Climate change affects society in many different ways. It is complex, far-reaching and increasingly urgent. For many people, especially younger generations, the scale of the challenge can feel overwhelming. How can we help people face the climate crisis with clarity, confidence and a sense of purpose?

The World Climate Game offers one possible answer. This app-supported board game combines scientific simulation, role play and collaborative decision-making to make the global climate crisis tangible and understandable. Over the course of three days, participants take on real-world roles in politics, business and civil society, working together to build an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable future.

The game is based on a scientifically grounded climate and economic simulation inspired by data from international climate research, including the IPCC reports. Players are asked to make decisions on issues such as economic development, resource use, urbanisation, consumption, taxation, subsidies and international cooperation. Each round represents a decade, beginning in the year 2000 and leading up to 2100. Along the way, the consequences of the players’ choices become visible through extreme weather events, environmental pressures, social crises and the evolving state of the global economy.

At the centre of the experience is a large board representing the world. Greenhouse gas emissions, land use, ecosystems, cities, industries and climate impacts are made visible through hundreds of game elements. This physical dimension is combined with a digital app that calculates the consequences of players’ decisions, creating an immersive learning environment in which complexity becomes easier to grasp.

The World Climate Game is not only about understanding climate change. It is also about developing the skills needed to respond to it. Participants are encouraged to negotiate, cooperate, think critically and balance different interests. The game can only be won collectively, making social justice, empathy and shared responsibility central elements of the experience. By bringing together scientific knowledge, democratic dialogue and experiential learning, the World Climate Game helps participants move beyond anxiety and powerlessness. It invites them to test strategies, face dilemmas and discover how individual and collective choices can contribute to a more sustainable world.

The event will take place from 18 to 20 May 2026, from 09:00 to 17:00, at NOI Techpark, room F1.2.23. Everyone is welcome.

The initiative is organised by the Competence Centre for Sustainability in collaboration with the student association KIKERO. For further information: +39 0471 012 182 – kikero@unibz.it.

Photo by Alexander Lyashkov (unsplash).