Tale of Two Cities

Tale of Two Cities is a board game in which players vote for the kind of city they wish to live in and the amenities they wish to enjoy. The issues addressed include, social solidarity, the implications of paying taxes, and the value of local democracy. The objectives are to understand the importance of social welfare to community life, to develop communication and teamwork skills, and to promote values of solidarity and responsibility to the community.

To use the method, facilitators set up the board game and assign participants roles as citizens and bankers, dividing players evenly between two cities with distinct rules for salaries and taxation. Players move around the board by throwing dice, earning income, paying taxes, and responding to events that affect their personal finances and the city’s resources. At regular intervals, city council meetings are held where citizens collectively decide whether to invest tax money in social policies such as healthcare, housing, or public services, which then alter the game board and future outcomes. The game continues for an agreed period or number of rounds and ends with a debriefing session in which participants reflect on how decisions were made, how inequality developed or was reduced, and how the game mirrors real‑world democratic processes and human rights challenges.