Children like nothing better than playing. That's why Gruner und Jahr developed a game for the first time in their history. Meltdown is the first board game that melts, demonstrating the effects of global warming with a light touch. The aim of the game: rescue polar bears from real, slowly melting ice floes onto solid ground. The players make the ice floes themselves by pouring water into a moulded tray and putting it in the freezer. Then they arrange the floes on a sheet of blue sponge that soaks up the melt water and simultaneously acts as the playing board.

Even beyond Germany's schools, the response to Meltdown was huge. Within just a few days, Gruner und Jahr received thousands of enquiries from all over the world. In the GEOlino online shop, the first edition, produced in a double-digit volume, quickly sold out. Even global games manufacturer Ravensburger paid attention and now plans to launch Meltdown in more than 50 countries. Soon, children all over the world will be learning through play something about the effects of global warming.