Sobricité, building the city of tomorrow

SobriCité is a collaborative game where players must construct a city while balancing three criteria: quality of life, social equity, and energy efficiency. Each decision has consequences on these factors, requiring participants to make informed choices to create a viable and harmonious urban space. Through this simulation, players face real-world urban planning dilemmas and explore how infrastructure, transportation, and spatial organization impact both residents’ well-being and the city’s environmental footprint.

A Simulation and Strategic Thinking Game

SobriCité immerses players in an urban construction process where every decision matters. During each round, they must discuss, place, and remove elements to balance comfort, sustainability, and equity. Certain developments, like public transportation or green spaces, offer multiple benefits but may also introduce constraints.

The game goes beyond optimizing scores—it fosters collective thinking and debate about the necessary trade-offs in designing a sustainable city. Players must defend their choices, justify their strategies, and collaborate to create a city that meets 21st-century challenges.

Why use Sobricité in the classroom?

This game allows students to:

• Explore environmental and social issues linked to urban planning.
• Develop critical thinking by assessing the impact of their choices.
• Learn to cooperate and debate by defending their decisions.
• Visualize the effects of ecological and energy transitions through an immersive experience.

Game Progression

The game consists of 4 rounds, each lasting 20 minutes, followed by a discussion phase. The goal is to succeed in all rounds to win.

1. Round 1 – Building the most comfortable city
2. ➝ Objective: Reach at least 190 points in comfort.
3. Round 2 – Building the most energy-efficient city ➝ Objective: Reach at least 190 points in energy efficiency.
4. Round 3 – Building the most socially equitable city ➝ Objective: Reach at least 190 points in social equity.
5. Round 4 – Building a balanced city ➝ Objective: Reach at least 128 points in each category.

Discussion after each round: Players reflect on their choices and challenges.

Game Materials Provided

• Game rulebook explaining rules and scoring.
• Game pieces (buildings, infrastructure, transportation, etc.).
• Analysis sheets to guide player reflection.
• Game board representing the city layout.