< Back to Blog

The Art of Designing Games for Impact, Education, and Action (Podcast)

Do video games have a role to play in environmentalism and sustainability efforts? You can find out by listening to our CEO Dan White on the How to Save the World podcast

Hosted by Katie Patrick, an environmental engineer, designer, and author, this podcast explores what truly motivates people to take action for the planet. Drawing from behavioral science research conducted at prestigious institutions like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford, Katie delves into the depths of the environmental psyche to uncover evidence-based strategies that can be utilized to encourage more individuals to embrace environmental campaigns, products, and behaviors. 

via Giphy

Dan’s episode, “The Art of Designing Games for Impact, Education, and Action,” delves into the art and science of designing games that not only captivate players but also educate and inspire them to take real-world action. Tune in to discover how Filament combines education and fun to create a real-life impact!

To learn more about us and gaming for environmental causes, follow us on Twitter and Facebook for future updates and releases. 


Episode outline:

[0:00 – 3:47] Intro to the podcast, Dan White, and Filament Games’ environmental game offerings

[3:48 – 6:29] Dan’s career journey and what got him interested in games for impact

[6:30 – 8:28] Sustainable practices in Dan’s everyday life

[8:29 – 11:25] Filament’s design framework and where we start when making new games

[11:26 – 15:45] Evidence-based game design, assessment in educational games, and intrinsic motivation 

[15:46 – 23:24] From awareness to action

[23:25 – 31:21] What to emphasize and to avoid when utilizing different game mechanics

[31:22 – 36:57] Level design in games that leads to real-life action

[36:58 – 29:23] Designing good reward systems in games

[29: 24 – 57:59] The human desire to master a subject and how to leverage this in video games + how to design games for learners with different motivations and values

[58:00 – 1:03:36] Sustainable game design systems in real life 

[1:03:37 – 1:08:51] Seeing the impact of an educational game in real-life

[1:08:52 – 1:11:01] The differences between education design and action design

[1:11:02 – 1:15:25] What Dan is most interested in exploring with games for impact in the future

[1:15:26 – 1:18:12] Outro

Interested in creating an educational game that inspires real-world change? Together, let’s harness the potential of gaming to create a brighter, more sustainable future – contact us today!

More on gaming and the environment: 

© 2024 Filament games. All rights reserved.