The Electronic Wireless Show podcast episode 204: the best eco-themed games in games

We celebrate all three of us being back on the Electronic Wireless Show podcast, but two thirds of us being be-plagued, by talking about rejuvinating the Earth - truly, the podcast host of us all. Inspired by new eco-friendly farming game Coral Island, which I've been playing this week, we talk about our favourite games that roll with an ecological protection theme. This is hard for Matthew, because he hates the environment (unless his immediate environment contains a can of Rio).

Matthew comes through with an excellent Cavern Of Lies about trees and tree monsters in games, where he attempts to pull the illusive Double Beckford on us. Does he succeed? Listen to find out.

You can listen on Spotify, or above, or go straight to Soundcloud where you can download it for later. You can also now discuss the episode on our Discord channel, which has a dedicated room for podcast chat.

You can also get the RSS feed here or find it on iTunes, Stitcher or Pocket Casts.

Music is by Jack de Quidt, who is kind to plants.

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Apart from the island farming antics of Coral Island, we talk about Flotsam, a Waterworld-esque game where you build and maintain a town on a bunch of rafts.

Incidentally, someone has made a playable version of the Kevin Costner's Waterworld arcade game from a 10 second long Simpsons joke from the 90s.

Nate enjoys Among Ripples, a game about rebuilding one of the least sexy ecosystems (a freshwater pond).

Terra Nil and Surviving Mars are both about regrowing plants in hostile environments. People would probably be against greening mars, right?

Matthew, who has understood the theme but just kind of doesn't like it because it's not a Yakuza game, suggests the icy bit in Red Dead Redemption 2 because icy cracking noises are great, and Strange Horticulture, which has plants in (and actually isn't a bad pick).

He also talks about Mutazione, a nice game about restoring balance to the people and plants of an island. Matthew hasn't played it, but he watched Katharine playing it.

You know whats nice? Luimno City, a puzzle game where you go around a tiny city that is a real physical model and fix things! It's great!

Recommendations this week are the TV show Industry, the chaotic reality TV show The Mole, and The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson.