Games for Change Reinvents the Social Game

A non profit corporation based out of New York called Games for Change is  not only setting out to change the types of games people play online, but the impact that they create. The games they promote all have 3 common factors:  they're educational, fun, and eye opening. The corporations website acts a hub for people to gather to find the latest games dealing with social responsibility and positive change in the world. Some of the more common topics include human rights, public health, and the environment. Any game that embraces social change can be submitted to Games for Change and the websites features games that come from all corners of the globe and from the minds of many different developers.

The non profit grew legs in 2004 and has been actively promoting their quest for serious games on serious issues. Throughout the year G4C can be found promoting their cause at gaming and tech events in countries all over the world. For the past seven years they have also played host to the Games for Change festival. The three day festival is the most prominent of its kind in the world. Attendees include activists, designers, and non profit representatives.

The games that are showcased on the G4C website can be found on several different types of platforms. Some games are held on websites of large organizations (such as the BBC), some are Facebook games, some were developed just for the fun it, and a few have even been created by children. One successful game, EnerCities, is a Facebook based game that has users create virtual cities that are void of pollution and use renewable energy sources. The game is targeted at 15-20 year old students and is designed to help shape the way they look at saving energy. The motivation for developing the game is strictly educational.

Another popular featured game is called Food Force. From the games inception in 2005 it has been downloaded over 5 million times. The game was developed for the United Nations World Food Program and Yahoo! games has jumped on as a sponsor. The objective of the game is to act through different food emergencies and global hunger issues. The game engages children to play and at the same time teaches them about the importance of food scarcity and how the the World Food Program responds to problem when they arise.

Other games include:
Balance of the Planet
Global Warming Interactive
Mission Migration
Nation States
The Garbage Game

The outreach and mission of Games for Change is an admirable one and the non profit has received press from Time Magazine, ABC News, The Huffington Post, CNN, and The New York Times. They're always looking for new games and hungry designers who have the next great idea in social gaming. Click here to learn more about Games for Change and their most current projects.