Solarpunk Game Jam Winners Showcase Climate Optimism

In a remarkable celebration of optimism and environmental stewardship, Trevor Noah’s Day Zero Productions and Anima Interactive announced the winners of their Day Zero Games: Solarpunk Jam. This global game jam attracted nearly 200 participants from 35 countries, all challenged to create original video game prototypes inspired by solarpunk—a movement envisioning hopeful futures through climate justice, social equity, and ecological imagination.

The grand prize of $10,000 was awarded to Solar Salvage, a vehicle-building and exploration game developed collaboratively by just three developers from Sweden and Norway. This win underscores how small, passionate teams can craft compelling experiences that engage players with themes of sustainability and innovation.

Additional finalists include:

• Banyu, a cozy sailing and scavenging game from Indonesia’s Hotfix Labs.
• Sky Patch, a peaceful 3D farming and puzzle adventure by the international team Null Jam Games.

These games will be featured at the Green Games Showcase during the Summer Games Fest on June 7, highlighting the next generation of creators who use gaming to inspire hope and action on climate issues.

The Solarpunk Jam launched on Earth Day 2025 and invited developers to explore solarpunk’s core themes through gameplay. This movement, still emerging, blends radical optimism with environmental and social justice, offering fertile ground for games to explore complex issues through narrative, systems, and player interaction.

The jam was supported by Cinereach and The Carmack Collective, organizations focused on storytelling and climate justice. Participants received a narrative blueprint developed with scientists and frontline communities, ensuring the games were grounded in real-world climate research and perspectives.

Candice McFarlane, chief creative officer at Cinereach, praised the developers for transforming research into inspiring, playable worlds that demonstrate how games can shape our future while being enjoyable.

This event highlights a growing appetite for narratives that counter dystopian climate stories with beauty, joy, and ecological imagination. It also exemplifies how cross-cultural collaboration can enrich game development and storytelling.

Day Zero Productions, a venture by Trevor Noah and Paramount Global, integrates gaming with film and television storytelling, supporting innovative projects and investments in the gaming industry. Anima Interactive focuses on socially conscious games that blend art and technology to drive cultural change.

Cinereach continues to advance impactful storytelling across media, while The Carmack Collective funds frontline organizations and cultural initiatives to challenge fossil fuel dominance and promote environmental justice through trust-based philanthropy.

Together, these organizations and creators demonstrate how video games can be powerful tools for envisioning and building a more hopeful, sustainable future.