Coalition
A simulation game that lets players experience negotiations and compromise-building. Participants represent political parties trying to form a coalition. Everyone has their own goals, but success requires cooperation with others…
6-12 players
Multiple groups at the same time
3 hours
Polish, English
EDUCATIONAL VALUE
Skills developed by the game
Compromise-building
Participants practice conducting conversations despite differences of opinion and interests. The game develops the ability to present arguments, seek solutions, and effectively reach an agreement.
Negotiations
The game challenges participants to reconcile different needs and expectations. It teaches them to seek compromises that allow them to achieve their goals despite conflicting interests.
Task managment
Achieving success requires interaction and coordination among many people. Participants develop the ability to work together, develop strategies, and pursue common goals.
HOW DOES IT WORK
Take on the role of a politician!
Participants role-play as representatives of three political parties that, following parliamentary elections, begin negotiations to form a coalition government. Each party has its own expectations regarding the future coalition agreement. The game is coordinated by moderators, who guide the players through the successive stages of the negotiations and ensure that everyone understands the rules.
Teams must decide which demands are most important to them, where they can make compromises, and how to convince others to accept their proposals. With limited time and conflicting interests, success requires effective communication, building alliances, and skillfully working out compromises.
Every team strives to ensure that the final agreement includes the solutions that are most advantageous to it. Once negotiations are complete, the compromises reached are incorporated into the coalition agreement, which summarizes the arrangements made by all parties and determines the outcome of the game.
The game shows a side of politics that isn’t covered in textbooks. Participants learn firsthand where political agreements come from, why parties give up some of their principles, and what it really means to try to build a majority.
STEP-BY-STEP GAMEPLAY
Test your negotiation skills
Negotiations in are divided into various phases, each of which presents participants with new challenges.
At the start of the game, it’s time to analyze your team’s agenda. It lists the points awarded for specific proposals that are (or are not) included in the final coalition agreement. A thorough cost-benefit analysis and a carefully developed game plan will be of great help in the later stages.
At the negotiating table, participants may bluff, conceal their priorities, make excessive demands, exert pressure, or use concessions in exchange for support on other issues. Therefore, it is not only necessary to skillfully apply various negotiation techniques, but also to recognize them in others and conduct discussions in such a way that the final agreement is as favorable as possible for one’s own team.
Once negotiations are complete, it’s time for final decisions. The solutions agreed upon by the parties are incorporated into the coalition agreement, which outlines the future government’s agenda. However, one key question remains: Do all parties agree to these terms? The stakes are high—if even one party refuses, the agreement falls through and everyone ends up losing.
Each stage of the game allows participants to practice negotiation in real life—from developing a strategy, to presenting arguments and responding to others’ proposals, to reaching a consensus. The game provides a space to test different approaches to negotiation and discover which ones lead to an outcome that everyone can agree on.
VERSATILE USE
Who is it for?
For NGOs
Getting participants involved in community activities. An effective tool for implementing civic education projects.
For local government
Community building, integration and engagement of residents. Fostering social awareness.
For universities
Engaging and interactive classes. Learning through experience, decision-making, and hands-on activities.
