Listen to the Podcast Episode Video game developer and San Diegan, William Volk, hopes to move people to action with his new game, "The Climate Trail." The game is set in the U.S. after the country becomes uninhabitable due to climate change and tracks a group of climate refugees as they flee to Canada. Aired: February 5, 2020 | Transcript

Video game developer and San Diegan, William Volk, hopes to move people to action with his new game, "The Climate Trail."

The game was inspired by the popular educational game "The Oregon Trail." In "The Climate Trail," the goal is to get from a camp for climate survivors in Atlanta to safety far north in Canada after the U.S. becomes uninhabitable due to climate change. Players travel with a group of people, each with various survival skills and limited resources.

"What I think is people tend to not make decisions based on statistics and facts thrown at them," Volk said. "So I felt that people tend to respond to an emotional thing and I could use my experience in the game industry, even though I have a full-time job, to do this on my own and put this out."

In making the game, Volk said he stayed "very close" to the science and predictions made by climate scientists on the impact of climate change. The game is free and available on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. Volk said the game is currently being enhanced and will include an e-book on climate change.

RELATED: Can Climate Change Fiction Build Consensus, Empathy?

Volk joined Midday Edition on Wednesday to discuss the intersection of gaming and climate change.

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