Role-Playing Game Empaville

Empaville is a role-playing game that simulates a gamified Participatory Budgeting process. Each participant role-plays a resident or a worker of Empaville, a fictitious city designed to simulate the typical conflicts of a modern city. It integrates in-person deliberation with digital voting, drawing inspiration from actual Participatory Budgeting experiences.

The primary goal of Empaville is to foster a culture of public engagement and empower participants with essential tools to comprehend the benefits and challenges associated with Democratic Innovations and the use of technology in participation.  It’s a guided experience that starts with small group discussion on the problem of the city, followed by project proposal and voting.

There are three versions: A traditional Participatory Budgeting role-playing game for a broad audience, including public officers, politicians, and citizens, Empaville for School, a simplified version designed for young people under 15, simulating Participatory Budgeting in a park setting, and Green Empaville, a role-playing game gamifying the Green Participatory Budgeting experience.