Board game puts players in the position of geothermal developers
Salton Sea board game (source: Devir Games)
Carlo Cariaga
9 Feb 2024
A new table-top board game, Salton Sea, simulates the experience of developing a geothermal and lithium project right at the heart of the geothermal industry of California.
In what is a unique way to experience being in the geothermal sector, there is now a board game that allows players to role-play owning and developing a geothermal project.
Salton Sea is a new and unique table-top board game that has players in the role of geothermal developers, harnessing the geothermal resources of the eponymous Salton Sea to create the most efficient geothermal company. The game was designed by David Bernal and illustrted by Amelia Sales.
Following is the official overview of the game:
The Salton Sea, a highly saline body of water located in Southern California, is home to one of the greatest brine reserves in the United States – and its characteristics make it a unique location to generate geothermal energy. In this area of intense geothermal activity, your company will drill and extract the steam and hot water in order to obtain lithium and other materials to sell, allowing you to lead the energy transition away from fossil fuels and towards a completely renewable future. Can you master the power of the Salton Sea and create an efficient geothermal company?
The goal of the game is to extract the geothermal fluid from the Salton Sea field, extract the lithium, and sell it as part of a modern industry. To do this, players doing their turn must choose between industrial actions (obtaining an exploration license, drilling, extraction, processing, or machinery repair), commercial actions (selling, contract acquisition and execution), and management actions (research, buying of shares, financing, or developing the business project).
The Salton Sea board game is the latest in a series of diverse media that have represented the geothermal industry, making it more accessible and creating awareness among the general public. Setting the game at the Salton Sea is also an inspired choice, considering its importance in the history of geothermal development and its continued importance in the current industry, particularly in lithium extraction.
Source: Devir Games
