Yesterday, together with our colleagues, we took part in a unique and deeply moving experience: we attended a performance of Szociopoly, an interactive theatre board game. This extraordinary program goes far beyond entertainment – it offers insight into a reality that is part of everyday life for many people.

What is Szociopoly about?

Szociopoly was created as a joint production of the Mentőcsónak Egység and the Gyerekesély Egyesület, and since its 2014 premiere, it has received several professional awards – including the Glass Mountain Prize at the Kaposvár ASSITEJ Biennial.

During the interactive game, the audience – in this case, we as participants – become residents of a small Hungarian village where families’ incomes come mostly from social benefits, occasional jobs, or undeclared work. Within this constructed reality, we must “survive” a month with minimal resources, confronting the weight of vulnerability, uncertainty, and the constant pressure of everyday decision-making.

The goal of the game is not merely to present situations, but to foster empathy: to help participants better understand the life circumstances that tens of thousands of people struggle with every single day.

Decisions That Shape Lives

Teams of 10–15 people form four-member families as they enter the village, where new challenges arise each day. Throughout the game, we faced decisions that in real life often determine survival:

• Should we pay the electricity bill?
• Should we take an undeclared job?
• Should we borrow money from a loan shark?
• How should we spend family allowance or social benefits?

The actors – portraying the loan shark, the mayor, the police officer, and other iconic village figures – interact directly with the participants, allowing the story to respond dynamically to each team’s decisions. Yet randomness often overrides carefully planned strategies – just as it does in real life.

Why Was This Experience Important for Us?

Szociopoly is not an easy experience, but it is undoubtedly an important one. Participants not only learn about but feel the everyday burdens of social exclusion, poverty, and insecurity. The dramatic twists, realistic situations, and outstanding acting all contributed to a shared experience in which, as one critic put it, “we all changed a little by the end of the evening.”

This program offered an excellent opportunity for our team to reflect together, to discuss social issues, responsibility, and empathy. For us, it reinforced the belief that the most meaningful corporate and community programs are those that leave lasting thoughts and impressions.

Actors and Creators

The professional foundation and theatrical impact of Szociopoly are ensured by a highly experienced creative team:

• Board game concept & professional consultation: László Bass, Kata Fodor
• Text: Gábor Fábián
• Cast:
  László Bass, Anna Hay / Vera Sipos,
  Gábor Fábián / Tamás Herczeg / László Fehér,
  Bálint Jaskó / Renátó Olasz / Tamás Keresztény
• Dramaturgy: Júlia Róbert
• Visual design: Veronika Keresztesová, Móni Bujtás
• Director: Gábor Fábián

Summary

Szociopoly is an experience that is at once theatre, board game, and a mirror held up to society.
We are grateful to the organizers and creators for allowing us to be part of this remarkable performance.