Prize for a sustainable game

Two Bayreuth computer game science students have won a prize of €5,000 at the Game & Mod Jam "Auswärtig gespielt", a jam organised by the Stiftung Digitale Spielkultur (Digital Game Culture Foundation) on the topic of foreign policy.

The team consisted of Nadine Jachmann and Ruben Schäfer (game design students at the University of Bayreuth), as well as Liza Kolpacheva and Radim Jelínek (students at the Technical University of Cologne). The game has the working title "Bee Cooperative" and revolves around the following:

"Bee Cooperative" is a dynamic board game in which players are immersed in the challenges of a diverse bee cooperative that must deal with the looming dangers of climate change. As representatives of individual bee factions, players make strategic decisions and vote on actions to secure vital resources for their hive. A consensus must be reached quickly as the swarm moves inexorably towards its end. The game contains dangers that are triggered by human behaviour and thus illustrates the real consequences of neglecting the environment. Players must balance their personal interests with collective survival and the urgency of impending doom, and grapple with the complexity of alliances and possible betrayal within the Bee Congress. The thematic reference to real-life climate change conferences adds depth to the game and highlights the complicated negotiations and compromises required for global environmental solutions. "Bee Cooperative" offers an educational and entertaining experience that promotes awareness, strategic thinking and a sense of collective responsibility in the face of a global environmental crisis.

The award winners "Bee Cooperative" is a board game that makes it possible to experience the balancing of interests in the context of climate and environmental protection.

"In these heated times of foreign policy, a committed gaming community has made impressive contributions to raising awareness of political mechanisms of action in just two days. This has once again made the possibilities of gaming as a platform for political discourse very clear," explains Mirko Kruppa, Head of Division for Domestic Communication and Citizen Dialogue at the Federal Foreign Office.