New video game immerses players in a world ravaged by climate change

Hi, I'm Dr. Anthony Lizewitz, and this is Climate Connections. A new video game called Highwater immerses players in a dystopian world ravaged by climate change induced floods, war, and chaos. Igor Simik is CEO and Creative Director of Demagogue Studios, which created Highwater. In the game, players help a teenager named Niko sneak onto a rocket ship, the rich have built, to flee to Mars. Since wars are raging, people are dying of dysentery, etc. He wants to move to a better life. To get there, Niko's must navigate the landscape by boat, collect his friends, and fight adversaries. Along the way, players face moral questions. So for example, you might decide not to help someone because there isn't enough space in your boat, or you might decide to help them. The game is satirical at times. Simik says it's meant for entertainment not to preach about climate change, but the creators were influenced by natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and flooding in Serbia. That's triggered something, just the images of boats going around water that is up to the first floor or second floor. So while the game depicts a fictional world, it reflects real fears people have about climate disasters. Climate Connections is produced by the Yale Center for Environmental Communication. To hear more stories like this, visit climateconnections.org. ♪♪