Video Games as Ecomedia : Nature, Design, Play (Approaches to Digital Game Studies)

Video Games as Ecomedia posits that digital games are potent examples of “ecomedia”—media that engage with the complex relationships between technology, culture, and the environment. By delving into the intricate intersection of these spheres across a wide range of video games, this collection offers a crucial, fresh lens for game studies, particularly in the context of the Anthropocene. The authors utilize diverse frameworks from ecocriticism, design thinking, game analysis, and more to examine how ecogames communicate about the environment. The chapters address various aspects of games, such as storytelling, technological features (graphics, sound, mechanics, etc.), and play and design practices to illuminate how they shape and are shaped by environmental concerns. Through its organizing themes of nature, design, and play, it is revealed that video games can equip players with a deeper understanding of ecological problems and the multifaceted nature of the climate crisis. Moreover, games can support designers and players in imagining responsible ways of relating to environments, often extending such engagement beyond digital worlds. Ultimately, Video Games as Ecomedia offers multiple approaches for understanding how digital games can catalyze meaningful considerations for the environmental challenges of the Anthropocene.