At the very end of last year, Catan Studios – the board game publishing company behind the popular Catan series – decided to usher its fanbase into the 21st century with the unveiling of Catan – New Energies – a new version of the game in which players must power the island of Catan with renewable energy sources.
This modern day iteration of the popular title places players on an island wrestling with the spectre of pollution which threatens to disrupt resource production and cause disasters, all while they work to select renewable, clean energy sources to fuel the island’s growth.
Players will routinely be faced with the poignant choice of spending resources to invest in clean, sustainable energy or to opt for cheaper, yet environmentally damaging, fossil fuels.
“Gaming has an incredible power to reflect real-world challenges and inspire thoughtful conversations,” said Benjamin Teuber, managing director at Catan GmbH and co-designer of the game. “As we designed the game, my dad said, ‘a game is an experience – not a lecture.’ Therefore, we are not telling players how to act best; we’re inviting them to learn and draw their own conclusions through play.”
To begin with, players may elect to start building with fossil fuel power plants which enable quick growth but cause pollution disruptions. However, as players change them to renewable plants throughout the course of the game, rewards replace pollution events, incentivizing environmental consciousness.
On top of this, the New Energies game has been developed and produced to lower its own impact and will be printed and assembled using sustainably-sourced wood and paper and will feature no plastic components.
“Combining captivating gameplay mechanics with a powerful sustainability narrative, this release demonstrates Catan’s commitment to fostering meaningful experiences that inspire important conversations,” read a statement from the Catan team.
