Play the Problem: A Panel on Socially and Environmentally Conscious Video Games

SGA General 23.06.2026.
Time 6 PM - 8 PM
Language English
Location Impact Hub
Price free
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Play the Problem: A Panel on Socially and Environmentally Conscious Video Games

Can video games change the way we think about climate change and social problems? Are games just entertainment or can they be a space for empathy, critical reflection and social action? How to avoid moralizing and still send a strong message? And is the video game industry ready to take more responsibility for the topics that shape our future?

In recent years, more and more authors have used video games to raise issues of environmental protection, corruption and other social problems. Through interactivity, players not only observe problems but also experience them, make decisions and face consequences.

At the Play the Problem panel, we discuss how socially and environmentally conscious games are created, what impact they can have on the audience and where the limits of their engagement are. Join us in a conversation about games that don’t just offer an escape from reality, but encourage us to understand it better.

The moderator of the panel is Emilija Dojčinović from the Razigra Citizens’ Association, a non-profit that deals with the development, promotion and application of video games to convey socially significant messages. They created the mobile game Sort & Recycle, an educational game that teaches you the right recycling practices through interaction and engaging mini-quizzes.

And here are the panelists:

Florent Maurin, President, The Pixel Hunt

Florent is the founder of the Parisian studio The Pixel Hunt and a member of the board of directors of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo, the French association of the video game industry. The Pixel Hunt is known for creating “games inspired by reality”, including titles such as Bury me, my Love, The Wreck and Wednesdays. Florent is currently developing a new game, Ithaca, a travel RPG focused on climate resilience. As part of the project’s upcoming Kickstarter campaign, he is currently undertaking a journey from France to Ithaca, Greece. His goal is to talk to creators about the question at the heart of this project: “Why make video games in a world that’s on fire?”

Igor Simić, CEO and Creative Director, Demagog Studio

Demagog Studio is known for games that explore social inequalities, climate change and the consequences of modern economic and political systems through a striking post-apocalyptic world. Golf Club: Nostalgia, Highwater and The Cub are set in a shared universe of the future where environmental disasters and social divisions have shaped the fate of humanity, while through story, atmosphere and satire, players are encouraged to think about the real problems of today. Demagog Studio thus stood out as one of the most recognizable regional examples of how video games can be entertaining, artistically ambitious and socially engaged at the same time.

Marjana Brkić, Assistant Director, Center for the Promotion of Science

In front of the CPS, Marjana will present the Climate Capsule, an artistic and scientific installation that introduces the audience to the space between the present and the future of the climate crisis. Conceived as a kind of time capsule, this exhibition connects scientific knowledge and personal testimonies to bring climate change closer to visitors not only as an ecological and scientific phenomenon, but also as a deep social, emotional and generational issue. The exhibition will be available at the panel.

Anđela Jovanović, Community Manager, Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia

CIJS published the web game Dobar, loš, korumpiran, in which you take on the position of city manager. Solve ethical and legal challenges so that you don’t lose your job, but beware the support of tycoons and politicians. Be careful not to get caught red-handed! The examples are inspired by real cases.

Mirjana Jovanović, Program Manager, Belgrade Open School

BOS has developed a board game dealing with air pollution, as well as a mobile game called Spasi svoj kraj. It is an educational video game designed to teach you the importance of being involved in decision-making about environmental protection. In this 15-minute game, you will play as a resident of the fictional town of Čučevac, which faces the challenges of a large investment project. Discover the consequences of mining the precious metal, adamantine, interact with community members, journalists and scientists, and participate in environmental decision-making scenarios, where your voice will be heard – or not, depending on your choices.

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Florent Maurin’s participation in the panel was made possible through the Game Caravan project, which is realized in cooperation with the French Institute.

Emilija Dojčinović,
Co-founder, Razigra
About the lecturer

Emilija Dojčinović is an artist and cultural worker who lives and creates in Belgrade. Her work develops at the intersection of contemporary art, cultural management, digital media and participatory practices. She is one of the founders of Razigra, an association dedicated to the development of video games with socially beneficial, educational and cultural themes. She is currently involved in projects that connect cultural heritage, young audiences and digital tools, including the gamification of the permanent exhibition of the Museum of Vojvodina and the development of a video game based on the opera PERMAFROST. She has presented her work and research at professional and international conferences, as well as in several group exhibitions in Serbia and abroad. Her interests focus on the ways in which art, video games and interactive formats can create space for new experiences, learning, empathy, social dialogue and the inclusion of diverse audiences.

Florent Maurin,
President, The Pixel Hunt
About the lecturer

Graduated from the Lille School of Journalism in 2002. He began his career as a journalist before founding the game studio The Pixel Hunt a decade later. Today, Florent serves as the studio’s Creative Director, Lead Game Designer and/or Producer on the studio’s titles, which include Bury me my Love, Inua, The Wreck and Wednesdays. He is also a published author, a teacher, and a board member of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo, France’s national video game trade association.

Igor Simić,
CEO/Creative Director, Demagog Studio
About the lecturer

Igor Simić (born 1988) graduated in film direction and philosophy from Columbia University in New York. His short films were shown and awarded at film festivals, but also in art institutions such as Kunsthalle Mainz, Ulm Museum, Château de Montsoreau, Art Institute of Chicago, Hygiene Museum. His short film Melancholic Drone won first prize at the LOOP Barcelona festival in 2016. He is represented by the Anita Beckers gallery in Frankfurt. This year, Igor will exhibit at the Biennale in Lyon. Simić is a mentor within the Berlinale Talents and Sarajevo Film Festival Innovation Forum.

As Creative Director, Simić is the co-founder of Demagog Studio, which is best known for the game Golf Club: Nostalgia (originally Golf Club: Wasteland), which was promoted by Apple in 2018 and sold over 250,000 copies on PC and consoles. Demagog went on to develop two more games set in the same universe: The Cub, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022, and Highwater, released for Netflix in 2023. Currently, Demagog Studio is in production on its fourth game in the same universe, Gaia Sunrise.

 

 

Marjana Brkić,
Assistant Director, Centar za promociju nauke
About the lecturer

Marjana Brkić has been engaged in scientific communication for over 10 years, with a special focus on the topics of climate change, STEM education and connecting science with society. Through numerous European projects, she developed programs that translate complex scientific topics into participatory, artistic, educational and technological formats intended for a wider audience. She participated in the production of several artistic and scientific projects, especially those dealing with climate change, as well as the relationship between man, technology and nature.

 

 

Anđela Jovanović,
Community Manager, Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia
About the lecturer

Anđela Jovanović is a Community Manager at CINS (Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia), where she focuses on audience engagement, social media strategy, and digital content production. Part of her work is dedicated to the promotion and amplification of investigative journalism through innovative interactive formats — including informative quizzes and CINS’ game-based content.

Mirjana Jovanović,
Program Manager, Belgrade Open School
About the lecturer
Mirjana Jovanović is a Program Manager at the Belgrade Open School, in the program area Energy, Climate and Environment. She is in charge of managing the development of the program area Energy, climate, designing project ideas, leading the team and monitoring and coordinating the implementation of projects in the field of environmental protection, energy and climate change. She completed her master’s studies in environmental management and energy efficiency at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. She previously graduated from the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Faculty of Forestry in Belgrade. She gained project experience through many years of work in the civil sector, student and professional associations.
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