Gamification Global organised the first Climathon in Kraków

As you may already know, Gamification Global is deeply involved in climate action. From the very beginning, our mission has been clear: use gameful thinking for real-world impact. That’s why we were thrilled to partner with Climate-KIC, Apteka Designu, and Grupa Robocza to organise our very first Climathon!

What was the Climathon about?

On 13 November, we gathered early in the morning with an enthusiastic group of participants who registered through our Events Calendar in the brilliant, historical building of Apteka Designu in Kraków.

We started with introductions and some lively networking and then Antonis led an energising session of the 2030 SDGs Game to spark problem-solving mindsets. It’s always fascinating to watch the diverse strategies players adopt and the surprising results they achieve. From our experience, sessions can end in planetary collapse, but this passionate group of change-makers not only saved the planet, they also managed to achieve nearly all their personal goals. Impressive teamwork!

After a well-deserved lunch break, we moved on to the Climathon itself. Vivi presented a real-world problem provided by Kraków’s Climate Advisory Bureau: the city’s urban heat island effect. Kraków’s unique topography, concrete-heavy centre, and limited greenery cause central temperatures to soar far above those of the outskirts. The bureau has conducted extensive research and is now developing an action plan to counter the problem, and that’s where we came in.

Proposed solutions for Kraków’s Heat Island

During an intense sprint filled with laughter, collaboration, and creativity, participants developed four innovative, out-of-the-box solutions focused around:

• Ensuring access to drinking water and promoting tap water use
• Creating “green islands” to cool and beautify public spaces
• Updating construction policies to protect pets’ paws from heat
• Reimagining Kraków’s city design from the ground up.

No rock was left unturned. Clearly, no challenge is too big for our teams. To make the results actionable, we’re now preparing a detailed report for the Climate Advisors. The Gamification Global team is confident they’ll be amazed by the quality and creativity of the proposed solutions.

Thank you for participating in our Climathon

Our heartfelt thanks go to all participants for their energy and brilliance, to Apteka Designu and Grupa Robocza for their hospitality, to Climate-KIC for their unwavering support, and to 4WARD for their support in promotion and outreach.

If you missed this Climathon, you truly missed something special. But don’t worry, there are many more events coming soon so stay in touch and see you at the next one!