Hollywood Climate Summit and Cinereach Host Video Game Design Competition

Cinereach and the Hollywood Climate Summit are joining forces for an exciting new venture in the world of gaming. The two organizations have announced a climate-themed video game design competition called “Just Play: A Game Jam for Climate Futures,” with a grand prize of $10,000 up for grabs.

The competition, which kicks off on Monday, is open to game makers, artists, and developers who are interested in exploring a broader range of climate futures through their creations. Submissions will be accepted at JustPlayJam.com until May 17, and participants will receive a toolkit from Cinereach that includes insights from a recent climate visibility workshop with Good Energy.

The final prototypes and award winners will be showcased at the Hollywood Climate Summit’s closing night party on June 28. This competition is the second iteration of Cinereach’s “Just Play” video game development contest, following the success of the first edition, which focused on justice-centric themes and attracted participants from 19 countries.

Cinereach CEO Jennifer Strachan expressed excitement about the opportunity to collaborate with the gaming community and explore new storytelling avenues. She emphasized the importance of incorporating research-backed climate narrative strategies into their work to inspire curiosity, empathy, and agency in the next generation of storytellers.

Karla Reyes, founder and creative director of Anima Interactive, echoed Strachan’s sentiments, highlighting the potential for video games to drive real-world impact through storytelling techniques borrowed from Hollywood. The partnership between Cinereach, Anima Interactive, and the Hollywood Climate Summit represents a unique opportunity to harness the power of entertainment to effect positive change in society.