Mes de Muerte

This game is a article-to-game translation of Network analysis of climate change impacts reported by local communities of Sierra Nevada, Spain by del-Amo et al. All gameplay elements are factually accurate to the study and take heavy inspiration.

You take the place of a college student who is studying the climate of Sierra Nevada Mountains. You eventually stumble upon the small town of Monachil, a town undergoing deathly changes due to climate change. The Mes de Muerte takes place during the last 4 weeks during your 12 week stay there. This "month of death" is in August, where climate change has most significantly impacted the community with irregular weather patterns and increased floods and droughts. With your knowledge from university courses and passion for helping the kind locals, you will try your best to help the locals combat climate change.

You are in touch with Joaquín, a farmer, Pablo, a shepherd, Alejandro, a rancher, Julia, a beekeeper, and Javier, a tool-smith. They communicate with you their concerns, needs, and insights concerning their livestock, freshwater, crops, illness, etc. Based on their information, you make decisions on projects to spend your limited money on, i.e choosing between Rainfall Barrels or Veterinary Supplies.

Since climate change is interconnected, each decision made causes cascading effects. It's up to the player to main balanced levels of health, hunger, thirst and happiness, otherwise the village perishes. If you can properly listen to local expert, budget your money, and prioritize crucial projects, Monachil may learn how to combat climate change for the foreseeable future!

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Made during the 2025 Spring C3 Game Jam for Purdue HONR29900-054, winning the "Game so fire, it caused climate change" and "Game Most Relevant to College Students" awards. Massive thank you for our TAs and Dr. Jarriel for this awesome opportunity!

Art:
Annie Shang

Audio:
Jake Johnson

Programming:
Alex Tauriainen
Arjun Badwal
Tyler Nguyen
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Garcia-del-Amo, D., Calvet-Mir, L., Mortyn, P.G., and Reyes-Garcia, V. 2023. Network analysis of climate change impacts reported by local communities of Sierra Nevada, Spain. In, Reyes-Garcia, V., ed. Routledge Handbook of Climate Change Impacts on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. London: Routledge. Pp. 95-108.