Eco-Themed Slots, Board Games and Card Games
Nature has always been a favourite theme for games, from board games about birds and forests to casino slots full of wolves, whales and rainforests. In the last few years a new wave of designers has gone further, making games about climate change itself. Here is a tour for players who like their entertainment green.
Board games about nature
| Game | Year | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Wingspan | 2019 | Attract birds to your wildlife preserves; each card describes a real species |
| Photosynthesis | 2017 | Grow trees that compete for sunlight as the sun moves around the board |
| Cascadia | 2021 | Build Pacific Northwest habitats and place wildlife; winner of the Spiel des Jahres award in 2022 |
| Daybreak | 2023 | A cooperative game in which world powers race to cut emissions and protect communities |
| CO2: Second Chance | 2018 | Energy companies switch from fossil fuels to renewables before pollution runs out of control |
| Catan: New Energies | 2023 | A Catan variant where fossil fuel use pushes the world towards a pollution crisis |
Wingspan, by designer and keen birdwatcher Elizabeth Hargrave, became a surprise hit and introduced many players to bird species they had never noticed. Daybreak, co-designed by Matt Leacock, who created Pandemic, and Matteo Menapace, models feedback loops in the climate system; its makers said they used FSC-certified materials and avoided plastic in the box.
Card games with a cause
Simpler card games are great for families and classrooms. Many environmental education groups publish free printable card games about food webs, recycling and energy. Classic games can go green too: a standard deck of cards printed on recycled board, or a poker night using a reusable clay or composite chip set instead of disposable prizes, is a small but tidy choice.
Nature-themed slot games
Slot machine designers love wildlife. Some long-running examples:
- Wolf Run by IGT, a five-reel game with howling wolves, stacked wild symbols and free spins, and later progressive versions.
- Wolf Gold by Pragmatic Play, set in a desert canyon with wolves, eagles and bison.
- Great Blue by Playtech, an ocean slot featuring killer whales, sharks and turtles.
- Mega Moolah, a safari-themed progressive jackpot game known for some of the largest online jackpot payouts on record.
These games are pure entertainment, of course: animals on the reels do nothing for real wolves or whales. Slots are games of chance with a built-in house edge, and the theme is part of the show. If you play online, the energy footprint is tiny compared with travelling to a casino, as we show in a Vegas trip versus playing online at home.
Games as a gateway
Teachers and environmental groups increasingly use games to explain systems: how carbon builds up, how food webs collapse, how cooperation beats competition. A nature-themed game night is also an easy, low-waste fundraiser for local groups; see environmental fundraising ideas.
Best picks by player
- Families
- Photosynthesis, Cascadia
- Nature lovers
- Wingspan
- Climate learners
- Daybreak, CO2: Second Chance
- Casual Catan fans
- Catan: New Energies
- Slot fans
- Wolf Run, Wolf Gold, Great Blue