The Arab Spring uprisings and Occupy-style US protests have inspired a new genre of serious videogames designed to help activists develop strategy – all in the safety of cyberspace.

Games like People Power (The Game of Civil Resistance) allow would-be protest leaders to build and test their plans for peacefully opposing the police or the government without actually hitting the streets.

The game, which promises “an opportunity to join a community of others who want to learn about civil resistance and nonviolent strategies,” was created by York Zimmerman Inc, along with the International Centre on Nonviolent Conflict.

“We certainly did not aim at a mass audience,” said Steve York, People Power executive producer. “I suppose it’s not for everyone, certainly not casual players wanting to be entertained.

“Still, I think it will be interesting and fun for people who enjoy strategy games, even people who like chess,” Mr York added from the documentary production company’s Washington headquarters.

People Power is a follow up to a game launched in 2006, A Force More Powerful, when the group realised there there was a need to help activists learn non-violent stategies.

“Most of all, they needed help – experience, actually – in developing a strategy. They knew how to choose and make tactics, such as protests, strikes, and boycotts. But they didn’t know how to put everything together,” said Mr York.

“They sometimes neglected the essentials, like recruiting, organising, and acquiring funding and resources.”