Visuals always help explain concepts to children, something the video game Reset Earth does — the need to protect the ozone layer. The game combines science and play to prove a point.
Presented by UN’s Environment Programme, the recently-launched game is set in a dystopian post-apocalyptic world in 2084, when the ozone layer has been ruined and human life is under threat from an unstoppable virus called The Grow. It’s up to three teenagers — Knox (her scavenger lifestyle has taught her to love technology, spending most of her time in junkyards, collecting scraps and building amazing new inventions out of them), Sagan (his search for a cure has made him passionate about science and chemistry) and Terran (he is passionate about understanding how the earth works) — who team up in a time-travel adventure.
The teenagers need to travel in time in search of answers and in their quest crosses multiple important landscapes. It is during the journey they learn the importance of the ozone layer when it comes to protecting earth and also how working together can bring about a difference.
Signed in 1987, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty to protect the environment and stop further damage to earth’s protective ozone layer by phasing out a number of chemical substances. The landmark agreement entered into force in 1989.
Available on iOS and Android, the game also comes with a short, animated movie. Games like this can make a difference to how children learn important concepts. There are more than two billion video gamers globally. A report by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2019 found that it’s a medium that can engage billions, encouraging gamers to find solutions to social and environmental challenges.