Tabletop Sustainability at GDC 2026: Carol Mertz on Creating a Culture of Change. At the 2026 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Green Games Guide board member Carol Mertz took to the stage to ask a pressing question: what responsibility do tabletop creators bear for the environmental impact of the games they make?

Last week, our project Coordinator, Joost Raessens began work as a Research member of the Supervisory Committee of the Creative Industries Immersive Impact Coalition (CIIIC).

Virtual reality has emerged as an engaging medium for environmental education, public engagement, and imaginative worldbuilding. This report maps the global landscape of VR experiences and institutions working at the intersection of immersive technology and sustainability. It provides a historical and conceptual overview of VR, along with a catalogue of 79 sustainability‑focused VR experiences, ranging from ocean acidification and coral reef decline to rainforest preservation, biodiversity loss, planetary perspectives inspired by the ‘overview effect’, environmental justice, and the interdependence of human life with the broader non-human world, including animals, plants, and ecosystems.

One of STRATEGIES' ongoing contributions to the broader sustainable games ecosystem is the work Chloé Wake is doing as Academic Coordinator for the Sustainable Games Alliance, bringing together researchers and universities from across the globe who are working on sustainability and the games industry.

Do you develop games that aim to make a difference — and want to connect with others doing the same? STRATEGIES researchers Thierry Baujard and Matthes Lindner, working with our partners at Spielfabrique, are building a small, trusted network for developers who believe video games can be tools for change.

The Green Games Guide (GGG) has released version 1.1 of its essential open resource for sustainable design in the tabletop games industry — and STRATEGIES research has contributed directly to the update.