Reading Well
Health and wellbeing collections chosen by librarians and health professionals
Games for Green Libraries!
Confetti has teamed up with Nottingham City Libraries to bring you games designed to showcase how our environmental actions have an effect, and how we can use our power to inform, inspire, and encourage other people to take positive action in the communities we are part of.
Developed by Games Art students at Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, part of Nottingham Trent University, this series of interactive fiction games offers a unique and engaging way to explore effects of climate change on our world, as well as what we can do to help boost positive action in accordance with the Green Libraries Manifesto.
Our games address topics such as carbon emissions, environmental waste, and brief looks at the possible futures showing the long standing effects of climate change.
The fantastic artwork and narratives in these games were crafted over the period of just twenty-two weeks by Games Art students in collaboration with Freelance Writers, currently studying on the Creative Writing course at the university.
What is Interactive Fiction?
So, why games?
We value reading – and we love playing video games!
An Interactive fiction game is a genre of video game (or text-based adventure game) that focuses on storytelling and player choice. It is characterised by its emphasis on narrative, as well as the beautiful, original artwork created by students at Confetti. The player could, but not always, influence the direction of the story through their decisions and actions. We feel that this is kind of similar to how life goes – sometimes the choices you make have consequences – sometimes you could feel that nothing you do could have changed the outcome. We’d like to explore that some more and hopefully provide an empowering experience that encourages personal growth, resilience, and empathy.
Who should I play these games with?
Play these games alone, or with friends! These games allow you to step into the shoes of diverse characters, who you may or may-not relate to, exploring their lives and choices. They also provide a safe space for self-reflection, enabling you to explore different outcomes and learn valuable life lessons.
It can be helpful to play these games with someone you trust and have a chat about how you might feel, or have reacted, in some of the tricky situations you’re presented with! Equally, play alone for some quiet reflection.
Eco Emergency
Studio: Lazy Lamb Games
Age: Suitable for all
Potential epilepsy warning due to buttons that flash when you hover over them, rapid speed highlighting could cause visual strain. Minor implied violence in the form of vandalism.
You have a mystery to solve!
You play as Billy the Badger, a detective challenged with figuring out who has been committing acts of vandalism around The Eco Hub; a centre for environmental sustainability. There are five suspects: Ruby the Rabbit, Sheldon the Snake, Cooper the Cow, Maggie the Magpie and Freddie the Frog.
It is your job to ask these suspects questions about what their jobs are and what they think about the situation and figure out which one of them is responsible for trying to destroy The Eco Hub.
Happy investigating 😊
F8
Studio: Meraki Studios
Age: Suitable for all
It is some time in the distant future. Clocks have long stopped ticking and the world has since been taken over by AI and robots, seeking to collect and destroy what remained from the time before them. Except for you.
You, unlike the other robots find interest and fascination in these artefacts and seek to learn more rom then, maybe these items have answers to the questions you’ve been searching for. How will this impact your story?
Meadow Escape
Studio: Monarch Studios
Age: All
In collaboration with the Nottingham City Libraries, Meadow Escape is a cosy fantasy game which aims to educate children on how to look after nature with the help of our fairy friend Flora! She is moving into her new home, but the garden is overgrown and needs a helping hand! It’s full of waste which has sadly damaged the plants and the animals living there, with the help of Flora’s fairy friends and charming companions, help her earn her wings and bring the garden back to life!
My Deadly Valentine
Studio: Cryptex Studios
Age: Suitable for 15+
My Deadly Valentine invites players into the dark fantasy metropolis where love and danger intertwine. In this gripping visual novel game, players step into the shoes of Chad, a mysterious demon, entangled in a web of romance and danger as he ventures to the city’s furthest reaches in pursuit of his next date… or victim.
Throughout the game, players must make choices that determine the outcome of their dates with each character. Will Chad find true love amidst his hatred, or will he succumb to his demonic urges? My Deadly Valentine offers players a thrilling journey filled with romance and danger, located at the heart of a dystopian fantasy world where love may be the deadliest weapon of all.
Zero Waste
Studio: Nott Gecko
Age: Suitable for all
The trash is piling up…
You realize the park you used to frequent is filled to the brim with trash—except it’s not just the park; it’s the entirety of Nottingham! Help clean through the city as a bigger threat looms…
Features:
- A short re-playable experience
- 3 mini-games within the narrative!
- Writing and Art by Students 🙂
- A Game made in Collaboration with Green Libraries
The Point Of No Return
Studio: Black Ice Studios
Age: 12+
This game contains topics younger players may find scary. Expect high tension, some depictions of violence, and a crime aspect.
Set 30 years into the future, a team is sent with the task of exploring the now defrosted Antarctic, to see if its habitable, only once they get there do they realise there’s already someone, or something living there. With a range of quick choices along the way they just need to survive now and figure out what it may be that’s causing their team to drop in numbers.
The Green Libraries Manifesto
These games were developed to help advertise and showcase the Green Libraries initiative as well as it’s adherence to the Green Libraries Manifesto. Find more details regarding this in the button below!
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