From Play to Action: Designing Game Endings for Environmental Engagement

Environmental games can raise awareness and inspire action, yet their influence often fades once players step away. While research has examined how game play fosters environmental attitudes and behaviors, little attention has been given to how game endings - understood as deliberate design moments - can sustain emotional engagement and bridge in-game experiences to real-world action. This paper addresses that gap by exploring how endings can function not as conclusions, but as transitional moments toward continued environmental care. Using three games and one climate and conservation action tool, we explore a range of design strategies for game endings. Based on our findings, we propose an approach to designing environmental game endings that encourage meaningful post-play engagement, reframing the question: what if the end of the game is only the beginning of the experience?