Little Mayor
Build a town that's great to live in
Little Mayor is an educational game about urban planning for children aged 9 and up, made in the Czech Republic. The kindergarten a short walk from home, the water treatment plant by the water and away from the windows. Free in the browser, printable for the tabletop, with a lesson plan for schools and data for towns.
How it works
A game takes 7 to 10 minutes and is played on a tablet, a computer, or with a printed board and cards. The rules are real urban-planning principles turned into simple "wishes" of each building.
Pond, Castle, River, Station, Hill, Lake or Big city. No task, A town for families, The town is ageing, Green town. Three difficulty levels, including a budget and fixing a broken town.
Every card says what the building likes and dislikes: the kindergarten within 400 m of housing, the treatment plant by the water, a family house not next to a tower block. Live scoring explains right away why a move helped or hurt.
0 to 100 points against the best possible town, a title from Bricklayer to City Architect, every rule explained in one sentence, a daily leaderboard, sharing and a printable diploma.
What kids learn
- Walking distances. The kindergarten and the school belong close enough to home for kids to walk in a few minutes. The game uses real planning standards (1 square ≈ 200 m).
- Utilities away from housing. The treatment plant by the water and downstream, the heating plant near the flats but not under the windows. Why: smell, noise, dust.
- Height transitions. Between a family house and a large apartment block belongs a smaller building. That is what a pleasant neighbourhood looks like.
- Decisions and trade-offs. Plots are scarce and not everything fits; with a budget you have to choose. Exactly like in a real town.
On the screen and on the table
Custom building icons, a board with numbered plots identical to the printed version, a result screen that explains every rule, and a diploma each child can take home. Screenshots show the Czech version; the game itself plays fully in English.
For teachers, towns and science centres
For children and schools the game is free. Institutions can order a turnkey exhibit or a programme with data; I will prepare an offer based on your scope and number of children.
Free, right now
- the game in the browser, offline too, no sign-up
- printable boards, cards and a cheat sheet
- a 45-minute lesson plan with a worksheet and answer key, easy to map to your curriculum
- a class on tablets: shared leaderboard and CSV export of results
- the Daily challenge as a competition between classes
A turnkey exhibit
- the game in kiosk mode with an attract demo, on your tablet or a supplied stand
- laminated boards and cards for tabletop play, a cheat sheet for staff
- a big daily leaderboard for a screen at the stand, printable diplomas
- visitor and game statistics for your stand, a year of operation and updates
- staff training, optionally a custom map of your town
Children's participation and a custom map
- a half-day workshop with schools: the game plus a discussion about your own town
- a map of your town in the game: the real river, station, heritage zone
- a data report: what children built, which mistakes repeated, what they miss in town
- material for public participation in the local plan
References and partners
The game was created in cooperation with the Institute of Public Administration at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University, and was first played at a fair stand in 2026. The rules are based on Czech urban-planning standards (walking distances, buffer zones around utilities, height transitions). The game's original Czech name is Malý starosta.
Frequently asked questions
What age is the game for?
Best for ages 9 to 12 (grades 4 to 6). Younger children play with an adult; older ones will enjoy Harder with a budget and Green town.
Is the game really in English?
Yes, the whole game plays in English: use the English button on the home screen or open starosta.alho.cz/app/?lang=en. The printable cards and boards are still in Czech; English versions are on the way.
Do I need the internet?
Only for the first load. After that the game works offline; on a tablet you can add it to the home screen like an app. Data from a stand is sent as soon as there is a connection.
What data does the game collect?
The game has no sign-up, asks for no name or e-mail address and sets no cookies. It stores anonymous game results (map, task, points). The only free-text field is an optional nickname for the daily leaderboard, where we ask children not to use their real name; it is deleted after 30 days. Nothing is passed to third parties. Full details on the Privacy page.
Can I use the game at school or an event for free?
Yes. The web game, the printables and the lesson plan are free for schools, libraries, clubs and parents. Only services and the turnkey exhibit are paid, for institutions that want a finished product with support.
Can you make a map of our town?
Yes, a custom map is part of the package for towns and optional with the exhibit: your real river, station, heritage zone, or your landmarks and neighbourhood names.
Contact
The game is by Aleš Horák. Write what you are planning (a class, a stand, a workshop) and how many children. I will reply with an offer, or with advice on how to use the game for free.