Democracy Manifest - Game 1 (14 Nov 2026) - A Megagame

This is Democracy Manifest!

The City Council of Hicks has a problem: an abandoned construction site, and absolutely no idea what to do with it.

Rather than make a decision themselves, the Mayor has sensibly delegated the problem to everyone else. Government departments must work together to create a redevelopment plan, while competing for resources and pushing their own agendas.

Businesses representatives can provide funding and influence proceedings, while private citizens demand that their voices be heard. Through negotiation, compromise, scheming and endless bureaucracy, everyone must somehow produce the best possible plan for Hicks.

And because local government isn't already ridiculous enough, everyone will also compete in a series of completely absurd mayoral events to earn rewards, influence and—most importantly—bring joy to the people of Hicks.

There is of course a deadline. If you fail to get work together in time citizens may become unhappy, the Mayor might lose re-election, and businesses could be denied access to brand-new infrastructure.

The future of Hicks is in your hands.

The stakes could not be lower!

Democracy Manifest is a megagame, seeing ~48 people come together for a full day event as they simulate the exaggerated bureaucratic nightmare that is local government. Citizens of the fictional city of Hicks when trying to keep citizens, business and government workers happy while solving a complex redevelopment scenario.

No experience is needed to play and enjoy a megagame - everything you need to know will be provided to you before the event, and much of the fun of a megagame is figuring out what to do as the game progresses.

More information about Democracy Manifest can be found 📄 here.

More information about Sydney Megagamers, and what a megagame is, can be found 📄 here.

Democracy Manifest was designed by Tom Sanders of Sydney Megagamers.

About the Day

These tickets are for Game 1. 

The game will be held on Saturday 14th November 2026, at Lachlan's Line Auditorium in North Ryde.

The venue is a 5 minute walk from the nearby metro station, aligned with bus routes, and has ample parking about 10 minutes walk away.

Doors will open around 9:30am on the day, and we’ll likely be at the venue through to 5pm.

There will be a short lunch break during the game, and democracy sausages for those that partake. Pre-game information will guide you on how to make the most of this time, including where nearby groceries and takeaways are.

There will be an after-event at a local pub or bar. More information about that will be circulated to players before the day.

Regarding accessibility and facilities, the venue:

• is accessible (ground floor only, no stairs)
• does not include any internal stairs or steps, except for small stage which may be used for announcements
• is air conditioned
• has access to an accessible bathroom
• has a kitchenette with water, limited fridge space, a microwave and kettle.

Ticketing Information

Tickets are on sale to the general public at 8pm, Monday 12th October, 2026.

Ticketing is done individually, purchasing for specific team of roles. There are,

• 8 government departments with teams of 4
• 3 business groups with teams of 2
• 10 unique citizens roles

There are no specific roles with government departments or business groups. Any team responsibilities for individuals are fluid and can change throughout the day, decided at the discretion of the team.

All tickets cost $35 each.

If you are purchasing multiple tickets, have the contact information for your teammates on hand (name, email address, phone number). Please do not purchase tickets if you do not have a confirmed attendee for them.

Note: once you add tickets to your cart, they are held for you! You have plenty of time to fill in player details.

The contact details we collect will only ever be used to reach you about this specific event (unless you opt in for our mailing list).

Further details about your team and your roles will be emailed to the ticket holder two weeks before game day.

Refund Policy

We offer refunds up to 14 days prior to the event. After that time, and up to 48 hours prior to the event, we will offer a refund if we are able to otherwise re-sell your ticket to another player.

We are unfortunately unable to offer refunds in the last 48 hours prior to the event, even if we manage to find someone to take your place in the game.

If you purchased a ticket and would like to seek a refund, please email us. Refunds are not inclusive of several nominal fees charged during the admin of ticketing, meaning the refunded price may be slightly less than what you originally paid.

Merchandise

Sydney Megagamers is a not-for-profit association which uses funds collected to fuel our passion in bringing megagame events to Sydney. Nobody involved in running our events receives remuneration - we are all volunteers.

As a way to represent the community and to help us out, we offer a few pieces of merchandise when buying tickets. This merchandise is entirely optional - buying a ticket to our event helps balance our books for running that event, buying merch is just a plus!

Funds produced from merchandise help us invest more into future events and key pieces of inventory to improve the way we do things (things like IT equipment, website hosting fees, etc).

If you do choose to purchase any merchandise, physical items will be available to pick up when you arrive at the event. If you're unsure, you can also check out (and buy, if so choose!) the merchandise on game day.

For a snapshot on how we are funded and how we operate, you can read our 2025 Year in Review on our website.

We always appreciate your support, and coming to a megagame is the best support there is!