Why Flying Bats, Crying Over Cats, and Bamboo Worms Might Save the Planet

Genna Revell
Aug 12
4 min read

Updated: Aug 14

A bat made me think about local ecosystems.

A game about cats made me cry.

And a frog made me care about water quality.

I’m talking about the strange power of well-designed games. They don’t just tell you something’s important. They make you feel it.

Every time I try a Geo AR game, I find myself pulled into a story before I even realise I’m learning anything. One minute I’m getting chased by a dinosaur or looking for the next clue, and the next, I’m caring about something I’d barely thought about before.

Take the Smart Canning app. On paper, it’s about water quality at the Wharf Street Basin. In practice, it’s about becoming a bat. A Gould’s wattled bat, to be precise. One minute I’m holding my phone, the next I’m swooping over virtual treetops, catching insects and dodging obstacles. I’m also a motorbike frog at some point, but let’s stay focused… I’m a bat now, and suddenly I care deeply about local ecosystems. I didn’t sit down thinking, “I’m going to learn about pollutants today.” I just thought, “Cool, I can fly.” And the learning snuck in while I was having fun.

Smart Canning is an augmented reality app that's triggered by selfie style signs

Then there’s Cat Angels Triumph. This one doesn’t just tug at the heartstrings. It yanks them. I step into the role of a Cat Angel, making choices that determine whether a cat’s life is safe, happy, and loved… or not. Somewhere between “choose whether to go to the vet” and “find a forever home,” I’m suddenly blinking away tears. The fact that I now know more about microchipping, desexing, and adoption is almost a side effect. I’ve bonded with virtual cats, and now I’m more prepared for real-life cat emergencies.

Cat Angels Triumph is a free browser game that prepares owners for emergencies

And finally there’s Sandflat Heroes. It starts with a poster at the New Zealand Marine Discovery Centre, but once I scan it, I’m shrunken down and living in the sand. Suddenly I’m face-to-face with bamboo worms, clams, and other underground celebrities I didn’t even know existed. At first, I’m just nosy. But then I find out these little guys make oxygen, clean estuaries, and basically keep the whole ecosystem running. Without them, things get ugly fast. It’s like discovering the world’s tiniest, hardest-working superheroes… and now I can’t walk on a beach without wondering what’s happening under my feet.

Sandflat Heroes shows the hidden world below the sand. An augmented reality game, triggered by a poster.

That’s the magic trick. A bat, a cat, and a bamboo worm don’t just entertain me. They touch my heart. By the time I’ve flown, cried, and wiggled my way through their worlds, I’m a little more likely to plant a tree, adopt a rescue, or back a wetland restoration project. Which, if you think about it, is a pretty good day’s work for a bunch of pixels.

What I’ve come to realise is that I learn better when I’m having fun.

I’m not exempt just because I’m an adult.

Playing Geo AR games, I’ve cared about floods, climate, cultural heritage, biodiversity. Without a single voiceover that says “learning objective.”

Here’s what I’ve found...

1. Lead with Play. Not the Message.

If the game starts with my agenda, it’ll feel like propaganda.

If it starts with mystery, a mechanic that feels good, it will lead to curiosity.

I’ve rescued kittens, buzzed like bees, and chased time anomalies back to 1901, only to realise afterward that I’d learned something along the way. I’ve felt empathy for game characters, thought about ways to help the planet, and discovered the history of a real location by exploring beautifully recreated old buildings in Augmented Reality.

Aotea Stories is a time travel drama game which teaches about heritage and history of old buildings through location based augmented reality.

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Be Funny

Yes, climate change is serious.

But heavy topics need moments of levity, not to downplay the message, but to make it playable and relatable.

Raptors steal eggs. And dolphins need rescuing. One family friendly game called Magical Park even features a villainous mermaid with a pollution problem.

It sounds ridiculous, and that’s exactly why people remember it.

Because when someone laughs, they stay. When they stay, they care.

And when they care, they pick up rubbish. Or talk to their kids. Or change something, even just a little.

That’s how games help the planet: by making people feel like it’s theirs.

3. Let Players Make the “Wrong” Choice

Impact doesn’t come from being told what’s right, it comes from doing something, seeing the result, and thinking:

“Oh. That didn’t work.”

Whether it's walking too close to a neighbour during an outbreak in What’s the Plan, Stan? or endangering a virtual cat’s life by forgetting to microchip in Cat Angels Triumph, giving players space to mess up makes the message land.