games for a better tomorrow
Just Play: A Game Jam for Climate Futures was produced by Cinereach in collaboration with Anima Interactive and powered by Dreamspace, with the finalists’ prototypes celebrated and showcased at the Hollywood Climate Summit 2024. This global games competition challenged video game developers to explore climate themes in creative ways to open minds and inspire new perspectives.
developers’ toolkit
EXPLORING climate themes
Participants were given inspiration for their climate-themed Just Play game ideas in this primer and toolkit.
Award Winners
grand prize Winner
maybe we saved the world
“Making art into real action for our planet is a great honor as a global artist.”
— Winnie Liu
Finalist
Dark were the clouds
“Just Play, Anima, and Cinereach are creating something wonderful — a perfect mix of calls to action with artists who are capable of making the revolution irresistible.”
—Aka Baka
Finalist
Scarlet O'Beetle and the Unseen World
“I believe leveraging interactive media can help build empathy for good causes or organizations, and build new advocacy channels."
—Yiyi Zhang
Finalist
Urth social
“The Just Play game jam was a valuable experience to make socially conscious games that inspire change."
—FluffyOtter Games
Finalist
Juniper’s Understory
"Climate change and other climate-related issues can be uncomfortable to process, and passively reading headlines or consuming research often invokes feelings of hopelessness. However, when these topics are gamified, it places control in the hands of the individual."
— Katie Morris
Jurors
she/her
AYÇA USER
Managing Producer, Dreamspace
Managing Producer at Dreamspace, overseeing the entire production process. With 26 years of expertise, she blends strategic leadership with impactful event management and a passion for nonprofit endeavors.
she/her
CHARLY HARBORD
CEO/Founder, Outwith Reality
Charly Harbord has worked in Industry for over 20 years. Starting as a localisation and culturalisation expert in China. She is the founder and CEO of Outwith Reality a company focused on cultural preservation through gamescapes.
he/him
BRUNO OLMEDO QUIROGA
Director of Strategy, Good Energy
Bruno Olmedo Quiroga is a culture & technology strategist from Cochabamba, Bolivia. He's the Director of Strategy at Good Energy, where he recently co-led the development of the Climate Reality Check (among many other climate storytelling & media tools)
she/ her / ella
ANASTASIA KING
Co-Founder / Strategist, Hyphae Studio
Anastasia is an award-winning producer, cultural strategist, and writer who is passionate about utilizing entertainment to advance liberation and justice.
she/her
HALEY BRECHER
Manger, New Content, Cinereach
Manager of New Content for Cinereach. Strong believer in bridging the gap between games and the entertainment industry.
he/him
SHAYNE HAYES
Associate Director, Video Game Initiative
Shayne Hayes leads a program where industry experts are using games to build community resilience to heat waves and other climate impacts. Shayne recently led the development of Heat Wave Survival, a new game for Minecraft Education.
she/her
MARY ANN MARINO
Co-founder, Gutsy Media
Mary Ann Marino (Gutsy Media), is an entertainment veteran and former Head of Production Amazon Studios. She currently leads the A Home For Every Hero in partnership with Wildcard, an upcoming MOBA/deck builder mashup from the creators of Age of Empires and Words with Friends.
she/her
DEBORAH MENSAH-BONSU
Founder/CEO, Games for Good
Deborah believes in the power of games and entertainment for good.
she/her
VERTA MALONEY
45 Lemons, Founder
verta is all love with appropriate doses of rage. as a Black woman & co-founder of 45 Lemons & the*gamehers, verta seeks to center and amplify those who are historically marginalized by our systems to ensure a more inclusive and liberated future for all of us.
she/her(s)/they
AQIYLA THOMAS
Manager, Learning & Design, Cinereach
Aqiyla is Manager of Learning & Design at Cinereach where she explores various narrative topics using qualitative research to build stories for change. Her background is in child development research, arts education, and documentary storytelling. She is rooted in North Carolina.