Making Legislative Process Understandable: Survey of Parliaments' Serious Games of European Countries

A survey of European national parliaments examines how legislatures use serious games, meaning games designed for purposes beyond entertainment, to explain parliamentary work and build civic knowledge. Drawing on questionnaire responses from 11 parliaments supplemented by web-page analysis, the study identifies 25 of 43 surveyed parliaments, or 58.1 percent, that employ such games, with 40 distinct titles catalogued. The authors position these tools as a relatively common instrument of civic education, aimed at raising political interest and helping citizens understand the legislative process, while cautioning that the low questionnaire response rate of 25.6 percent and possible language barriers mean the figures may be incomplete.

The games themselves span quizzes, puzzles, interactive exhibitions, and role-playing simulations of parliamentary procedure. Role-playing formats dominate the landscape, accounting for 52.5 percent of identified games, and short sessions of one to three hours are the most common format. Most games are physical, on-site activities held at parliament premises, although a small number of legislatures, including those of Lithuania, Norway, and the United Kingdom, offer online versions. The most frequently cited motivations for adopting these games are introducing the work of parliament, teaching democratic principles and civic awareness, and explaining how legislation moves through the chamber.

The authors conclude that serious games are a popular and likely growing component of parliamentary outreach, but they identify two significant constraints. Many games rely on outdated technology, such as Flash-based platforms, which threatens their long-term availability. More substantively, the predominance of in-person experiences limits access for rural residents and marginalized groups who cannot easily travel to parliament buildings. The concluding material consists mainly of references to academic literature on political simulation, youth participation, and the use of games in political contexts, which supports the study's framing without adding independent findings.