A new version of the strategy game Catan, in which players contend with clean energy, fossil fuels, overpopulation, and pollution, is set to be released. Catan: New Energies replaces the game’s classic themes of settlement and conquest with a left-wing ‘green‘ political message. Original game creator Klaus Teuber and his son, Benjamin Teuber, developed the new version.
This new version of the game sees players choose between cheaper fossil fuels or renewables, wrestle with limited resources as pollution increases, deal with the alleged effects of climate change, and use “green tokens” to counter pollution. If pollution hits a certain level, the entire game ends.
“You must decide: Invest in clean energy resources or opt for cheaper fossil fuels, potentially causing disastrous effects for the island?” states its description in the Catan shop.
Benjamin Teuber revealed the new version is less about having fun and more about spreading a political message. “Very often at the end of the game, you see everybody completely freaking out,’” he noted. “But the pollution is already here, like what did you expect? And then maybe people start working together,” he continued. Teuber said the game makes people think “If we do all work together and all did our share, then it can work, and all it cost is that we grow a little bit slower.”
The types of policies that appear to be implicitly encouraged by Catan: New Energies are currently wreaking havoc in Europe. Recent reports suggest that green policies in the UK could spark nationwide food shortages. The EU recently backpedaled on much of its green agenda following mass protests by farmers.
