Video Games

The UN has been active in the video and mobile gaming space for several years. Learn how to prevent disasters, contribute to ending hunger, take climate action, and more. Here’s our shortlist of video games produced by, or in partnership with, the United Nations.

Video Games and Violence Against Women and Girls: A Double-Edged Sword in the Digital Age

In an era where digital technology shapes cultural narratives, video games have become a potent medium significantly influencing societal attitudes. This influence becomes crucial in the context of violence against women and girls (VAWG), a pressing global concern. Recent initiatives by the United Nations mark a paradigm shift in...

Building Blocks of a Better City: Minecraft’s Role in Urban Development

This World Cities Day, we take a look at the innovative role of Minecraft, a leading video game, in reshaping urban spaces and fostering inclusivity in urban planning. The Block by Block initiative, a collaborative effort between Mojang, the studio behind Minecraft, Microsoft, and UN-Habitat, artfully bridges the world...

Video Games and Mental Health: A Surprising Ally

In the digital era, video games have become an integral part of audiovisual culture. Their sophisticated graphics, interactive narratives, and compelling storylines offer more than just entertainment—they have the potential to impact mental health positively. On today’s World Mental Health Day, it's crucial to recognize such unconventional mediums that...
00:04:52

The Best Job in the World: How I became a United Nations Video Game Expert

Imagine growing up with your mother telling you to stop playing video games, and then discovering that you have acquired such a useful skill that the United Nations hires you as a video game expert. That’s exactly what happened to Eugenio Gastelum, who grew up in Mexico playing Minecraft through...

UN uses new gaming technology to create environment simulation game for teenagers (via UNEP)

NAIROBI, 24 January 2023 – The UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Ozone Secretariat today launched a simulator game and avatar using the latest software technology. Apollo’s Edition is the latest addition to the Reset Earth education platform. Targeting 13-18-year-olds, the free online education material developed provides educators with resources to teach students the importance...

Gaming industry spotlights threats to the planet (via UNEP)

More than 3 billion people around the world play video games. And as they surf subways and unleash angry birds, a growing number are learning about the planet’s most-pressing environmental problems. That is thanks to the Playing for the Planet Alliance. Facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the alliance...

Path Out

Path Out is is an autobiographical adventure game that allows players to replay the journey of Abdullah Karam, a young Syrian artist that escaped the civil war in 2014. Camouflaged as a Japanese RPG, Path Out is a tale full of surprises, challenges and paradoxical humour, giving insight in this...

Online game showcases plight of our planet’s disappearing coral reefs (UNEP)

One of the world’s leading producers of online word games joined a global effort to help protect the planet’s coral reefs, which a new report finds are disappearing at an alarming rate. Sweden’s MAG Interactive has unveiled six ocean-themed games to educate people about the ocean, coral reefs and climate change risks. The...
00:00:50

The Antidote COVID-19 teaches players how to stay safe

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to sweep through the world, Antidote Laboratories receives a strange package. You are assigned to study it and WHAM!, get thrown into the frontlines of medical science. Based on real events and loaded with useful facts about COVID-19, the Antidote COVID-19 takes...

Plague Inc: The Cure – WHO and gamers join forces

Leading disease outbreak experts have come together to show gamers everywhere how to spot and stop a pandemic. A new expansion of the hit mobile game Plague Inc, now sees players trying to save the world from a deadly global pandemic, rather than destroying it with one. Plague Inc. The Cure was...