Ian Bogost - Water Cooler Games - Destroy the Rainforest Game

my affiliations

Ian Bogost - videogame theory, criticism, design

about me

contact

Water Cooler Games

Water Cooler Games served as the web's primary forum for "videogames with an agenda" — coverage of the uses of video games in advertising, politics, education, and other everyday activities, outside the sphere of entertainment.

The site was maintained at watercoolergames.org from 2003-2009, where it was edited by myself and Gonzalo Frasca. It is now archived here in full.

You are reading an archived version of this article. The original URL was (loading...)

Destroy the Rainforest Game

by Ian Bogost February 3, 2005

categories: Activism Games , Public Policy Games

Ok, it's really a game about preserving the rainforest, but it's pretty terrible. The Rainforest Foundation has commissioned Congo Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Bark. The game is a sidescrolling platformer. The player controls a monkey or a bear or something who has to avoid flying chainsaws. It's a great lesson in how not to make a game about activism; the core message is totally lost in distracting gameplay, rather than being the gameplay. Let me know if you get it to load... I did play it a few weeks back, it doesn't seem to be working right now. You can see screenshots. (thanks to Ben)

Comments (6)

Works fine on my Mac. At least on the technical level, the controls are far from great. On the other hand, I like the graphics. What I really hate is the fact that they force you to read the instructions. I can imagine the client behind it, thinking that it is important to force the message down the throat of poor players. I agree that the game could have taken another approach, but it is also true that it seems to be targeted to children (even though I am not totally about this). It is always so hard to judge advergames without knowing the brief behind it.

Gonzalo on February 3, 2005 9:35 PM

Gonzalo on February 3, 2005 9:37 PM

Even ignoring the gameplay issues, it strikes me that characterizing loggers and the World Bank as slick villians in business suits with ridiculous chainsaw wielding robots would alienate anyone who doesn't already agree with The Rainforest Foundation.

Games are inherently simulations of one sort or another, so I think they are more effective when the game content appears balanced and true to reality. There's certainly enough injustice and conflict in the world to drive these games, without having to invent any and erode the credibility of the game.

neilg on February 4, 2005 4:20 PM

ljljjgkjjoiffhfdifhdfugfyuyt ttiutitiutrturtrut

Anonymous on February 22, 2005 6:32 PM

really boring who doesn't want to destroy things

God on September 15, 2006 10:28 PM

really boring who doesn't want to destroy things

God on September 15, 2006 10:28 PM