DEMOGAMES

Funding programme

Erasmus+ KA205

Project reference

2019-2-DE04-KA205-018330

Period

2019–2022

Coordinating organisation

German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)

Participating countries

Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Romania, Spain

Official project website

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DEMOGAMES aims to strengthen democratic competences through educational games that combine experiential learning, active participation and critical reflection.

The learning objectives are aligned with the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC), addressing four interconnected dimensions:

• Knowledge and critical understanding: Democratic institutions, political processes, human rights, civic participation and societal challenges.
• Skills: Critical thinking, communication, cooperation, negotiation, listening and perspective-taking.
• Attitudes: Respect, openness to diversity, responsibility and tolerance of ambiguity.
• Values: Democracy, human dignity, equality, fairness, justice and the rule of law.

The project seeks to connect theoretical knowledge about democracy with practical experiences, helping participants understand democratic processes and reflect on their responsibilities as active citizens.

DEMOGAMES developed the Democracy Game Box (D-Box), a collection of eight original analogue educational games. All games are available as printable resources, and two also offer digital versions.

Games developed:

1. Competence Card Game: Explores the competences required to participate effectively in democratic and culturally diverse societies.
2. Deckmocracy: A card game about democratic events, institutions, rights and challenges to democracy.
3. Demodice: A dice-based storytelling game that encourages participants to share experiences and perspectives on democracy.
4. Fake Expert: A social deduction game involving debates, communication and the identification of a hidden fake expert.
5. Draw the Line: Explores cooperation, competition and social divisions through drawing-based gameplay.
6. Observers: A collaborative investigation game in which participants solve riddles related to democratic situations.
7. Participedia: A role-playing card game exploring innovative forms of citizen participation.
8. Utopia: A cooperative board game in which participants establish democratic institutions during a fictional political transition.

The games differ in complexity, duration, player interaction and educational focus. Their designs incorporate storytelling, cooperation, deduction, role-playing, negotiation and collective decision-making.

Game approach: Custom-designed educational games.

Availability: Free print-and-play materials, with supporting rules and educational guidance.

DEMOGAMES follows a structured experiential game-based learning approach in which gameplay is integrated into a broader educational process rather than used as an isolated recreational activity.

The learning process consists of four phases:

1. Input: The facilitator introduces the topic, activates prior knowledge and prepares participants for the game-based experience.
2. Gameplay: Participants engage with democratic situations through the game’s rules, mechanics, challenges and social interactions.
3. Output (optional): Learning may be extended through complementary activities, such as creating game materials, researching issues or preparing presentations.
4. Debriefing: Participants reflect on their gameplay experiences, examine democratic concepts and connect the learning process with real-life situations.

Facilitator’s role

Facilitators select appropriate games, adapt activities to participants’ characteristics, explain rules, manage group interactions and guide the learning process. The project provides a Facilitator’s Manual with practical guidance and educational examples.

Reflection and debriefing

Debriefing is a central methodological component. It encourages participants to examine the concepts explored during the game, analyse their own decisions and interactions, establish connections with real democratic situations and consider how the competences developed might be applied beyond the activity.

This structured approach connects game mechanics and participant experiences with explicit educational objectives and opportunities for learning transfer.

DEMOGAMES documents the development, testing and practical application of its educational games in different European learning contexts.

Implementation activities

• Game development and testing: The games were developed and tested through collaborative activities involving project partners, game designers and educational practitioners.
• Training of Trainers: A four-day training curriculum was tested and evaluated with almost 40 participants in Timișoara, Romania, in spring 2022.
• University education: The University of Erfurt incorporated DEMOGAMES into a seminar on civic education and game-based learning. Students also used several games during a public educational event.
• Professional development: Radboud University organised training activities introducing DEMOGAMES to social science teachers.
• Educational transfer: The Swiss organisation Demokrative adapted the training curriculum to prepare facilitators to conduct game-based workshops with young people.

Evaluation and evidence

The available documentation confirms that the games were produced, tested and used in educational activities. It also documents the evaluation of facilitator training.

However, the reviewed public sources do not provide sufficient evidence from controlled comparative studies to establish the magnitude of learning gains attributable to the games.

Evidence classification: Documented implementation and training evaluation; effectiveness not established through a controlled outcome study in the sources reviewed.

DEMOGAMES provides a comprehensive collection of educational resources designed to facilitate the implementation and transfer of its game-based learning approach.

Available resources

• Democracy Game Box (D-Box): Eight original educational games available as free print-and-play materials, including game rules and components. Two games also have digital versions.
• Facilitator’s Manual: Methodological guidance covering democracy education, game-based learning, facilitation, educational applications and debriefing.
• Training of Trainers Curriculum: A structured four-day programme for preparing educators and youth workers to facilitate DEMOGAMES activities.
• Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): Video-based learning resources covering democratic competences, game mechanics, facilitation and reflective learning.
• Implementation examples: Documented educational activities in universities, teacher training and non-formal education.

Transferability

The availability of printable games, methodological guidance and training resources facilitates adaptation to different educational contexts.

The materials are publicly accessible. Their specific licensing conditions should be checked before modification or redistribution.

DEMOGAMES represents a particularly interesting example of structured Board Game-Based Learning (BGBL), in which educational objectives, game design, facilitation and reflection are explicitly connected.

Methodological strengths

1. Alignment between games and educational objectives. The project developed eight complementary games addressing different dimensions of democratic competence, using the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture as a conceptual foundation.

2. Structured learning methodology. DEMOGAMES does not treat gameplay as an isolated activity. Instead, it integrates preparation, gameplay, complementary educational activities and debriefing into a coherent learning process.

3. Importance of facilitation and reflection. The emphasis on debriefing is particularly relevant because it recognises that the experience of playing does not automatically guarantee learning. Facilitated reflection helps participants connect game situations with real-world democratic processes.

4. Transferability. The combination of printable games, facilitator guidance, training resources and implementation examples facilitates the adoption of the methodology by other organisations.

Methodological limitations

Although DEMOGAMES documents educational implementation and facilitator training, the publicly available evidence reviewed does not establish the effectiveness of the games through controlled comparative outcome studies.

Ludus Magnus assessment

DEMOGAMES provides a valuable example of how purpose-designed educational board games can be integrated into structured learning interventions. Its main contribution lies in the connection between game mechanics, competence-based objectives, facilitation and reflective learning, supported by resources that encourage replication and adaptation.