The 2026 Green Games Jam Awards, organized by the environmental initiative Playing for the Planet, took place last week at London’s iconic BFI Southbank. The event celebrated developers who have pushed the boundaries of sustainable game creation and who have woven ecological narratives into their titles. In total, eleven distinct honors 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 captured the Best Small Studio prize, a recognition of the studio’s ability to deliver high‑quality experiences while operating with a lean, environmentally conscious footprint.
In addition, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) selected Northern Forge’s Orna: The GPS RPG as its Choice award winner. Orna blends location‑based gameplay with a role‑playing framework, encouraging players to explore real‑world environments while learning about biodiversity and conservation. The UNEP accolade highlighted the game’s innovative use of GPS data to foster a deeper connection between digital play and the natural world. Runaway Play also shone brightly, taking home the Best Storytelling award for Flutter: Butterfly Sanctuary.
The title tells a heartfelt tale of a fragile butterfly habitat under threat, using interactive storytelling to illustrate the delicate balance of ecosystems. Judges praised the game for its emotional resonance and its ability to educate players about pollinator decline without sacrificing fun.
Runaway Play’s second trophy came from Google, which named Splash – Fish Aquarium its Choice award. Splash offers a serene underwater simulation that promotes marine conservation through realistic fish behavior and habitat restoration mechanics, aligning perfectly with Google’s sustainability goals for interactive media. The ceremony also highlighted broader industry contributions.
CD Projekt Red received the Changemaker award, recognizing the Polish studio’s commitment to integrating climate‑positive practices into its development pipelines and its advocacy for greener policies across the gaming sector. Ustwo Games’ Maria Sayans was honored with the Champion accolade, celebrating her personal leadership in championing sustainable design and her role in steering Ustwo toward carbon‑neutral production. Rovio Entertainment earned the Best Fundraising award for its continued support of environmental causes through the popular Angry Birds Friends and Angry Birds Dream Blast titles.
The games have generated significant charitable donations, demonstrating how mainstream franchises can leverage their massive player bases for positive impact. Lisa Pak, head of operations at Playing for the Planet, reflected on the significance of the event: “Each year, the Green Game Jam illustrates how interactive entertainment can bring urgent environmental stories to life and motivate players to become stewards of the planet.” She added that the response to this year’s reef and rainforest themes had been overwhelmingly positive, and that the organization looks forward to deepening the conversation around ecological resilience with millions of gamers during the eighth edition of the Green Game Jam in 2027. The awards ceremony concluded the annual Green Games Summit, a gathering that featured a series of talks, panels, and workshops from industry leaders such as Hasbro, Supercell, Ustwo Games, Playstack, and several others.
Participants discussed topics ranging from carbon accounting in game development to the role of narrative in driving climate action. Below is a comprehensive list of nominees and winners from the night, illustrating the breadth of titles that are pushing the envelope in green gaming: - Cards, the Universe and Everything (Avid Games) – Nominee - Lords Mobile (IGG) – Nominee - Seekers Notes (Mytona) – **Winner** - Cards, the Universe and Everything (Avid Games) – Nominee - Flutter: Butterfly Sanctuary (Runaway Play) – Nominee - Orna: The GPS RPG (Northern Forge Studios) – **Winner** - Hope’s Adventure (Green Leap Games) – **Winner** - Sunshine Island (New Moon Studios) – Nominee - Splash – Fish Aquarium (Runaway Play) – Nominee - Lords Mobile (IGG) – **Winner** - Call of Dragons (Lilith Games) – Nominee - June’s Journey (Wooga) – Nominee - Flutter: Butterfly Sanctuary (Runaway Play) – **Winner** - Hope’s Adventure (Green Leap Games) – Nominee - June’s Journey (Wooga) – Nominee - June’s Journey (Wooga) – Nominee - Canasta Fun & Friends, Rummy Fun, Skat Treff & Tarot Classique (GameDuell) – Nominee - Angry Birds Friends & Angry Birds Dream Blast (Rovio Entertainment) – **Winner** - Jonas Goodwin (Runaway Play) – Nominee - Sophie Barteau (Ubisoft Montreal) – Nominee - María Sayans (Ustwo Games) – **Winner** - CD Projekt Red – **Winner** - Massive Entertainment – Nominee - Megapop – Nominee - Lords Mobile (IGG) – Nominee - Orna: The GPS RPG (Northern Forge Studios) – Nominee - Splash – Fish Aquarium (Runaway Play) – **Winner** - Match Masters (Candivore) – Nominee - Hay Day (Supercell) – **Winner** - June’s Journey (Wooga) – Nominee - Orna: The GPS RPG (Northern Forge Studios) – **Winner** - June’s Journey (Wooga) – Nominee - Lords Mobile (IGG) – Nominee These results underscore a growing trend: developers are increasingly embedding sustainability into both the mechanics and the messages of their games. By rewarding titles that educate, inspire, and directly contribute to environmental causes, the Green Games Jam Awards are helping to shape a future where entertainment and ecological responsibility go hand in hand.