Hey Hangry Fam,
Lately we’ve been deep in development mode, testing, breaking and banging many heads against soft walls! (Games are Hard to get right) — but also keeping one ear to the ground on where games, impact, and purpose are starting to intersect in exciting ways.
Last week, I attended a few standout webinars around sustainable game development and socially impactful design — and it left me inspired (and honestly, reassured) that the direction we’re taking with Hangry Animals is exactly where we need to be.
One of the biggest takeaways?
👉 Games can lead behaviour change, without ever having to sound preachy.
The old Captain Planet-style messaging, with finger-wagging and guilt-tripping... just doesn’t resonate anymore. But what does work are games that mirror players’ lives, make empathy fun, and give people small ways to care through their play.
We joined in on the conversation around investment into games with a sustainable twist, and security concerns around emerging platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite, and the complexities around online safety on such a rapidly evolving platform and landscape. great topics to touch upon, but the focus was on building experiences for social and sustainability KPI's into existing games with a revenue share as well as from the ground up games where the behaviour change mechanics are subtle, tried and tested loops that teach players a small fact they take through into a real world scenario.
The small iterations are more important than big gestures that turn a player off instantly. There is a balance to be struct in all of this, and we're loving the dialogue around where the sweet spot lives.
This is why we want to bake social challenges into the gameplay loop, not around it.
In Nom Nom Express, you might rescue vulnerable alien pets from other ferocious predators during your delivery route. You’ll earn badges not just for fast runs, but for damage-free deliveries, kindness-driven choices, and for showing restraint (yes, you’ll be rewarded for not punching everything in sight). We need that chaos factor for free play with lasers a'Blazin, sure... but the teachable moments also have a place too. We may find our audience is a niche to begin with, but with the way the industry is heading and the energy in these series of talks of late, it feels like it's the right time for the Hangryness to surface and embrace that discomfort of standing out from the crowd, offering something different whilst wearing the T-Shirt of purpose driven play.
Every game mechanic is a chance to say something, even if it’s subtle.
The Rise of Green Game Jams
If you're a developer or just game-curious, there's a growing movement that’s really worth watching: Green Game Jams. These are short creative bursts where developers design or prototype features focused on environmental awareness, community support, or behavioural impact, all in a low-stakes, high-innovation format.
They’re not just fun... they’re breeding grounds for brilliant ideas that don’t feel forced.
Some of our favourite concepts have come from these Jams. If you’re keen to explore or participate, check out:
Green Game Jam 2025 (follow their socials for this year’s upcoming events)
Indie collectives on itch.io or Game Jolt often run mini-themed jams with sustainability in mind too
You’ll see everything from tree-planting puzzles, to anti-littering boss battles, to resource-saving tower defence. And what’s beautiful? It’s all baked into the gameplay... not bolted on. So much fun!
Coming Soon: The Summer Games Fest
Another date we’re circling in the calendar is June’s Summer Games Fest, a showcase dedicated to games and platforms we love. Special attention will be placed on Day of the Devs June 7th with projects aligned with social impact. From mental health awareness to environmental storytelling to real-world rewards for good digital deeds, it's destined to be a celebration of what’s possible when we reimagine what games can do and hope it can bring people together in a time where we are the most socially distant in our society. Excited to see where games can help change the landscape of uniting likeminded people for social good.
We'll be there, virtually or otherwise, soaking up inspiration and hopefully sharing some of our own progress too. This is the kind of community and the kind of energy that fuels us.
🧪 Why It Matters for Small Studios
As a small studio, it can feel overwhelming trying to “do good” on top of just getting a playable demo out the door. But what I’ve learned is: you don’t need a massive team to make a meaningful impact.
If you’ve got:
A game mechanic players already love (working on that!)
A world they want to explore (Hangryverse for all!)
And even just one decision point that nudges empathy or awareness... (Donate to a cause you love and personalise the experience? The jury's out, but we get the fuzzy feelings this will have some unexpected outcomes.. in a good way)
…then you’ve got the ingredients for a game with real purpose.
For us, every alien we create, every food item we name (yes, there’s Choctogons), and every delivery mechanic is a chance to deepen that connection, and offer players something that feels good to play and good to be part of.
We’re still iterating. Still refining our game loop to make sure the “So What?” moment is clear.
(Thanks again to the Unity for Humanity team for their feedback on this, you’ve given us a stronger direction to focus on.)
But make no mistake... we’re building this for the long run, not some cheap pump.
We believe the next generation of gamers, the socially conscious, pet-loving, cause-aware community like you Hangry lot, want more from their play. And we love that... One burrito order and One empathy badge at a time.
Thanks for riding this wave with us. We're getting 1% better every day with your support.
Team Hangry 🐾✨
