A new custom game about Europe

L’éclap is developing its new game created for the Eurocircle association: Spies in the Commission.

Raising young people's awareness of European issues through gaming

Identification with the European Union is low among young French people: 54% of 18-30 year olds feel "mostly French and a little European", according to a Louis-Harris survey for the newspaper Libération. It therefore seems essential to help them understand how a political union of which they are a part works.

The game Spies in the Commission is a fun way to better understand the European institutions, the process of validating laws, and to create a sense of belonging to European citizenship among young people.

In the game, each player embodies a European spy, whose secret mission is to pass certain laws and reject others. To do this, they must succeed in a maximum of challenges to infiltrate the College of European Commissioners and influence certain influential MEPs in the Parliament.

Gameplay

The game takes place in 3 phases during which the player takes on a different role. During the "Training" phase, the player is a spy who must infiltrate the Commission and influence a strategic MEP. The player then becomes an infiltrated Commissioner during phase 2 "Commission". They then have to manage the budget and face Europe's recurring administrative difficulties. Finally, they embody an MEP in the "Parliament" phase, during which they will have to vote on or reject the proposed laws.

The game was widely appreciated by young people because they had the opportunity to debate, change perspectives, and defend objectives that might differ from their personal opinions. Like elected officials, players debate legislative proposals divided into seven major themes ("Environment"; "education, culture, youth and sport"; "employment and social inclusion"; "health"; "European democracy"; "digital innovation"; "finance and economy").

Spies in the Commission is a semi-cooperative game in which each player has a personal objective, but must also know how to cooperate to ensure overall smooth operation. Certain cards, such as "Collective Challenges", invite all players to find the right answer together, which creates a friendly and collaborative atmosphere.

Initial feedback on the game

Carmen, the game facilitator at Eurocircle (an association we will discuss in the last section), shared her experience with students from the École de la 2e Chance in Marseille: