Simplifying or removing the context can enable players to process new information – even if it’s not in alignment with their existing biases.

EXAMPLE
In Obsidian’s sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds, attentive players may discover that the behaviour of the colony’s corrupt ruling class seems oddly familiar with what happens today on Earth, but in a completely different context. By using abstraction, the game hones in on the intended emotions in the play experience.

WHY USE IT?
Climate change may be seen as inherently stigmatized in some circles. By removing many of the details that certain players may dispute or not believe, abstraction of experience allows players to still emotionally identify with in-game experiences that may be starkly different than their own.

MORE ABOUT THIS TACTIC

• Abstracted games break down highly complex situations. The simple and abstract are more easily understood from an emotional level, allowing players to connect to experiences or knowledge emotionally rather than logically.
• Abstraction will probably dilute your message, so be careful not to rely on it if you don’t think it’s needed. In the US, gamers support climate action more strongly than the average citizen so unless you are aiming your message specifically at the sceptics, “loud and proud” may now be a winning strategy.
• If the player does not have a meaningful connection with the experience and/or does not recognize the design intent, players may not map the decisions they make in-game to what can be done in the real world. To mitigate this, consider opportunities to surface the underlying design intent – be it in-game or through community engagement (see Metagame). You can also consider leveraging Locality and Local Knowledge to partner with a local climate advocacy organization who can help translate the abstracted experience into specific, concrete real-world action they are already doing.

From the Environmental Game Design Playbook
– by IGDA Climate SIG