CHOICE Brings Climate Action into the Gaming World at POLARIS Convention 2026
Can video games inspire people to think differently about climate change?
CHOICE brought this question to life at POLARIS Convention 2026, held from 9 to 11 October in Hamburg, Germany, where gaming, creativity, and innovation came together.
POLARIS brought together gaming enthusiasts, developers, content creators, and communities passionate about interactive entertainment. The event provided an exciting opportunity for CHOICE to reach audiences beyond traditional scientific and policy-making environments and demonstrate how gaming can make complex climate challenges more accessible.
Hotspot Earth: Exploring Climate Action Through Gameplay
Representing CHOICE, our climate expert and game developer Jan Steinhauser from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) participated in POLARIS Convention 2026, where he showcased Hotspot Earth, an innovative, science-informed climate action video game.
Through a dedicated demonstration booth, Jan introduced the game to gaming enthusiasts and visitors, offering them the opportunity to explore, test, and experience climate-related challenges through interactive gameplay.
Hotspot Earth combines fast-paced action with climate science and strategic decision-making. Players face environmental threats represented by increasingly powerful monsters, protect vulnerable locations, and build a growing movement to respond to climate-related challenges.
Beyond the action, the game encourages players to consider how collective decisions and societal transformations can influence future climate outcomes. By combining entertainment with scientific insights, Hotspot Earth offers an engaging way to explore the connections between human behaviour, environmental challenges, and climate action.
Bringing Climate Science Closer to the Public
Throughout the three-day convention, Jan’s demonstration of Hotspot Earth created opportunities for visitors to experience climate-related challenges through an interactive gaming environment.
The activity also supported the testing and promotion of the game among gaming enthusiasts, creating opportunities for direct engagement with a diverse, non-specialist audience.
Gaming as a Tool for Climate Engagement
Participating in a major gaming convention highlights the potential of serious games and gamification as innovative climate communication tools.
Rather than presenting scientific information solely through reports, models, or traditional communication channels, games such as Hotspot Earth invite audiences to interact with environmental challenges, experiment with decisions, and discover the importance of coordinated action.
This approach aligns with CHOICE’s broader mission to connect climate mitigation research with behavioural change, helping citizens and communities better understand their role in building sustainable and climate-resilient societies.
CHOICE’s presence at the POLARIS Convention 2026 demonstrates how science and gaming can come together to open new pathways for public engagement with climate action.
Interested in experiencing climate action through gaming? 🎮 Explore Hotspot Earth and try the demo on Steam.
