Sustainable Game Design beyond the “Nature-as- Franchise” Paradigm

Abstract

This chapter explores how the increasing abundance of sustainability-themed games and the sometimes-uncritical application of game design patterns carry a risk of misrepresenting climate emergencies, human-nature relations, as well as alternative, more sustainable futures and might, in the worst case, contribute to greenwashing digital games as a medium. This critical examination is followed by suggested methods for avoiding these risks.