy to make this happen.
