WHAT

Democracy is an educational game played on iPads that takes place on the area around the Danish Parliament.
The game leads players through the history of democracy and motivates them to run, explore and cooperate.

In the game, pupils move around in groups and learn about the evolution of democratic ideals and practices, from ancient Greece to modern day Denmark. During the game, they also become familiar with the different democratic institutions and sites that are spread across the beautiful spot in the heart of Copenhagen.

HOW

The game contains a map of the area, upon which a series of points are displayed. The position of the players is also shown on the map, so that they can see where they are, and where they are going.
As a thematic framework for the game, the pupils – who are divided into groups of four – have to form a political party, and attempt to gain sufficient mandates to seize power in parliament. Mandates are awarded, when players solve one of the many challenges spread out in the area. These challenges might be: answering a question, looking around for certain objects or buildings, voting whether a certain word has a relation to a specific theme, or by running fast between a series of points on the map.
The game is divided into three different levels, each focusing on a specific time period in the history of democracy. These are: 1) The Greek roots of democracy, 2) The time of revolutions and 3) Democracy in Denmark. In order to advance to the next level, the players have to collect at least 30 “mandates”.

BACKGROUND

The content is created in collaboration between LUCUS and teachers from Amager Lille Skole and Sønderbro Skole. The game is developed with help from The Ministry of Children and Education and will be available for free for all Danish schools.
Slotsholmen is a unique site in Denmark: In 1167 the famous Bishop Absalon built a castle here, thus establishing Copenhagen as an aspiring center of power in the region. Not long after, the city became the capital of Denmark. In addition to this, the democratic division of power is clearly visible in the buildings of: The Ministry of State, The National Parliament and the Supreme Court.
The game is available for Danish teachers and schools <a href=”https://materialeplatform.emu.dk/materialer/bogkort/71134630″>here</a> or directly on the App Store.