Gaming the Political Economy of Conflict - A Practical Guide

This guide discusses how simulation games can become a valuable tool for conducting forward-looking analysis in such contexts. It positions such simulation games at the intersection of political economy analysis and serious games methodologies. At its core, this guide offers a practical toolbox for developing simulation games tailored to analyze political economy interventions in stabilization settings, including a step-by-step process and a menu of potential design choices. While these apply to a broad range of settings and themes, the discussion draws on our own experiences in designing a game on conflict dynamics in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. [...]