On this episode of Player Driven, Lewis and Greg are joined by Joost Vervoort, Associate Professor at Utrecht University (in the Netherlands) and Science/Impact Director at Speculative Agency. We dive into the "imagination factory" of the games industry and explore how video games can move beyond simple escapism to become tools for systemic societal change and climate activism.
🎙️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps
- [00:50] Introducing Joost Vervoort: Background in ecology, political science, and 10 years of "action research" at the intersection of games and sustainability.
- [04:13] Formative Gaming: How the labyrinths of Doom and the emergent storytelling of Vampire: The Masquerade shaped Joost’s view of games as "imagination factories".
- [09:00] Project STRATEGIES: An EU-funded initiative exploring how the game industry can decarbonize while using games as a cultural phenomenon to influence societal discourse.
- [12:34] "All Will Rise" Deep Dive: A courtroom deck-builder inspired by Ace Attorney where you take billionaires to court for environmental destruction.
- [24:57] The "Dark Souls of Politics": Why high-difficulty games like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Elden Ring teach "perceived self-efficacy"—the belief that you can tackle messy, complex real-world challenges.
- [37:21] Examples of Excellence: Discussing Wolfenstein’s explicit anti-fascism and Citizen Sleeper’s focus on community resilience.
- [50:00] What’s Next for 2026?: The All Will Rise Kickstarter, visiting schools to promote game literacy, and Joost’s new research into "infrastructures of mystery".
🧠Key Themes & Learnings
⚖️ The Power of the "Speculative"
- Moving Beyond "Goody Two-Shoes" Design: Joost argues that games about climate change often fail because they are "too polite." All Will Rise embraces a "wild, poetic, and slightly naughty" vibe to make activism feel dangerous and exciting rather than like a lecture.
- Local Over Global: Instead of abstract "climate change," the game focuses on a burning river in a fictionalized South India (Kerala) to make the stakes concrete and personal.
🛠️ Games as "Action Research"
- Self-Efficacy through Play: Beating a difficult boss in Dark Souls or Silksong can fundamentally change a player's relationship with reality, giving them the confidence to engage with "messy" politics in real life.
- Culture Building: Change doesn't happen through information alone; it happens by creating a gaming culture that normalizes new identities and standards.
🏗️ Challenging the Industry
- The Publisher Paradox: Publishers often avoid "politically threatening" or narrative-heavy games for fear of backlash, driving innovative, "courageous" projects toward platforms like Kickstarter.
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