LP Recharge
A Facebook game raising awareness about energy poverty.
LP Recharge (also called Linkin Park Recharge) is a free-to-play action-puzzle game from 2013. It was developed by the Swiss studio Kuuluu Interactive Entertainment and features music by the American rock band Linkin Park. The game launched on September 12, 2013, and remains playable on Facebook. Players solve puzzles while the game also aims to highlight regions of the world that lack dependable electricity.
The game was first announced on June 20, 2012, nearly a year before its release. A trailer appeared in late August 2013. On its first day, 30,000 people played. A single by the band and electro house musician Steve Aoki, titled "A Light That Never Comes," was unlocked on September 16, 2013, after players collectively collected 10 million MWh in the game. That single opens the band's second remix album, *Recharged*, which also closes with a Rick Rubin remix.
In the game's story, the player becomes a hero tasked with saving the world from hybrids. Set in a near future where humans have exhausted all natural resources, machines and a small elite control what little energy remains. Players work together to fight their captors and restore the world with clean, sustainable energy. The game is accessible through Facebook, requiring the Unity Web Player plugin.
Energy poverty and sustainable energy are central concerns for Linkin Park, a co-developer of the game. Their nonprofit charity, Music for Relief, launched in 2005, aids disaster victims and supports environmental and clean energy projects. The charity's current program, Power the World, focuses on the 1.3 billion people worldwide without electricity, whose health, safety, education, and livelihoods suffer. LP Recharge draws attention to energy poverty and clean energy solutions.
The game includes music by the band, though no official soundtrack was released for it (similar to the *8-Bit Rebellion!* soundtrack). The in-game music is based on themes from various Linkin Park songs, including some from *Recharged*.
A promotional event for the game took place at Microsoft Loft. Band members Mike Shinoda, Joe Hahn, and Dave Farrell attended, playing the game and discussing it, as well as talking about their new single, which came out after the game's success.
Quick Facts
- Title
- LP Recharge
- Developer
- Kuuluu Interactive Entertainment / Machine Shop co. / (distributors)
- Released
- Facebook / September 12, 2013
- Genre
- free-to-play, action-puzzle
- Modes
- Single-player with multiplayer interaction
- Platforms
- Internet, Android, Apple Store
- Composer
- Linkin Park
- Engine
- Unity
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
LP Recharge was announced on June 20, 2012, nearly a year before its release. A trailer launched in late August 2013, and the game attracted 30,000 players on its first day. An official single by Linkin Park and Steve Aoki, titled 'A Light That Never Comes', was unlocked after players collectively collected 10 million MWh in the game on September 16, 2013. The single serves as the opening track, with a Rick Rubin reboot as the closing track, for the band's second remix album Recharged.
The game's story is set in a not-too-distant future where humans have depleted all natural resources. Machines and an elite minority control society and remaining energy stores. Players cooperate to battle captors and recharge the world with clean, sustainable energy. Linkin Park's non-profit charity Music for Relief, launched in 2005, supports environmental and clean energy projects, and its Power the World program highlights the 1.3 billion people lacking electricity.
An event for the game was held at Microsoft Loft, with band members Mike Shinoda, Joe Hahn, and Dave Farrell present. The game was also released under the name 'LP Recharge - Wastelands' on the release date of the band's promotional single 'Wastelands' from their sixth studio album The Hunting Party.
Reader's Guide
LP Recharge represents a notable intersection of gaming, music, and social advocacy. Developed by a Swiss studio and composed by Linkin Park, the game leveraged the widespread reach of Facebook to engage players in a narrative about energy poverty and sustainable solutions. Its cooperative gameplay aimed to educate a global audience about the 1.3 billion people without reliable electricity, aligning with Linkin Park's Music for Relief charity and its Power the World program. The game's integration with the band's music—including the collaborative single 'A Light That Never Comes' with Steve Aoki—demonstrated a novel way to unlock content through collective player achievement. While not a commercial blockbuster, LP Recharge stands as an early example of a social game used for environmental awareness, blending entertainment with a call to action. Its legacy lies in its attempt to use interactive media to address real-world issues, a precursor to later cause-driven gaming initiatives.
Did You Know?
- The game was announced on June 20, 2012, almost a year before its release.
- The game had 30,000 gamers on its first day.
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