A climate change computer game called Fate of the World went on sale in November. It aims to educate players on issues surrounding carbon emissions.
In the game users play the role of a fictional international organisation which has to save the world from extreme weather such as drought and flooding. Players are given a budget, environmental data and energy policies to base their decisions on.
The game has been developed by Oxford design company Red Redeption and has used input from scientists to make it as accurate and realistic as possible.
Some aspects of the game may prove controversial, such as the option to create a virus to reduce the world’s population. The game allows you to forward 200 years into the future to see the effects of your decisions.
The game invites users to ‘manage a balancing act of protecting the Earth’s resources and climate versus the needs of an ever-growing world population, who are demanding ever more food, power, and living space’ and asks: ‘Will you help the whole planet or will you be an agent of destruction?’