5. Collapsus, or how to make players become ecological citizens

Abstract

Contemporary games are increasingly used to make a difference at an individual, community, and/or societal level. Ecological games are one kind of such ‘games for change’: they seek to contribute to ecological thought and turn players into ecological citizens. This chapter draws inspiration from the conceptual framework of psychologist Stoknes. He theorizes the ‘psychological climate paradox’: the fact that although climate science facts are becoming more solidly documented and disturbing every year, most people either do not believe in these facts or do not act upon them. This chapter discusses how Collapsus – Energy Risk Conspiracy (Palotta 2010) might contribute to solving the paradox by making people reflect on the global, political, and cultural implications of climate change and act accordingly.