Designing for Tomorrow: Killer Snails at Games for Change 2025

This June 26–27, the Games for Change Festival returned to NYC’s Parsons School of Design with the theme “Designing for Tomorrow.” The two‑day event brought together 2,000+ creators, educators, and innovators exploring how games and XR can drive real‑world impact.

A standout moment for Killer Snails was the “Playing with Well‑Being by Design” workshop on June 27, hosted by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. Noelle Posadas Shang, our Design Director, joined luminaries from Fred Rogers Productions, University of Oregon, Tiny Docs, and Quest Craft to discuss embedding well‑being into game frameworks. We broke down how science‑focused gameplay can foster emotional, cognitive, and social growth—showcasing firsthand how our VR titles like BioDive and digital classics like Assassins of the Sea cultivate empathy, curiosity, and resilience in K‑12 learners.

Earlier panels highlighted “social impact” as a throughline—emphasizing cross‑sector collaborations between developers, NGOs, educators, and policymakers. Seeing so many friends from throughout the years was incredibly inspirational. 

Being featured alongside iconic voices—Microsoft’s Allison Matthews, Supercell’s Deborah Mensah‑Bonsu, and Deepak Chopra—validated our mission: blending science and storytelling to create immersive, educational games that actually matter.

Bottom line? Games for Change 2025 reinforced what we’ve always believed: well‑designed games—rooted in science and emotion—are powerful tools for nurturing the next generation of changemakers. As we return home to Brooklyn, we bring with us renewed purpose, stronger partnerships, and plenty of inspiration to keep evolving the Killer Snails experience.