In a new ‘Minecraft’ game, kids battle extreme heat—by slaying a fire-breathing dragon

Extreme heat often strikes as a “ silent killer .” While other natural disasters, like hurricanes and wildfires, are visually unmistakable, excessive heat can creep up undetected and claim tens of thousands of lives a year.



But in a new game, heat isn’t so invisible. It’s a fire-breathing dragon.



The “heat dragon” is the archvillain of a new educational game based around the extreme heat crisis and built for the popular video game Minecraft . It’s designed for children to learn about heat’s dangerous effects and to engage with prevention and mitigation efforts, from increasing hydration to creating urban green spaces.



Minecraft is a “ sandbox game ,” or one that gives players a high level of creativity and exploration. They immerse themselves in worlds built out of blocks, which host both communities and fantastical creatures. “I like to describe it as virtual Legos,” says Shayne Hayes, associate director of the video game initiative at the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center (Arsht-Rock), a nonprofit that researches climate-resilience methods. “I always look at Minecraft as a really creative platform, something that students can make their own.”



[Photo: Minecraft ]



In Heat Wave Survival , the new game for the Minecraft platform, players must slay the heat dragon, a personification of extreme heat. “It’s something we designed to really give extreme heat a feeling of being highly tangible,” Hayes says.



Players adventure around the world learning heat-resilience techniques. Along the way, they learn how to recognize the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.



There are stops in Brazil, Greece, India, and Nigeria, where players discover what those communities need to do to stay safe. They uncover tools for lowering body temperatures, like cold compresses, solar-powered fans, hydration, and water sprayers. They also learn about urban cooling techniques, such as green spaces, tree shade, reflective surfaces, and permeable surfaces.



These resilience techniques are recommendations from Arsht-Rock, which has been at the forefront of heat research, including appointing chief heat officers in different parts of the world. The game designers consulted with Eleni Myrivili , global chief heat officer, as they developed the product.



Dueling with the dragon is the “survival” version of the game. In another version, Extreme Heat Series Build Challenge , players can build their own city using the resilience techniques they’ve learned. “We wanted to give teachers the opportunity to choose what works best for their classroom,” Hayes says.



Kids can play at home on their consoles and computers, but the game is primarily for schools. It was developed for Minecraft Education , the branch of the game dedicated to learning, which already has many integrations, including one with the BBC’s Planet Earth to protect biodiversity. In 2021, rapper Big Sean and Ally Bank teamed up with Minecraft to educate students about financial literacy.



Hayes says games are an effective learning tool because they involve active engagement, and blend fun with seriousness . And Minecraft felt like the most fitting platform to convey the threat of extreme heat . With 300 million purchases over 15 years, it’s the best-selling game in history . “Kids are already big Minecraft fans,” he says. “How can we use that to engage them around serious topics like extreme heat?”