Seden MestanTo the older generation who still thinks gaming means endless hours glued to a screen, we need to say this loud and clear: that ship sailed ages ago. Today’s games are so much more than just pixels and play, they’re powerful tools for storytelling, building community, and even saving the planet. Yes, saving the planet.Enter Lili Ibrahim, the Lead Artist at ustwo Games, the studio behind the groundbreaking Monument Valley series and socially impactful gems like Alba: A Wildlife Adventure and The Lost Forest. Think games are just about fun? Sure, Alba lets you explore a sun-drenched island while snapping pictures of birds but it also planted one million real trees in Madagascar. That’s right, ‘real trees’. The games are out here cleaning up after humanity while the rest of us are still forgetting to recycle.Lili was in Istanbul on 7-8 December as a guest of the British Council Turkey for the Games for Change Türkiye Festival, where she unpacked how games can connect players to big topics like climate change, migration, and community building, all while keeping the fun intact. But there’s more: games are also a huge player in the creative economy, driving innovation, creating jobs, and delivering real-world impact. Who knew smashing buttons could be so productive?In our interview, Lili reveals how ustwo Games strikes that perfect balance between playfulness and purpose. From sneaky “green nudges” that nudge us into eco-friendly habits to breathtaking visuals that tell stories beyond words, she makes one thing crystal clear: Games aren’t just entertainment, they’re a playground for change.So, next time someone says you’re “wasting time” gaming, tell them you’re practically saving forests.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2024/11/1/1735558538771.png" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="2.01" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Lili IbrahimYour keynote at the Games for Change Türkiye Festival explored how games like Alba and Monument Valley: The Lost Forest inspire change.&nbsp;How do you think gaming is transforming the creative industries and contributing to social impact? Throughout my career, games have always been about more than just entertainment. I started with educational games and now focus on games with social impact. While they’re still entertainment, I always look for opportunities to incorporate education, communication, or messages that resonate with players. Games have become such a massive industry and a central part of how people consume entertainment. We no longer just watch films or read books; most of us play games as well. This gives us, as game developers, a unique platform. Much like films or documentaries can shape how people feel or think, games can help players engage with topics they might not otherwise consider.&nbsp;What drew you to the idea of using games as a medium for environmental and social storytelling, and how has that shaped your approach as a Lead Artist?&nbsp;&nbsp;That’s a great question. I hadn’t thought about it much before, but I grew up immersed in different forms of entertainment, reading books, watching films, and playing games. Games, in particular, stood out because of their interactivity. Unlike something you just watch, games allow you to touch, move, and interact, which creates a much deeper emotional impact.&nbsp;For me, art and games are about storytelling, stories of humanity, emotions, and connection. The interactivity of games makes them such an exciting way to tell those stories and help people connect to important topics.Alba: A Wildlife Adventure beautifully balances the joy of exploring nature with themes of environmental responsibility. You mentioned the game began as a way to capture the childhood joy of discovering birds, and sustainability emerged as a natural opportunity. How did you integrate sustainability into the gameplay while ensuring the experience remained fun and engaging?&nbsp;For us, making a good game always comes first. The hardest thing about game development isn’t adding a message or a social impact angle, it’s creating a genuinely enjoyable experience.Alba started as a project about capturing the joy of taking pictures of birds, of being a child in nature, and experiencing that sense of wonder. David and Kirstie, who came up with the concept, wanted to recreate feelings from their own childhoods. As the project developed, opportunities to incorporate themes of sustainability and saving the island naturally presented themselves, and we knew we had to lean into them.&nbsp;So, our approach was to create the best game possible and then build the most meaningful impact we could around that foundation.&nbsp;With Monument Valley: The Lost Forest, you described the project as a 'love letter to forests,' guiding players on a reflective and meditative journey through nature. How did you approach staying true to the original visual style of Monument Valley while creating an experience that evokes such an emotional and environmental connection?The Lost Forest was an incredibly interesting process for me as the Art Lead. It was a short project -just about three months- and we were adding to an existing game, Monument Valley 2. That meant we had to respect its established visual style while introducing something new.Early in the process, we decided that this chapter would be a ‘love letter to forests.’ That decision gave us the momentum to focus on how to create a visual experience that felt like taking the player’s hand and guiding them on a reflective walk through a forest.We wanted players to feel connected to trees and nature, to rediscover a love for forests. When the chapter launched, we received messages from players saying it made them think of their local forests or inspired them to care more about the trees near their homes. That kind of response was incredibly rewarding.How do you create stories at ustwo games? Can you tell us about your creative process?&nbsp;At ustwo games, our stories always start with us; our experiences, our passions, and our team. Monument Valley 2 was about a mother and child, which reflected the experiences of team members who were new parents and wanted to tell stories from that perspective.Alba began with two people who grew up in Spain, loved nature, and enjoyed bird spotting. Their passion became the heart of the story. Now with Monument Valley 3, which comes out soon, we’re exploring themes like climate, migration, and community.We have such an incredible and diverse team, including climate activists and immigrant refugees. Through conversations, we realized that Monument Valley 3 needed to tell a story about us; about our concerns, our hopes, and our desire to come together as a community. That’s how our stories are born.&nbsp;What kinds of reactions do you receive from players when they experience these meaningful messages in your games?&nbsp;The reactions are truly heartwarming. For games like Alba and The Lost Forest, the messaging is clear but not aggressive. Some players might not even notice the themes at first, but when they do, it’s amazing.We receive messages like, “My child played Alba and now recognizes birds in the backyard,” or, “We decided to clean the beach together after playing.” Those moments are incredibly motivating.For Alba, we also launched an initiative where we planted a tree for every game download, with a goal of planting one million trees. On the game’s first anniversary, we reached that goal, one million trees planted in Madagascar. It was a powerful realization for us as game developers: even though we sit in dark rooms working on our laptops, the impact of what we create can ripple out into the real world.&nbsp;Your workshop at the festival focuses on "Green Nudges in Games." How do you see small design elements influencing players’ behavior beyond the game world? What role does visual storytelling and art direction play in amplifying these messages?&nbsp;My inspiration comes from the Green Game Jam, where we created The Lost Forest. It showed me how, in a short amount of time, we could create meaningful content on important topics.&nbsp;Working within an existing game like Monument Valley 2 was a unique process, it already had an audience, characters, and rules, which made the creative process different and fast.&nbsp;Through this workshop, I hope to show that creating content around climate or social impact doesn’t have to feel daunting. Small changes can make a difference. I want participants to leave inspired, knowing they can integrate meaningful ideas into their own work, even in small ways.

Aposto World

In our interview, Lili reveals how ustwo Games strikes that perfect balance between playfulness and purpose. From sneaky “green nudges” that nudge us into eco-friendly habits to breathtaking visuals that tell stories beyond words, she makes one thing crystal clear: Games aren’t just entertainment, they’re a playground for change.

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