You have one bill.
Thirty weeks.
Make it law.
Draft it. Find a sponsor. Survive committee. Whip the floor. Outlast the other chamber, the lobbyists, and the governor's pen. The Bill is a free browser game that teaches how laws are really made, by making you pass one.
Free · browser-based · ~45 min a run · ages 12+
bills introduced in a typical two-year Congress
ever becomes law; most never even get a hearing
weeks in your legislative session. The clock is already running.
Your bill starts with worse odds than that. Beat them.
Figures: U.S. Congress enactment statistics (Congress.gov; GovTrack). They reflect recent Congresses and round to make the point; last reviewed June 2026.
The path of a bill
Eight stations. Each one kills bills for a different reason. Tap a station to see why.
01 The Idea
Deep dive →Every law starts as a problem somebody refuses to ignore: a constituent letter, a news story, an advocate with data. The first real decision is scope: a narrow bill is easier to pass but does less; a sweeping bill changes lives and collects enemies.
Most ideas never even get drafted: no champion, no urgency, no money.
A civics class disguised as a strategy game
Every mechanic in The Bill to Law Game is a real piece of how American statehouses work. You won't memorize the process. You'll have survived it.
Real procedure, no homework
Committee referrals, germaneness rulings, conference reports, veto overrides: every mechanic is the real thing, learned by playing it.
Four meters, constant tradeoffs
Political Capital, Coalition Strength, Public Awareness, Bill Integrity. Every decision moves at least one. Usually down.
A legislature full of people
100 named legislators with districts, grudges, and asks. Swing votes have backstories. The committee chair remembers what you did.
Lobbyists and poison pills
Industry will offer to 'help.' Opponents will offer amendments designed to kill. Learn to tell friendly from fatal.
A 30-week session clock
Time is the real opponent. Every hearing you wait for and every favor you trade burns weeks you don't have.
A turning-point debrief
Win or lose, the game names the one decision that mattered most, and what would have happened if you'd chosen differently.
Could your bill survive?
Three situations every real bill faces. No wrong answers, just consequences.
Five issues. Twelve bills. Real politics.
Each issue comes in multiple ambition levels: a narrow bill that can pass, or a sweeping one that probably can't. Choosing is the first lesson.
A civics game for the classroom
One class period per stage, a built-in glossary, and a debrief that writes your discussion questions for you.
Classroom guide →Civics that finally makes sense
Studying for a government exam? One run through The Bill to Law Game beats an evening of flashcards, and you'll remember it.
Study with the game →A complete civics unit, free
Play together, pause anywhere, and follow every term into a glossary built for curious kids and adults alike.
Homeschool guide →