Earth Day isn’t just about turning off the lights or skipping plastic bags—it’s also a good time to think about the bigger picture. Some video games are doing just that, putting environmental themes front and center.
These eco-themed games don’t just show you nature—they make you interact with it, protect it, or sometimes rebuild it after it’s gone. Whether they’re subtle or direct, they all raise questions about how we treat the world around us.
So in honour of Earth Day, here are a few eco-themed games that actually make you think.
6. E.V.O.: Search for Eden
Long before climate change was a headline, E.V.O.: Search for Eden offered one of the earliest eco-themed experiences on a home console. Released on the SNES, this action-RPG lets you guide a lifeform through Earth’s prehistoric eras, evolving based on what you eat, how you survive, and the dangers you face. Want a fish with jaws and legs? You can make it. A flying lizard with horns? Sure. But every change affects your survival and the balance of nature.
The game touches on extinction, environmental shifts, and even the consequences of unnatural evolution. It doesn’t preach, but it does make you think—especially when species vanish or the ecosystem turns against you. It’s a product of its time, but still feels strangely relevant today.
Few games from the ’90s asked players to consider their place in the food chain, let alone the ripple effect of every adaptation. E.V.O. remains a cult classic and one of the boldest eco-themed games of its generation.
5. Pikmin 2
Pikmin 2 doesn’t hit you over the head with environmental themes, but they’re there—quietly growing in the background. Set on a distant, post-human Earth, you play as tiny space travelers exploring a planet overrun by plants, wildlife, and forgotten junk. You’re not just collecting treasures—you’re salvaging batteries, soda caps, and bits of lost human culture from nature’s grip.
With the help of your Pikmin—part plant, part creature—you navigate lush forests, caves, and ruins. Each day brings natural hazards, changing weather, and creatures defending their territory. There’s no pollution or obvious destruction, but the balance between nature and survival is always present.
The game never says, “This is Earth.” But the clues are everywhere, and it’s hard not to reflect on how quickly nature reclaims what we leave behind. While other Pikmin games explore similar ideas, Pikmin 2 gives you more time to take in the world and notice what’s been lost. For a Nintendo game filled with adorable helpers, Pikmin 2 offers a surprisingly thoughtful look at the relationship between progress, waste, and the wild world we left behind.
4. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure trades in high stakes for small acts that actually matter. You play as a young girl on vacation who notices her beloved island is in trouble—trash is piling up, animals are disappearing, and a shady developer wants to build a luxury hotel over a nature reserve. So, you start picking up litter, rescuing animals, and rallying the townspeople to protect their home.
The game keeps everything light and accessible, but its message is clear: small actions add up. It doesn’t lecture or guilt-trip—it just shows how everyday care and community effort can push things in the right direction.
Its sun-soaked visuals and relaxing pace make it perfect for younger audiences or anyone looking for something hopeful. While other eco-themed games dive into collapse and consequence, Alba keeps things grounded in the present. It reminds you that you don’t have to save the whole world—just your little part of it.
3. Subnautica
Subnautica drops you into the middle of an alien ocean with no map, no weapons, and no real direction—just water, pressure, and survival. As you dive deeper, you uncover coral reefs, kelp forests, glowing caves, and entire ecosystems that feel alive. It’s beautiful, but also fragile.
You’re constantly managing resources: oxygen, food, power. Harvest too much, and you notice the consequences. Kill too many fish in one area? That species might not come back. The game never preaches, but the message is clear—nature runs on balance, and you’re not exempt just because you have a fancy diving suit.
Beyond that, Subnautica tells a quiet story about corporate exploitation, habitat destruction, and the unintended consequences of colonizing a living world. It’s one of the most visually stunning and thoughtful climate change games out there—even if it never says the words. It’s thrilling, yes—but it also quietly asks, “What are you doing to this place?”
2. Endling: Extinction is Forever
Some eco-themed games make you think. Endling makes you feel it. You play as the last mother fox on Earth, trying to keep your four cubs alive in a world that’s falling apart. Forests are on fire, pollution chokes the rivers, and humans are either scared, hostile, or desperate. You scavenge for food, avoid traps, and try to find shelter—one day at a time.
What makes Endling powerful isn’t just the message. It’s the emotional weight. Every cub has a personality. You teach them to hunt. They get scared when danger is near. And if one dies, they’re gone for good.
There’s no lengthy cutscene explaining what went wrong. You see it in the smoggy skies, the collapsing terrain, and the growing distance between you and any real safety. Endling doesn’t point fingers—it just asks you to care. By the end, you’re not thinking about game mechanics. You’re thinking about survival, loss, and what it means when the wild runs out of time.
1. Terra Nil
Most strategy games are about building empires. Terra Nil is about leaving nothing behind. Instead of expansion, your goal is restoration. You start with a barren wasteland and use clean energy, irrigation systems, and eco-tech to bring life back—one biome at a time. Once the area is thriving, you recycle everything and quietly move on.
There’s no combat, no enemies, and no conquest. It’s calm, deliberate, and thoughtful. You watch grass reclaim deserts, rivers return to dry valleys, and animals slowly reappear as the environment heals.
What makes Terra Nil stand out is how complete it feels. Every piece of progress feels earned, and the game subtly asks: what if success meant leaving no trace? It flips the usual genre formula on its head and creates something hopeful, not heavy-handed.
It’s the perfect game for Earth Day—not just because of its message, but because it reminds you that repair, not growth, might be the goal.
Nature Always Finds a Way—If We Let It
Eco-themed games come in all forms—some emotional, some strategic, some quiet, and some built around survival. But what they share is a willingness to slow things down and ask you to notice the world around you, not just the one you control.
From the haunting journey of a fox in Endling to the hopeful cleanup in Terra Nil, each of these games leaves a little more room for reflection. And they’re not alone—older titles like Ecco the Dolphin were already exploring the connection between nature, survival, and balance decades ago. Maybe we just weren’t ready to listen yet.
So whether you’re planting coral, saving cubs, or just picking up trash in a small town, these environmentally themed games don’t just entertain—they remind you that the environment isn’t just a setting.
Got a favorite eco-themed game we didn’t include? Drop it in the comments—especially if it’s one you’re playing this Earth Day.
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