El Wasa’aya is a small town that mirrors the political, socioeconomic, geographical and demographic realities of Egypt. Like Egypt, the city has one of the longest histories of any modern country which provides its people with a great sense of pride. It also shares with Egypt its blessed strategic position which allows it to soak in culture, knowledge and tradition from several regions. Mirroring Egypt’s reality further, El Wasa’aya is plagued with crony capitalism in which a handful of families control resources in cooperation with the political elites which creates social and economic disparities and spreads grave poverty.

The ultimate challenge erupts, when a foreign investor offers to buy a large piece of land and the political elites welcome the prospects of the sale. The decision evokes huge resistance from the general population, especially the large resource-owning families. Having reached an impasse, the political elites decide to initiate a comprehensive social dialogue through which a unanimous decision regarding what to do with the land could be generated.

The game has a positive impact on providing the participants with a set of advanced soft skills including communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills, teamwork skills, analytical thinking, decision-making skills and problem-solving skills, as well as enhancing their sense of empathy and responsibility towards each other.