Posted by Robbie McLachlan – Developer Marketing
In our latest #WeArePlay film, which celebrates the people behind apps and games on Google Play, we meet Clément, the founder of Imagine Games. His game, My Lovely Planet, turns casual mobile gaming into tangible environmental action, planting real trees and supporting reforestation projects worldwide. Discover the inspiration behind My Lovely Planet and the impact it’s had so far.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrgDdhvzwt4
What inspired you to combine gaming with positive environmental impact?
I’ve always loved gaming and believed in technology’s potential to tackle environmental challenges. But it was my time working with an NGO in Madagascar, where I witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of environmental changes that truly sparked my mission. Combining gaming and sustainability just made sense. Billions of people play games, so why not harness that entertainment to create real-world impact? So far, the results speak for themselves: we’ve built an engaged global community committed to protecting the environment.
How do players in My Lovely Planet make real-world differences through the game?
With My Lovely Planet, planting a tree in the game means planting a real tree in the world. Our community has already planted over 360,000 trees through partnerships with NGOs like Graines de Vie in Madagascar, Kenya, and France. We’ve also supported ocean-cleaning, bee-protection, and drone reforestation projects.
Balancing fun with impact was key. Players wouldn’t stay just for the mission, so we focused on creating a genuinely fun match-3 style game. Once gameplay was strong, we made real-world actions like tree planting core rewards in the game, helping players feel naturally connected to their impact. Our goal is to keep growing this model to protect biodiversity and fight climate change.
Can you tell us about your drone-led reforestation project in France?
Our latest initiative involves using drones to reforest areas severely impacted by insect infestations and other environmental issues. We’re dropping over one million specially-coated seeds by drone, which is a completely new and efficient way of reforesting large areas. It’s exciting because if this pilot succeeds, it could be replicated worldwide, significantly boosting global reforestation efforts.
How has Google Play helped your journey?
Google Play has been crucial for My Lovely Planet – it’s our main distribution channel, with about 70% of our players coming through the platform. It makes it incredibly easy and convenient for anyone to download and start playing immediately. which is essential for engaging a global community. Plus, from a developer’s standpoint, the flexibility, responsiveness, and powerful testing tools Google Play provides have made launching and scaling our game faster and smoother, allowing us to focus even more on our environmental impact.
What is next for My Lovely Planet?
Right now, we’re focused on expanding the game experience by adding more engaging levels, and introducing exciting new features like integrating our eco-friendly cryptocurrency, My Lovely Coin, into gameplay. Following the success of our first drone-led reforestation project in France, our next step is tracking its impact and expanding this approach to other regions. Ultimately, we aim to build the world’s largest gaming community dedicated to protecting the environment, empowering millions to make a difference while enjoying the game.
Discover other inspiring app and game founders featured in #WeArePlay.
