On June 28, 2024, Joost Raessens gave a talk at the Games for Change Festival in New York City (June 27–28), sharing the foundational research behind the STRATEGIES project on ecogames.

As the climate crisis continues to deepen, games are increasingly being called upon to confront their role in addressing it. His talk Ecogames: Playful Perspectives on the Climate Crisis sought to contribute to a sharp critique of the climate emergency, with the aim of fostering more meaningful transformative change.

To this end, four dimensions of activism were highlighted, corresponding to fundamental aspects of human experience: knowing, feeling, imagining, and acting. The discussion examined how ecogames can promote change through systems thinking (ecocritical and postcolonial awareness and reflection; ecological thought), by mobilizing strong motivational forces, envisioning alternative futures, encouraging individual lifestyle changes, and advocating for broader societal transformation.