We, citizens of Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union nations and all Western democracies, demand a simple, zero-cost reform to improve governance forever:

Every candidate for elected office must pass two core simulation tests (and one additional test for national/executive candidates) before appearing on any ballot:

1. Cities: Skylines 2 – Pass a certified urban management scenario.2. Democracy 4 – Complete one full term and achieve re-election. 

 

 

 

National-level and executive candidates must also pass one grand-strategy test of their choice: either Civilization VII (long-term planning and diplomacy) or Total War: Three Kingdoms (empire management, alliances and strategic foresight).

 

 

 

Why this matters — backed by real evidence:  
Cities: Skylines is already used and studied in university urban planning courses worldwide. Peer-reviewed research shows it builds deeper understanding of infrastructure, zoning, sustainability, unintended consequences, and systems thinking (Khan & Zhao, 2021: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354125514; Sanz, 2025: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8747).

Lancaster University has also integrated digital city-building games into planning education and research (2024: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/how-researchers-are-using-digital-city-building-games-to-shape-the-future

 

 

Strategy games like Civilization and Total War develop exactly the skills modern governance requires. Multiple peer-reviewed studies and meta-analyses confirm they improve cognitive flexibility, systems thinking, decision-making under pressure, and long-term planning (Glass et al., PLOS ONE, 2013: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0070350 — one of the most-cited studies in the field).

 

 

 

 

Democracy 4 is actively used in political science and economics classrooms globally to teach policy trade-offs, voter reactions, and crisis management in a way textbooks cannot (Positech Games educational program documentation, 2023: https://www.positech.co.uk/cliffsblog/2023/01/27/using-democracy-4-to-teach-politics-and-economics/

 

 

How the tests will work (practical, fair and transparent):  
• All games are played on a standardised laptop provided by an independent electoral body using proven proctoring software (screen recording + AI monitoring — the same technology used in universities and professional exams worldwide).  
• Tests are run on Normal difficulty with a minimum of 20–25 hours of verified playtime.  
• Winning or losing does not matter — only the decision-making style is evaluated.  
• Full summary reports and key replay clips will be made publicly available on a free government transparency portal so voters can see exactly how each candidate balances budgets, handles crises, responds to public opinion, and plans long-term.

 

Support for candidates:  
Every participant (especially those who have never played video games or these specific titles) will have access to 24/7 independent technical assistance via phone, chat or remote desktop. This help is strictly limited to controls, keybinds, basic stats, tooltips, and bug fixes. No strategic advice, policy hints or gameplay coaching will ever be given — the focus remains 100% on the candidate’s own decision-making.

 

This lets voters and parties decide role suitability: a candidate who sacrifices everything for short-term popularity might be better suited to a local seat than Prime Minister. A candidate who focuses only on long-term stability at the expense of people’s needs might be better in a policy advisory role. The data empowers us to choose better leaders.

 

These games cost almost nothing, take only weeks to complete, and force leaders to experience real consequences in a safe simulation — instead of experimenting on millions of citizens.

 

We call on every Western government to enact this requirement by 2028. No more leaders who have never seen how policies actually interact.

 

Sign if you want competent governance and full transparency so we can vote with our eyes open.

-Stelliro

References (for transparency):
• Khan & Zhao (2021): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354125514
• Sanz (2025): https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8747
• Lancaster University research (2024): https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/how-researchers-are-using-digital-city-building-games-to-shape-the-future
• Glass et al. (2013) – cognitive flexibility study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0070350
• Democracy 4 in education: https://www.positech.co.uk/cliffsblog/2023/01/27/using-democracy-4-to-teach-politics-and-economics/