Daybreak (board game)

Daybreak is an cooperative board game that models the technological and political response to climate change. It is designed by Pandemic creator Matt Leacock and Matteo Menapace, and has been published by CMYK in November 2023.

Gameplay
Throughout the game, the Earth's temperature begins to rise. Simultaneously, players must contend with crisis events, such as droughts, wildfires, rising sea levels, each exacerbated by Earth's rising temperature. Players assume the role of national superpowers or coalitions (the United States, China, Europe, or the Global South), which each have traits to combat the ecological circumstances. For example, the United States has research and development and China has direct economic control. Players divide their investments between carbon emission mitigation and adapting their societies to environmental changes. Based on the game's design, every country needs to contribute or players collectively lose.

Development
Designer Matt Leacock wanted the game foremost to be fun to play and only secondarily to inform about the effects of climate change without excessive moralizing. The game's title comes from the hopefulness the designers want the game to embody, juxtaposed against the somber circumstances of coping with climate change.

Public Reception
The game has been noted for its optimistic approach to tackling climate change, emphasizing human ingenuity and partnership to overcome environmental challenges. Despite its optimistic tone, some reviewers have pointed out that the game leans more towards fantasy, simplifying the complex realities of global climate issues.