As lawmakers convened at the Capitol last week to begin this year’s regular legislative session, local organizations are giving residents a chance to balance the state’s budget through a new online simulation.

The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, The Advocate and the LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs have teamed up to create a game to give residents a chance to try their hand at setting the state’s billion-dollar budget.

“SolvetheBudget.com doesn’t take a position on what the best choices are, or even whether these are the right questions. But it does provide a glimpse of how tricky it can be to set priorities and make the numbers work,” the program’s press release reads.

Users will begin with the $25.3 billion of state money generated by taxes, fees and other revenue sources. As they answer the over three dozen tax and spending questions, users will see if they have created a budget surplus or deficit.

The simulation doesn’t just calculate the outcome of the user’s choices. It also offers information about taxes and spending on issues like education, healthcare and the environment.

The game takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Users can submit their decisions to compete against others to see if their choices help – or hurt – the state’s financial future.