Ithaca: a scintillating eco-thriller RPG that aims to confront our violent moment

The new role-playing game Ithaca, developed by French studio Pixel Hunt, is an eco-thriller that tackles the climate crisis and political violence in a unique and thought-provoking way.

Ithaca has a striking opening scene: Penelope, a disillusioned environmental lawyer, discovers the unconscious body of an oil company CEO in her car's trunk. This setup is a far cry from the typical fantasy fare of most role-playing games, and instead draws inspiration from real-world issues like the climate crisis and political violence.

Pixel Hunt, the developer behind Ithaca, specializes in what it calls "reality-inspired" games. The studio has made a number of arresting works in recent years, including a game about a Syrian refugee couple making a perilous migrant journey across Europe and another tackling the life-shattering effects of child sexual abuse.

The climate crisis was always on the mind of Pixel Hunt founder and Ithaca writer Florent Maurin. He says it is the "uber problem of our day," the problem that touches all others. Maurin was inspired to tackle the subject in Ithaca after being posed a question by his wife: "How, considering all we know scientifically about the climate crisis, do we explain to our daughters that we didn't spend every weekend marching, protesting and demanding the powers that be to take meaningful action?"

Maurin's eventual response was to make a video game that tackles the subject in a unique way. In Ithaca, you drive along a procedurally generated road, soaking up vistas of huge windfarms, mountains passes and gorges filled with clean blue water. You talk to family and friends, with the decisions you make affecting the direction you take on the asphalt highway and the branching storyline.

The game raises prickly, ethical questions that are influenced by the real world's growing upheaval. Maurin has been struck by what he sees as a sea change in attitudes towards political violence. He cites the reactions to Luigi Mangione's alleged killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the assassination of rightwing activist Charlie Kirk.

The road Penelope ventures down is something of a metaphor for "where we are all heading," says Maurin. As the mythic home of Odysseus, Ithaca, Penelope's ultimate destination, was chosen for its allegorical meaning: Maurin says it offers an opportunity to think through ideas of home in a broader, almost planetary sense.

Maurin sees the current moment as one in which "we're trying to discover where we want to go collectively as a species." He believes that Ithaca is an urgent question, dovetailing with the game's high-octane story and what he sees around him on a daily basis in Burgundy, central France.

When Maurin arrived in Burgundy 10 years ago, it was verdant and green. However, now drought arrives every summer, killing any trees ill-suited to such high temperatures and a lack of water. Hillsides are littered with their grey and yellow arboreal remains. Maurin says that "every time, I look out of the window and I think, 'We have to talk about this very fast.'" Because things are changing way too quickly for nature to be able to adapt.

The game's developer, Pixel Hunt, has a track record of creating thought-provoking and impactful games. Ithaca is no exception, and it is sure to spark important conversations about the climate crisis and political violence.

## A Unique Approach to Tackling the Climate Crisis

Ithaca takes a unique approach to tackling the climate crisis by using a video game as a medium. This allows players to engage with the issue in a more interactive and immersive way. The game's developer, Pixel Hunt, has a track record of creating thought-provoking and impactful games.

## A Prickly, Ethical Question

The game raises prickly, ethical questions that are influenced by the real world's growing upheaval. Maurin has been struck by what he sees as a sea change in attitudes towards political violence. He cites the reactions to Luigi Mangione's alleged killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the assassination of rightwing activist Charlie Kirk.

## A Call to Action

Maurin believes that Ithaca is an urgent question, dovetailing with the game's high-octane story and what he sees around him on a daily basis in Burgundy, central France. He says that "every time, I look out of the window and I think, 'We have to talk about this very fast.'" Because things are changing way too quickly for nature to be able to adapt.