The 2026 Green Games Jam Awards, an event organised by the environmental initiative Playing for the Planet, took place last week at the historic BFI Southbank venue. The ceremony celebrated game creators who have pushed the boundaries of sustainable development and who have woven ecological themes into compelling narratives. Over the course of the evening, eleven distinct honours were handed out, and two studios—Northern Forge Studios and Runaway Play—each walked away with a pair of awards, underscoring their leadership in the green gaming movement. Northern Forge Studios was recognised with the Best Small Studio award, a testament to the impact a boutique team can have when it aligns its creative vision with planetary stewardship.
In addition, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) selected the studio’s title Orna: The GPS RPG as its Choice award, highlighting the game’s innovative use of location‑based mechanics to promote awareness of environmental issues while delivering an engaging role‑playing experience. Orna’s blend of real‑world GPS data and fantasy storytelling encourages players to explore their surroundings, subtly reinforcing the idea that everyday spaces can be part of a larger ecological narrative.
Runaway Play also shone brightly, capturing the Best Storytelling award for its title Flutter: Butterfly Sanctuary. The game’s delicate art style and gentle gameplay revolve around caring for a virtual butterfly habitat, offering players an intimate look at the fragility of ecosystems and the importance of conservation. In a parallel honour, Google’s Choice award went to Runaway Play’s Splash – Fish Aquarium, a soothing simulation that showcases marine life while subtly educating users about ocean health, biodiversity, and the impacts of pollution.
Beyond the studio awards, several individual and corporate recognitions were presented. CD Projekt Red received the Changemaker award, acknowledging the company’s commitment to integrating sustainability into its development pipelines and community outreach. Ustwo Games’ Maria Sayans was celebrated with the Champion accolade, reflecting her personal leadership in championing green practices across the industry and inspiring peers to adopt more responsible production methods. Rovio Entertainment earned the Best Fundraising award for its continued support of charitable initiatives through popular titles such as Angry Birds Friends and Angry Birds Dream Blast.
The games not only generate revenue but also allocate a portion of proceeds to environmental causes, demonstrating how commercial success can be paired with philanthropy. Lisa Pak, Head of Operations at Playing for the Planet, summed up the spirit of the event: "Every year, the Green Game Jam shows how games can bring environmental stories to life and inspire players to protect and restore our planet." She added that the response from gamers to this year’s reef and rainforest content has been overwhelmingly positive, and she looks forward to expanding the conversation on resilience with millions of players worldwide during the eighth edition of the Green Game Jam slated for 2027. The awards ceremony marked the conclusion of this year’s Green Games Summit, a gathering that featured a series of talks, panels, and workshops with industry heavyweights such as Hasbro, Supercell, Ustwo Games, Playstack, and many others.
These sessions explored topics ranging from carbon‑neutral development pipelines to the use of procedural generation for creating realistic, eco‑friendly virtual ecosystems. Below is a comprehensive list of nominees and the ultimate winners for each category: - **Cards, the Universe and Everything** (Avid Games) – **Lords Mobile** (IGG) – **Seekers Notes** (Mytona) – *Winner: Seekers Notes (Mytona)* - **Cards, the Universe and Everything** (Avid Games) – **Flutter: Butterfly Sanctuary** (Runaway Play) – **Orna: The GPS RPG** (Northern Forge Studios) – *Winner: Orna: The GPS RPG (Northern Forge Studios)* - **Hope's Adventure** (Green Leap Games) – **Sunshine Island** (New Moon Studios) – **Splash – Fish Aquarium** – *Winner: Hope's Adventure (Green Leap Games)* - **Lords Mobile** (IGG) – **Call of Dragons** (Lilith Games) – **June's Journey** (Wooga) – *Winner: Lords Mobile (IGG)* - **Flutter: Butterfly Sanctuary** (Runaway Play) – **Hope's Adventure** (Green Leap Games) – **June's Journey** (Wooga) – *Winner: Flutter: Butterfly Sanctuary (Runaway Play)* - **June's Journey** (Wooga) – **Canasta Fun & Friends, Rummy Fun, Skat Treff & Tarot Classique** (GameDuell) – **Angry Birds Friends & Angry Birds Dream Blast** (Rovio Entertainment) – *Winner: Angry Birds Friends & Angry Birds Dream Blast (Rovio Entertainment)* - **Jonas Goodwin** (Runaway Play) – **Sophie Barteau** (Ubisoft Montreal) – **María Sayans** (Ustwo Games) – *Winner: María Sayans (Ustwo Games)* - **CD Projekt Red** – **Massive Entertainment** – **Megapop** – *Winner: CD Projekt Red* - **Lords Mobile** (IGG) – **Orna: The GPS RPG** (Northern Forge Studios) – **Splash – Fish Aquarium** (Runaway Play) – *Winner: Splash – Fish Aquarium (Runaway Play)* - **Match Masters** (Candivore) – **Hay Day** (Supercell) – **June's Journey** (Wooga) – *Winner: Hay Day (Supercell)* - **Orna: The GPS RPG** (Northern Forge Studios) – **June's Journey** (Wooga) – **Lords Mobile** (IGG) – *Winner: Orna: The GPS RPG (Northern Forge Studios)* The event not only highlighted the achievements of individual games but also reinforced a broader industry shift toward environmentally conscious design. By rewarding titles that blend entertainment with education, the Green Games Jam Awards encourage developers to think critically about the ecological footprint of their work and to explore innovative ways to inspire players to become stewards of the planet. As the community looks ahead to the 2027 edition, the momentum built in 2026 promises to drive even more ambitious projects that marry fun gameplay with meaningful, sustainable storytelling.