Let's Play
Sembli – The Game
Citizens' Assemblies in play
Get ready to shake up how we do democracy.
We are proud to present the first public test version of Sembli: a card game created by citizens’ assembly alumni together with the teams of Pro Futuris (SGG), Mehr Demokratie, CRIN and Inlusio Interactive. Sembli helps people explore what citizens’ assemblies can make possible: not through long explanations, but through play.
In the game, you build citizens’ assemblies, combine different visions for society and create card combinations that represent different arguments and perspectives.
This first version is also a public test phase. We want to collect as much feedback and input as possible from other assembly alumni, schools, libraries, democracy NGOs, activists, governments, game designers and anyone curious about democracy. Our goal is to develop Sembli further and find audiences far beyond the usual democracy bubble.
Pre-order the game, test it with your community, and help us make Sembli better.
The inspiration for Sembli
Sembli began with a simple observation: young people from Switzerland, Germany and Austria who had participated in citizens’ assemblies realised that most people had never heard of these processes before taking part themselves. Yet once they experienced deliberation, many described it as one of the most meaningful democratic experiences of their lives.
As part of Los Jetzt! — a project bringing together citizens’ assembly alumni from across the region — they asked themselves: How can we help others understand citizens’ assemblies without asking them to read lengthy reports or explanations?
Their answer was Sembli: a game that makes democracy, participation and deliberation tangible. Sembli is one of the first concrete outputs developed by citizens’ assembly alumni themselves.
The game shows what can happen when young people remain involved after an assembly ends. They do not only stay participants in a one-off process; they become creators, educators and advocates for democratic innovation.
"Hardly anyone has ever heard of citizens’ assemblies – even though this format holds so much potential and power. We wanted to change that: not with long explanations, but with a game that creates an experience, inspires people, and gets the conversation started."
Konstanze, Assembly member Citizens' Assembly: Future Council U24, Switzerland
Co-creation process
Sembli was created through a collaborative co-creation process with citizens’ assembly alumni, game designers, democracy practitioners, facilitators and educators.
From the beginning, the aim was not only to explain citizens’ assemblies, but to translate the experience of deliberation into play.
The game was shaped through repeated feedback loops. Early ideas were tested, challenged, refined and tested again with young people, practitioners and potential players. The mechanics were developed alongside the principles of citizens’ assemblies, so that diversity, power, argument strength and consensus-building became central to the game.
Sembli has also been playtested at democracy events and conferences. You can now pre-order the game and become part of its further development.
Pre-order Sembli and become one of the first people to test the game.
Sembli helps people experience what citizens’ assemblies can make possible: bringing different perspectives together, building stronger arguments and imagining new futures for democracy. It can be used in schools, youth groups, workshops, democracy events and informal settings.
Already have the game? Visit the rules page to learn how to play.
