Serious games are games or game‑based simulations designed primarily for purposes beyond entertainment, such as learning, training, research, policy engagement, or decision‑making.

They use the mechanics, rules, and immersive qualities of games to help players explore complex systems, experiment with choices, and understand consequences in a structured but safe environment.

Unlike purely recreational games, serious games are intentionally designed to support specific outcomes (such as building skills, changing attitudes, fostering dialogue, or informing real‑world decisions_ while still engaging participants through play.

Serious games are increasingly used in climate adaptation to help communities and decision‑makers grapple with complex, uncertain and value‑laden choices. By simulating long‑term climate risks and adaptation pathways, these games enable participants to experiment with decisions, explore trade‑offs and observe consequences in a safe, non‑confrontational setting, supporting shared learning and dialogue.

Co‑designed serious games can be particularly effective in place‑based adaptation planning, including in coastal and Indigenous contexts, by combining climate science with local knowledge systems and community priorities.

Serious game can help to address climate adaptation by creating space for negotiation, experimentation and collective sense‑making that is difficult to achieve through conventional planning processes alone.