GasUnie
The energy transition is one of the defining challenges of our time. But for most people, the complexity behind it remains abstract. How do renewable energy, grid capacity, affordability, and CO₂ targets all connect? Gasunie wanted to make those questions tangible and asked me to design the digital experience for PowerPlay, a serious game where players experience firsthand how difficult it really is to balance sustainability, affordability, and energy security.
Role: Product designer
Focus: UI Design, Branding, Concept development, UX Design, Prototyping, User Flows
Year: 2026
So, you're the Minister of Energy. Now what?
Welcome to Groenerwaard, a fictional country with a very real energy system. Your job: cut CO₂ emissions while keeping the lights on and energy affordable. Sounds doable, right? Until you realise that weeks without sun make your solar investment useless, that wind farms alone can't carry the load, and that every single choice you make ripples through the entire system. Oh, and the public is watching, your popularity is on the line too.
The game runs on the Energy Transition Model (ETM) by Quintel, the same independent data model used by governments and energy experts. Nothing in PowerPlay is made up. Every scenario reflects how energy actually works.
Designing for complexity.
The energy system is deeply interconnected. One decision ripples through the entire network. The core UX challenge was making that complexity accessible without dumbing it down. I started with user flows to map out the decision structure and find the moments where players need feedback. From there I moved into wireframes and pushed towards a clickable prototype as fast as possible. We needed to feel the game, not just look at it on paper. That speed was essential — it allowed us to test whether the flow worked both for individual play and large group sessions like classrooms, which was a key requirement.
How do you make something serious feel like play?
I built the interface around a dark colour palette with high-contrast purple and green accents — cinematic enough to draw you in, clean enough to let the data speak. Behind every screen, an isometric 3D world brings Groenerwaard to life. You're not just reading numbers, you're governing a place. Each policy choice is presented as a card with colour-coded impact badges: CO₂, energy supply, costs, and your popularity as minister. You see the trade-offs before you commit. Hit your targets, and the game celebrates with you. Miss them, and you feel exactly why the energy transition is so difficult.
No simple answers. And that's the point.
PowerPlay doesn't tell you what to do. It makes you feel why there are no easy solutions. That's exactly what makes it powerful — and exactly why organisations from energy companies to universities are using it.
"I wasn't really familiar with the energy transition, but now I definitely have a much better picture!" — Pieter van Noord, PowerPlay player
"What appeals to me about PowerPlay is that you experience firsthand how complex the energy system is. By making choices and immediately seeing the consequences, you understand why simple solutions don't exist." — Martijn Douwes, Strategy Advisor Energy Systems, Gasunie
Looking back.
Designing a serious game is unlike any other project. You're not just solving an interface problem you're translating a deeply complex system into something people actually want to engage with. What I'm most proud of is that balance: dark and cinematic, but playful. Data-heavy, but immediately understandable. Serious, but never boring.