If you saw a bunch of kids playing a video game with characters like The Rapper' and Emo Kid', you might be surprised to discover that they were learning about climate change.

Computer games producer Red Redemption is seeing its products used in the classroom, as well as by MPs at the House of Commons - and even opinion formers at the World Economic Forum at Davos.

Founder Gobion Rowlands, 33, has been fascinated by role-play games since he was ten, when he developed his first board game. He has gone on to write at least 50 or 60, most involving James Bond-type scenarios.

With a degree in forensic psychology, he was able to build an insight into the criminal mind.

He said: "For my degree, I concentrated on computer photo identification parades. It was a fascinating area, but I decided I would rather work in the games industry.

"Being a criminologist is a difficult life. It was useful because there is a lot of psychology needed to develop computer games."

He set up the company eight years ago, and moved to Oxford while Hannah, now his wife, was studying physics here.

After researching climate change models, she then did a master's degree at the university's environmental change institute, and is the company's science adviser.

Mr Rowlands said: "We had been a normal computer games company, but we went out for a drink with Myles Allen, of the atmospheric physics department, and he challenged me to make a game about climate change.

"He opened doors for us, so we had access to some of the world's best scientists in this area. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. We decided to diversify into doing only games which are constructive, with real scientific content."

The game that resulted - Climate Challenge, developed in partnership with the BBC and Oxford's Environmental Change Insitute - went on to receive rave reviews on the Internet and viral marketing' ensured its success.

Players get to run Europe for 100 years, seeing how different policies affect their voters, and how international negotiations can change the climate.

"The issues can seem very scary, but here, it's easy to show the impact of different policies. In the first six years we had 500,000 users. The total now is two million," said Mr Rowlands.

Earlier this year, Climate Challenge won the marketing category of the European Green Business IT Awards, in competition with big names like Fujitsu, BT and Siemens.

"Our previous games had been successful, but this really opened the door. We had proved we could do something enjoyable, that was also effective in educating people about climate change." Mr Rowlands is particularly pleased that hundreds of thousands of US citizens played the game, and that the Australian government is using it in schools.

The company's latest game, Operation Climate Control, is aimed at older teenagers, for use in the classroom, and players choose to be one of a range of sassy characters. Like the earlier game, it is free to download, having been funded by Defra.

"We made it character-based so that they can identify with the people making decisions. The envionment minister, Phil Woolas, chose to be Emo Kid when he played it in the House of Commons."

Based in Magdalen Road, the company employs only seven people, but is punching above its weight and Mr Rowlands finds himself at many top-level meetings.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Red Redemption was recently named a Tech Pioneer candidate by the World Economic Forum - one of only two companies in the UK to be honoured.

It also has big plans for the future, having raised more than half of a £150,000 funding round by word of mouth, before even sending out the pack to investors.

Klaude Thomas has moved from computer games giant Eidos to become managing director, so Mr Rowlands can take a more strategic role as chairman, and another three staff are being taken on.

"We are developing games for the Nintendo DS. We wanted to prove people would want to play the game. We have to create a new market, but that hasn't stopped us before."

It is a family business, since directors include his father, Jonathan, 68 - a serial entrepreneur and former manager of Rod Stewart and Engelbert Humperdinck - while his uncle Stuart handles the public relations.

"I want to make games great as an art form, but unless they tackle this vital issue they won't make an impact," said Mr Rowlands.

"Oxford is wonderful for us because it brings together academics, business people and opportunities in a way that never would have happened in London."

o Red Redemption is looking for Oxford schools to give feedback on the game - a free download is available from www.makesyouthink.net