TiPEs have developed “The Tipping Point” a single player story-driven educational game about climate change in the Arctic. Find the download link on Steam via our website:
https://fabulastudios.dk/the-tipping-point/
Genre: Adventure, side-scroller, platformer, educational, puzzle, story-driven
Gameplay length: 2 to 3 hours
Platform: PC and Mac, download via Steam
Controls: Keyboard and mouse or controller (Xbox, Playstation, or similar)
Educational fields: physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology
STORY OVERVIEW
You play as Cass, an arctic climate researcher, accompanied by a trusty AI drone called IC-8. They are researching tipping points in the climate, specifically a tipping point about the ice sheet. One day, the ice sheet suddenly begins collapsing at an increased rate. Cass and IC-8 must get off the ice sheet before it is too late, but Cass won’t leave the ice sheet before collecting precious data about the climate on the ice.
Cass and IC-8 cross the collapsing ice sheet, while finding abandoned research camps. At these camps, they gather and analyze data. Once they find irrefutable proof of the existence of a tipping point, by
comparing data sets, they make their way to a rescue vessel at the coast. They broadcast their findings to the world, and hopefully the collapse of the ice can be stopped by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
GAMEPLAY
The game is divided into two different types of gameplay: crossing the ice sheet and analyzing data. Crossing the ice sheet is done by running, jumping, crawling, and climbing. It is action packed and keeps you on your toes. In total, there are 7 levels where you cross the ice.
Analyzing data takes many different forms. All of them take place in different research camps. The different mini-games convey different topics to the players. The mini-games consist of drilling for ice samples, answering questions, reading graphs, taking satellite imagery, and more. In total, there are 5 levels where you analyze data.
EDUCATIONAL CONTENT
The main point of the game is to convey the concept of a tipping point in climate science. The focus is on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) and surrounding sea ice tipping point. Furthermore, the game showcases some of the real activities that researchers do in the field.