In today’s Facebook, Twitter, smart phones and social media age, it’s so easy for us to become microscopic and dwell in our own emotional “statuses”.

But among our daily online whines, there’s an emerging awareness by game developers to harness the power and conscience of the community for the good of the world.

These game developers cleverly sell us attractive and relevant virtual goods for our virtual games and donate part of the proceeds to selected charities and funds or include fun elements to encourage us to live a healthier and more socially responsible lifestyle.

So here’s a roundup of ten socially responsible games that brings relevance to our play and tugs at our heartstrings (and purse strings) in areas we most care about.

10. Yoville on Facebook and MySpace

Virtual community Facebook and MySpace app Yoville by Zynga supports the SF/SPCA by selling virtual tabby cats and bulldogs to its 6.2 million active users. It has raised more than $90,000 since 2009. Other organisations it contributes to include Save the Children, Water.org and UN World Food Programme.

9. Fishville on Facebook and Yahoo!

Fishville is a virtual pet aquarium simulation game that allows players to breed exotic fishes in their fish tank. Players visit each other’s aquariums to check out the décor of their tanks and exchange aquarium items. Capitalising on their 4.9 million players’ love of aquatic creatures, a donation drive in conjunction with the National Audubon Society offered virtual “Gulf Coast Turtles” for sale with 50% of all profits donated to help clean up Gulf Coast animals affected by the gulf oil spills of June 2010.

8. Pet Society on Facebook, Cyworld, Bebo and MySpace

Pet Society, released by social gaming giant Playfish in August, 2008, is one of the first pet simulation Facebook games to gain mass popularity. It allows players to take care of a virtual pet, decorate its room, feed it and take it to pet events. Still thriving today and played by more than 12.1 million active players on Facebook alone, virtual stores in Pet Society sell a series of animal themed merchandise that support the World Wildlife Fund and other charity organisations.

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