GDC 2025 Session Viewer
The Climate Crisis Workshop
Grant Shonkwiler (Commander & Shonk, Shonkventures LLC)
Trevin York (Founder & Director, Dire Lark)
Paula Angela Escuadra (Director of UX Strategy, Microsoft / Xbox)
Jennifer Estaris (Game Director, ustwo games)
Arnaud Fayolle (Game Sustainability Project Director, Ubisoft)
Location: Room 204, South Hall
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Core Pass, Summits Pass, Expo Pass, Audio Pass, Indie Games Summit Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Advocacy
Format: Workshop
Vault Recording: Not Recorded
Audience Level: All
Use Your Game Developer Super Powers to Fight the Climate Crisis! This full-day interactive workshop returns for its 4th year to teach teams and individuals how to effectively integrate climate change and climate resilience messaging into their games. Through expert lectures and hands-on design activities, participants will both better understand the climate crisis and unlock their own superpowers as game developers, immediately applying new theory and practice to develop an original game pitch by the end of the day. Join us and become equipped to impact gamers and ultimately change the world with actionable design approaches.
Takeaway
--In the morning, learn about specific dangers from climate impacts and the proven strategies that are already being used to intervene around the world, so you can integrate these into your games, with a breakdown from the producer of Fortnite.
--From Ubisoft’s Game Sustainability Project Director, get concrete examples of how every discipline in game development can directly contribute to the creation of fun pro-environmental games.
--Kicking off the afternoon at 1:15 pm, dive deep into the latest theory and practice of transformational game design with talks from Xbox’s Director of UX Strategy and Dire Lark’s Director.
--At 3:30 pm, hear from the Game Director of Monument Valley 3 about the team’s approach to bringing climate topics to the latest installment of the award-winning series.
--Learn by doing throughout the day as you work with other attendees to develop a game pitch from scratch that integrates all of the workshop’s lessons.
Intended Audience
Anyone making games in any role. Both individuals and teams are welcome to attend.
