Games are a powerful tool for political change. They are a powerful tool for storytelling, for communicating complex messages and topics in an accessible and fun format. But their real power runs deeper than communication. Games are systems. When people play, they inhabit the magic circle. They suspend the normal rules of the world, and step into spaces where those rules are substituted by the rules of the game - allowing for states of flow and immersion - enhancing learning, creating reflective states, stepping out of the every day, adopting perspectives and roles demanded by the game system.

Games are emerging as a key practice in the playbook for those organising to change politics and are being used by campaigners and activists the world over.

Key examples include Elizabeth Magie’s The Landlord’s Game designed to educate players about the Georgist land value tax. La France Insoumis’ Fiscal Kombat developed to support Jean Luc Melenchon’s bid for the French presidency in 2017. Papers, Please, an influential game about migration and authoritarianism through playing a border guard inspector. Guy Debord’s Game of War designed to train activists in strategic thinking. Games have a key role to play in organising, campaigns and training activists.

I can help fellows design and develop political games. I can hold space for playing political games together, exploring their themes and the means and mechanics they use. This might involve occasional or regular game sessions or game jams to think about games you might wish to create and experiment with.