Yorkshire young people design video game encouraging people to take action to protect environment

This is the premise of a video game that has been designed by 25 children and young people in a project run by Wakefield-based arts organisation One to One Development Trust. It was 18 months in the making before its launch this summer and those behind Our Earth, Your Choice hope to find a partner to develop it further.

The game, worked on by a group aged between eight and 20, has recently been recognised with a climate award. “Never has it been so important to speak up about climate change,” says Judi Alston, the creative director and CEO of One to One, “and think about how we’re looking after the earth – from burning fewer fossil fuels, protecting our wildlife, planting more trees, cutting down on plastic waste and looking after where we live.”

Judi and digital director Andy Campbell began the Our Earth, Your Choice project in the midst of the Covid pandemic in 2020. “We had been in [the first] lockdown and I think during that time everybody seemed to be much more conscious of the world and environment around them,” Judi explains. “I also started doing some reading about how climate anxiety was becoming more recognised as an anxiety in young people.”

The project was supported with cash from Wakefield Council’s Creative Challenge grant funding scheme. Young people were recruited through social media and various youth services. They worked to design maps, characters, music, dialogue and missions, with guidance from game industry experts.

Judi says: “We learnt early on how informed young people are today. But they also told us that whilst they learn about climate change at school, they aren’t taught what they can do about it. It leaves them deeply worried about the future and feeling powerless.”

Team member Bradley’s insights mirrored those of many of the young people who took part. “Through the project I’ve become more interested in the environment and the problems we are facing through climate change,” Bradley says. “I think making a game about the environment is important because we have an opportunity to raise awareness of the earth’s health in a fun way.”

Skill development was another goal of the project, which also helped to raise the confidence of some of the young people involved. Much of it was carried out through video meetings, with some in-person sessions once Covid restrictions allowed.

The game is now available to play and download and has been showcased at a number of festivals. The final product sees players tasked with saving the earth. Across various environments, missions such as shutting down polluting factories, clearing up oil spills and tacking drought all slowly contribute to the bigger picture of the planet’s health. “You can see in those different environments how climate change is affecting the earth,” Andy says.

The game is designed to highlight the importance of protecting the environment and looking after the planet. “I hope it gets people to think about the environment and think about how even small acts can make a difference,” Judi says. “I think gamification is a good way to get debate going.”

Our Earth, Your Choice does not shy away from placing real issues and young people’s ideas front and centre, she adds, and the project’s appeal and impact has been recognised. The game recently won a Climate Award from the Barnsley-based Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance and has been showcased at a national adolescent health conference to more than 300 doctors.

Judi says: “We’d love to build on this project and make opportunities for more young people because we’ve seen the amazing impact it can have.”

Andy adds: “We don’t feel we’re done with Our Earth, Your Choice yet. We’ve come this far on a relatively small budget. We’ve seen the amazing feedback it’s had and how people who don’t usually play games are connecting with it, and its message. We’d love to find a partner, perhaps an environment focused charity or even a larger developer to help us take it further. That could mean more levels and content, a deeper story or simply honing how we get the core message across.”

Visit www.ourearthyourchoice.co.uk