Better Communities now in the palm of your hand

Published: 13th December 2019

If you could create your dream town, would it be large, small or somewhere in between?

Would it have clean mountain air or coastal breezes?

And, as you’re creating your dream town from scratch, just what will you call it?

The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) is inviting you to build your dream town - and to try your hand at being mayor, planner and, of course, resident.

Monitorx400Our new city simulation game, Better Communities, puts you in charge of every aspect of civic leadership with real world challenges - and consequences - for your decisions. You’ll get virtual insights into budgeting, land value, crime, pollution, education and more.

The app was created as a tool to demonstrate to communities across Queensland that decision making in local government is challenging: every action has a chain of consequences.

Using realistic Australian architecture and landscape, Better Communities challenges players of all ages to step into local government and see what it’s like to balance the needs of business, community and environment.

Creating Better Communities has been an 18-month collaboration for the LGAQ and award-winning Gold Coast game development studio Bail! Enemy Jet.

As the town’s mayor, Julie, says before the game, “try to keep everyone happy as your town grows, but don’t blow the budget! It’s a challenge but I’m sure you’re up to it.”

There’s only one way to find out if Mayor Julie’s right: download Better Communities free from the Android or Apple app store.