Is World Climate Simulator free to play?

Yes, World Climate Simulator is completely free. There is no download, no app store, no subscription and no payment of any kind. Create a free account with an email and password and start playing instantly in any modern web browser.

How many countries can I play as in World Climate Simulator?

You can play as 50+ real countries including the USA, Germany, China, India, Brazil, UK, France, Japan, Australia, Norway, Canada, Russia, South Africa, Mexico, Indonesia, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Italy, and more. Each country has accurate baseline data for its energy mix, GDP, population, and CO2 emissions.

What climate policies can I implement in the game?

You can set carbon taxes (modelled on Sweden's world-leading policy), invest in renewable energy subsidies (based on Germany's Energiewende), fund nuclear power (like France's 70% nuclear grid), and implement energy efficiency standards (like Japan's Top Runner program). You also manage a budget, negotiate 12 international trade deals, and unlock a 12-node technology tree spanning battery storage, smart grids, green hydrogen, carbon capture, and fusion power.

Is World Climate Simulator suitable for schools and classrooms?

Yes. World Climate Simulator is designed as an educational tool for secondary school and university courses on climate change, geography, economics, and political science. After completing a game, students can generate a printable Climate Policy Report showing their performance grade (A+ to F), emissions reduction vs. real-world data, all policy decisions, and four structured reflection questions for classroom discussion.

Does World Climate Simulator use real climate data?

Yes. Baseline energy mix, GDP, and emissions for each country use data from the IEA and World Bank. After each 5-year turn, the game shows how your simulated results compare to what actually happened in that country — using verified data from the IEA, Our World in Data, and the Global Carbon Project. For example, you can see how your Germany compares to the real Germany's renewable energy expansion and emissions trajectory.

What is a carbon tax and how does it work in the game?

A carbon tax is a fee charged on every tonne of CO2 emitted. In the real world, Sweden introduced the world's first carbon tax in 1991 (now €130/tonne) and reduced emissions by 27% while growing GDP by 78%. In World Climate Simulator, raising your carbon tax makes fossil fuels more expensive, pushes businesses and consumers toward cleaner energy, and generates budget revenue — but it can reduce public approval and harm energy-intensive industries if not balanced carefully.

What technologies can I research in World Climate Simulator?

The game features a 12-technology tree across 4 tiers. Tier 1: Battery Storage, Smart Grid, EV Infrastructure. Tier 2: Offshore Wind, Green Hydrogen, Advanced Nuclear. Tier 3: Carbon Capture, Perovskite Solar, Thorium Reactor. Tier 4: Fusion Power, Orbital Solar, Climate AI. Technologies are unlocked with R&D points earned each turn, and each provides ongoing bonuses to your energy mix, emissions, GDP, or approval.

What happens if global temperature exceeds 1.5°C or 2°C?

The game's Global Impact Map shows real-world consequences as temperature rises. At 1.5°C: coral reefs bleach frequently, Arctic ice accelerates its decline. At 2°C: Sub-Saharan Africa faces widespread drought and crop failures, small island states face existential flooding, the Amazon risks a dieback tipping point. At 2.5°C: critical impacts hit all regions simultaneously. The target is to keep warming below 1.5°C — the Paris Agreement goal.

Can I compete with other players?

Yes. A global leaderboard ranks all players by climate score. You can also view country-specific leaderboards to compare your performance against other players who chose the same nation. Share your results on Twitter/X, WhatsApp, or Facebook via the built-in share button.

What makes World Climate Simulator different from other climate games?

World Climate Simulator combines real simulation depth with educational content rarely found in other climate games: (1) After each 5-year turn, it compares your results to what actually happened in that country using verified IEA and Our World in Data statistics. (2) Every policy has an educational card explaining its real-world mechanism with country examples (Sweden's carbon tax, Germany's Energiewende, France's nuclear fleet, Japan's Top Runner program). (3) A Global Impact Map shows how your country's policies affect Arctic ice, coral reefs, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Amazon, and small island states in real time. (4) A printable classroom report is built in for school use. (5) The game features a 12-node R&D tech tree, 12 international trade deals, multi-turn crises, country-specific narrative storylines, and a prestige system.

World Climate Simulator — Free Climate Strategy Game

Lead a real country through the climate crisis. Set carbon taxes, build solar & wind farms, invest in nuclear or green hydrogen, and race to net zero before 2°C of warming. Free to play. No download required.

What is World Climate Simulator?

