Loddlenaut

“Oh, that’s just a loddle. It looks like it’s covered in goop. Unfortunately, you are not authorized to use your laser on the local wildlife. Not after what happened last time…”

In Loddlenaut, players take the role of an “interstellar custodian” on an ocean planet simply called GUP-14. The player is tasked with cleaning up pollution and trash left behind by a shady corporation. As the player starts to clean the planet, they encounter axolotl-like creatures called “loddles” and befriend them by feeding them foraged fruit, petting them, and restoring their habitats. In turn, the player gets to watch the loddles grow and evolve. Throughout the game, the player can upgrade their cleaning and oxygen tank equipment by recycling trash, allowing exploration of new biomes with new cleaning tools and larger oxygen tanks.

The main threads of Loddlenaut’s story are of ecological restoration and marine conservation after corporate pollution, and prioritizing biodiversity and healthy ecosystems to allow local flora and fauna to thrive. As they progress, the player learns snippets about the planet’s prior use by the corporation GUPPI through comments from the player’s supervisor, Dave, and by collecting virtual employee badges left behind by GUPPI employees. While it is immediately clear that GUPPI damaged the ocean planet through plastic pollution and other forms of trash, these badges hint at a larger environmental disaster covered up by the corporation, echoing themes of extractivism and anti-capitalism.

While Loddlenaut’s is not intended as direct climate education, it still has strong themes of conservation and ecological restoration of ocean habitats. Additionally, the game’s low difficulty and cute, simple graphics make it an accessible choice for children or tweens interested in marine conservation, cozy games, or pet-care simulation. However, reading skills are required to navigate through the game since all instructions and dialogue are communicated only through written pop-ups.

©2026 ClimateLit (Rowan Gibson)

Extra:

  • This game is currently available on Steam for PC and Mac, as well as Nintendo Switch. When purchased through the Steam store page, £0.05 per sale are donated to Whale and Dolphin Conservation UK.

Publisher: Secret Mode, 2023

Audience: Ages 14+, Ages 8-13

ISBN: N/A

Pages: 4 Hours

Format: Games and Other

Topics: Animal Companions, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Loss, Capitalism, Ecological Restoration, Environmental Disaster, Extractivism, Kinship with Animals, Marine Conservation, Marine Ecosystems, Marine Pollution, Oceans, Plastic Pollution, Pollution, Recycling