Pralay is a political strategy-based climate change board game. The game is set in a fictionalised world grappling with a climate crisis. The players’ goal is to gain votes to become the president of this world government—a task easier said than done! As players navigate environmental dilemmas, they are faced with competing tensions between social, cultural, economic and environmental trade-offs. Each candidate comes from one of the three factions with different priorities and contexts, and they must simultaneously ensure the well-being of their faction’s people. However, temperatures are rising, crops are failing, and the global climate index needs to be kept in check so the world president can actually be sworn in…
Decades of research on climate communication and behavioural science suggests that doom and gloom can lead to disengagement with the global crisis facing us. Pralay emerges as a wonderful confluence of science and creativity that allows people to immerse themselves in an unknown and intricate world where their actions have real-time consequences. By putting the player in the driving seat, Pralay blends escapism and realism into one unforgettable experience.
The journey so far
August 2024: Pralay begins at YIF as part of the Experiential Learning Module. The idea began with a narrative video game which eventually became the Pralay board game.
January 2025: Pralay goes to India Science festival, Pune. Over 500 people played the game and supported our hypothesis about using games as a tool for climate communication.
May 2025: Pralay’s first working prototype takes form!
June 2025: Pralay won the Outstanding ELM Award at Ashoka University.
September 2025: Playtesting different iterations of Pralay continues across the globe.
January 2026: Meeplecon, Mumbai - Pralay faces its first exposure to the wider board game community. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews and feedback from seasoned meeples and climate enthusiasts across 10 game sessions.
April 2026: Play for the Planet, UK - Pralay is showcased alongside other climate games. With an increasing interest among the scientific community in developing alternate modes of engagement, the conference validated Pralay’s unique fusion of stories, politics, and gameplay.