Power plays – politics by other means

At the upcoming general election, no one will be voting for Andrew Bayly as he will be throwing in his hand, leaving politics. However, he has already given his vote to a local couple and their new board game, Democrasee.

Modelled on New Zealand’s political system, the game is intended to appeal to everyone, including children and elected officials.

“I was surprised at how detailed it was,” Bayly told the Times. “It does seem like a great family game where parents and teachers can be directly involved in teaching civics.

“The only negative I see is that it doesn’t have a Port Waikato electorate – very disappointing!” he laughs.

Due to the number of New Zealand’s electorates, the game board isn’t completely accurate – in some cases, electorates are combined.

“We’re trying to keep it as realistic as possible,” co-creator Emma Kim says. “But it’s also balanced and enjoyable. It’s really good for people who don’t fully understand how the system works.”

A healthy society relies on understanding how that society is run – essentially, this is the premise on which the game was built by Papakura’s Chris Pongi and Pukekohe’s Kim.

During extensive playtesting at schools – including Papakura and Pukekohe High Schools – and even during a visit to parliament, the game has been well received, and no one has, as yet, claimed the game is ‘rigged’ or an election has been ‘stolen.’

“No, but we did have one kid walk out of the classroom unhappy because he wanted to bribe another player to vote for his policy!” Kim confesses. “We would hope people play by the rules, but some will break them – a bit like they do in real life. I’ve seen a couple of people sneakily trying to swap cards for example.”

Some cards are favourable, others aren’t.

The game has been a hit among teachers and students, proving to be a valuable classroom resource.

“Every time we tested it, especially with young people, we’ve used their feedback to improve it,” Kim says. “Teachers have been saying that it’s really useful and students have said they didn’t realise how many issues there are in New Zealand, how many things politicians have to consider.”

The game requires people put down their screens and interact in person, which leads to greater understanding of varying political views.

Social media encourages echo chambers, and it’s easy to hate an avatar, but in-person political conversations, especially when we disagree, reduce polarisation.

“Board games are increasingly popular because parents are looking for ways to get their kids off screens, and this one also leads to conversations about politics. When playing, people have to talk and listen to each other, so they can come to see things in a different light and they often have to compromise.”

Although Andrew Bayly may soon have more time for board games, his compatriots would do well to play a few games of Democrasee to sharpen their political skills ahead of the general election in November.

The game is expected to be released in August. Visit democrasee.co.nz for more information or to pre-order.