Trevor Noah’s Day Zero Productions and Anima Interactive announced the winners of their game jam, Day Zero Games: Solarpunk Jam.
Out of nearly 200 participants from 35 countries, Solar Salvage, a vehicle building and exploration game created by just three developers: Nattland Interactive in Sweden and 707 Heaven in Norway, has been awarded the $10,000 grand prize.
Additional finalists include: Banyu, a cozy sailing and scavenging game developed by Hotfix Labs, a team from Indonesia; Sky Patch, a peaceful 3D farming platformer and puzzle adventure where players must revitalize quiet, floating islands, developed by Null Jam Games, an international team.
The winning games will be featured during the Green Games Showcase at Summer Games Fest, airing June 7 at 1 p.m. Pacific time, spotlighting the next generation of climate-conscious creators.
“You can sense the desire for honest, optimistic games in the Solarpunk Jam’s submissions,” said Dan Zubrzycki, Head of Games at Day Zero Productions, in a statement. “Teams from Indonesia, South Africa, Norway, Colombia, and beyond treated the theme not just as an aesthetic, but as an invitation to engage the climate crisis with hope and ingenuity. We’re excited to be in conversation with our winner and finalists about where they want to take their projects, and to keep building community-driven events like the Solarpunk Jam.”
Day Zero Games: Solarpunk Jam launched on Earth Day, April 22, 2025, and ran through May 10, 2025, challenging developers to create original video game prototypes inspired by solarpunk — a growing literary and visual movement that envisions radical optimism, environmental stewardship, and social equity.
“Solarpunk is still a fairly nascent movement, and this game jam has helped push the movement forward, demonstrating how video games can bring its ideals to life” said Karla Reyes, founder and creative director at Anima Interactive, in a statement. “Games offer a uniquely fertile ground to explore the complexities of climate justice, community resilience, and brighter futures – through narrative, systems, aesthetics, and active player participation. It’s incredible to see what the participants achieved in only a few weeks, and we hope that this initiative can inspire more creators interested in imagining and building a solarpunk world.”
The jam was sponsored by Cinereach, a story lab behind acclaimed films like Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Beasts of the Southern Wild and The Carmack Collective, a fund that supports catalyzing transformative change in the pursuit of climate justice.
Ahead of the game jam, participants received a narrative blueprint developed by Cinereach in collaboration with Good Energy, providing climate research and storytelling tools designed with input from scientists and frontline communities.
“We are so impressed with how these brilliant game developers interpreted the narrative blueprints to imagine hopeful, regenerative new worlds in the face of climate change,” said Candice McFarlane, chief creative officer at Cinereach, in a statement. “These creators have brought the insights to life in exciting, inspiring ways that show games have the power to help shape our future while being a pleasure to play. We’re incredibly proud to champion these projects alongside Day Zero and Anima.”
With global participation, cross-cultural collaboration, and powerful storytelling, the results of Day Zero Games: Solarpunk Jam prove the growing appetite for stories that challenge dystopia with beauty, joy, and ecological imagination.
Watch the winners at the Summer Games Fest Green Games Showcase on June 7th at 1pm PST and explore the full collection of submissions on itch.io.
Day Zero Productions is a joint venture between Trevor Noah and Paramount Global. Its Gaming division collaborates closely with the company’s film and television projects to take a 360-degree approach to storytelling. In addition to trans-media initiatives, DZP produces original interactive experiences like JokeNite with Epic Games, and supports the broader industry through strategic investments, including a seed round in Midsummer Studios, founded by Firaxis veteran and XCOM creator Jake Solomon.
Anima Interactive is a new socially conscious independent games and immersive media studio that blends art and technology to ignite positive cultural change. We’re currently developing Take Us North, a narrative adventure that immerses players in the poignant journeys of migrants and asylum seekers on their way to cross the US-Mexico border. Learn more at www.anima-interactive.com.
Cinereach is a not-for-profit story lab advancing stories that spark curiosity, empathy and agency. We are working to revolutionize the narrative process, improving how stories are made and consumed, and bridging the gap between social impact storytelling and popular entertainment in film, television, and emerging media. Originally founded in 2006 as a film foundation and production company, Cinereach has supported more than 200 beloved and acclaimed films, including Academy Award Best Picture-nominees Beasts of the Southern Wild and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Learn more at Cinereach.org.
With an annual grantmaking budget of approximately $1.5 million, The Carmack Collecntive focuses on two primary strategies: Movement Building and Culture Change. The fund supports frontline organizations and cultural initiatives that challenge the fossil fuel industry’s dominance, aiming to shift narratives and empower communities most affected by environmental injustices. Emphasizing transparency and power-sharing, the Collective employs trust-based philanthropy practices, including multi-year, unrestricted funding and minimal application requirements, to ensure that resources are allocated effectively and equitably.
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