World Climate Simulator is a free online strategy game and educational tool about climate change and energy policy. You play as the leader of one of 50+ real countries — the USA, Germany, China, India, Brazil, UK, France, Japan, Australia, Norway, and more — and make real-world policy decisions across 5-year turns from 2025 to 2050.

Every policy has a real-world equivalent. The carbon tax is modelled on Sweden's world-leading €130/tonne tax (introduced 1991). The renewable energy subsidies mirror Germany's Energiewende feed-in tariffs. The nuclear investment system is based on France's 70% nuclear electricity grid. After each turn, the game shows you what actually happened in your country during that period — using verified data from the IEA and Our World in Data.

Key Features

50+ playable countries — USA, Germany, China, India, Brazil, UK, France, Japan, Australia, Norway, and more, each with real energy, GDP and emissions data
Four core climate policies — carbon tax, renewable energy subsidies, nuclear investment, energy efficiency standards
12-node technology tree — research battery storage, smart grids, offshore wind, green hydrogen, carbon capture, thorium reactors, and fusion power
12 international trade deals — negotiate energy imports and exports with partner nations
Multi-turn climate crises — survive droughts, recessions, geopolitical shocks, and more
Real-world data comparison — after each turn, see how your simulated results compare to the real country's actual trajectory
Educational policy cards — tap any policy to learn its real-world mechanism with country examples
Global impact map — see how your policies affect six vulnerable regions: Arctic, coral reefs, Sub-Saharan Africa, Amazon, small island states, Europe
Printable classroom report — generate a PDF-ready Climate Policy Report for school assignments, with performance grade and reflection questions
Global leaderboard — compete with players worldwide for the highest climate score
Country storylines — unique narrative events for each country track your progress through the decades
Prestige system — reach 2050 and restart with harder goals and powerful bonus rewards
AI policy advisor — GPT-powered tips after each turn, tailored to your country and decisions
Progressive Web App — install on Android or iOS, play offline

How to Play

Create a free account (takes 30 seconds — just email and password)
Choose your country from the interactive world map
Set energy policies using intuitive sliders each 5-year turn
Unlock breakthrough technologies with R&D points
Negotiate trade deals and respond to random climate crises
Compare your simulated results with what actually happened in the real world
Reach 2050 — get a performance grade, generate your classroom report, share your score

Who Is It For?

World Climate Simulator is for students (secondary school and university), teachers, policy researchers, climate advocates, and strategy game players. The game is designed for classroom use, with a built-in printable report and structured reflection questions. It is suitable for all ages and runs in any modern browser.

Climate Policies Explained

Carbon Tax: A fee charged on every tonne of CO₂ emitted. Sweden introduced the world's first carbon tax in 1991 — now €130/tonne, the highest in the world. Sweden reduced emissions by 27% while its economy grew 78%. In the game, raising the carbon tax makes fossil fuels more expensive and generates budget revenue, but can reduce public approval.
Renewable Energy Subsidies: Government support (grants, tax credits, guaranteed prices) that makes solar and wind cheaper to build. Germany's Energiewende used feed-in tariffs to grow renewables from near-zero to 59% of electricity in 30 years. Solar panels cost 90% less today because of this global push.
Nuclear Investment: Government funding for nuclear power plants. France generates 70% of its electricity from nuclear — the highest share of any large country — with among the lowest electricity carbon intensity in Europe. New Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) aim to reduce the high upfront costs and long build times of conventional plants.
Energy Efficiency Standards: Mandatory minimum efficiency requirements for buildings and appliances. The cheapest energy is the energy you don't use. Japan's Top Runner program sets efficiency standards based on the best available product — competitors race to the top. The EU requires all new buildings to be nearly zero-energy since 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it free?: Yes, 100% free. No download, no app store, no subscription, no payment. Just a browser and a free account.
Does it work on mobile?: Yes. The game is designed mobile-first and works on all smartphones and tablets. You can also install it as a Progressive Web App (PWA) from Chrome or Safari.
Is it educational?: Yes. It uses real-world energy data, shows verified historical comparisons after each turn, includes policy education cards with real examples, and generates a printable classroom report for school assignments.
How long does a game take?: A full playthrough from 2025 to 2050 (five 5-year turns) takes about 10–25 minutes, depending on how much you explore the tech tree and diplomacy features.
What is the goal?: Keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C (the Paris Agreement target) by 2050, while maintaining economic growth, public approval above 40%, and minimising CO₂ emissions. The best score wins on the global leaderboard.
Does it use real climate science?: Yes. The simulation engine models energy mix → emissions → global temperature using a system dynamics approach based on real energy economics research. Country-specific data is sourced from the IEA, Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project, and World Bank.

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