The Watership Down-inspired RPG Bunnies & Burrows makes humans the monster
Tabletop games present an opportunity for developing dialogue between diverse audiences around a variety of topics. From impacts of colonialism (Catan) and modern warfare (This War of Mine), to imagining what it would be like to race in a peloton (Flamme Rouge) or terraform Mars (erm, Terraforming Mars), games create a safe space in which discussions can be developed. This month, we turn our attention to how games might invite players to consider one of the most pressing issues of our time: environmental change.
Research in behavioural psychology has shown that there are three distinct types of behaviour with regards to the changing environment: ‘egoistic’ concern about how what’s happening in the environment directly impacts the individual; ‘altruistic’ concern for humanity in general, including future generations; and ‘biospheric’ concern related to nature, plants and animals. Games have the potential to invoke such concerns amongst their players, and by doing so they invite further consideration of what this means for the environment away from the tabletop.