I came across the idea of solarpunk in a video by DamiLee. It’s a movement that envisions an optimistic future for humanity — where technology is in the service of sustainability instead of the unconstrained, algorithm-fueled spending that we’re in now.
So I rummage our database to find games that, in one form or another, closely resemble the ideals of solarpunk. Here are 10 of them.
This is not a comprehensive list. If you have one in mind, we’d love to hear about it. Please share it in the comment section.
1. Terra Nil
If solarpunk is all about technology and ecology intertwined, then Terra Nil is the perfect example of it. Your goal is to clean up a polluted world with different, unlockable techs.
It includes cleaning up soil and water, filtering radioactive wastes, and restoring the biome's flora and fauna. At the end of every level, you have to pack-up everything you used for the cleanup. It's a game where you don't just heal the land, you have to make sure that you don't leave any trace.
2. Cloud Gardens
PC —Series X|S —Switch —Xbox One
Cloud Gardens is this puzzle sim that’s all about plants reclaiming their space in post-apocalyptic Earth.
You start with a blank canvas and your only mission is to help plants take over. It's simple, it's cozy, and the music is fantastic. It's not as solarpunk as Terra Nil but the image of overgrown, abandoned sections of a city will remind you of how disruptive humanity is.
3. Loddlenaut
A powerful, inter-planetary corporation has left a planet polluted and in ruin. It’s up to you to clean up the oceans of this alien planet.
Loddlenaut is a cute and vibrant open-world clean-up adventure that will surely tickle your heart. As you clear the sea of debris, you can unlock new cleaning tools and raise aquatic creatures called Loddles.
4. ABZÛ
ABZÛ. This relaxing underwater adventure is all about forging a bond with nature. Dive into the ocean, discover its ancient secrets, and get to know the creatures that inhabit it. If you’re lucky, you might find the key to restoring the corrupted ecosystem.
It's a short, relaxing, and beautiful experience that will remind you of games like Journey.
5. Timberborn
Humanity has gone extinct in Timberborn. What remains of Earth is a wasteland.
Lead your beaver faction and restore Earth to what it was before. The game comes with two different factions. If you play the nature-loving Folktails, then the experience is closer to that of the solarpunk ideals. The game is still in early access but is already among Steam's top city-building games.
6. My Time At Portia
PC —Switch —Android —iOS—PS4—Xbox One
My Time At Portia. I’ve spent hours building, crafting, mining, hunting, and collecting ancient techs on the island of Portia. But what I found interesting and fun is building relationships with the people of its community. It’s cute, cozy, and rewarding.
A game set in the same world, My Time At Sandrock, was released in 2023. It includes all the basics of Portia with a slight change. Your goal now is to save the town from economic ruin. It’s playable on PC and consoles.
7. No Place Like Home
PC —PS5 —Series X|S —Switch
No Place Like Home. After devastating Earth, much of humanity has moved to Mars. You’re one of the few who stayed behind to restore what’s left our world through tech, smarts, and grit.
Clean, recycle mountains of trash, restore destroyed areas, farm, build a home, and find your grandpa’s missing farm animals.
8. Green Project
In Green Project, a fungal pandemic has turned Earth into a barren wasteland. You wake up from cryo-sleep 300 years later and your mission is to bring back our planet’s lost biodiversity. This includes exploring the vast open-world, growing crops, raising animals, and crafting tools you need to complete your tasks.
It’s available on PC. Although it hasn’t received any new updates yet. The dev did promise a big one this year, following the release of their second game.
9. Wildmender
PC —PS5 —Series X|S
If you’re looking to play with friends, Wildmender supports up to four players.
It’s a gardening sim where you “bring a deserted world back to life.” Your adventure starts on a little oasis in the middle of an arid land. From here you cultivate the land, craft items, explore the desert and its secrets, expand your garden, and discover what happened to this world.
10. ECO
For an even bigger gaming experience, check out ECO. It’s a global sim game best played on a large multiplayer server.
A meteor threatens Earth. Can you and your buddies save the world without destroying it in the process? The simulation mechanics in ECO is complex and backed by science. Your actions and interactions with the environment, other players, and the world’s resources have direct effects on the world. It’s a great game of consequences so play wisely.
ECO has been on early access on Steam since 2018.