There are many ways to win an election, and honorable strategies don’t always yield positive results. Sometimes, the public needs a little bit of help in making the correct decision, and these games showcase a variety of manipulation methods that can be employed to ensure a bright future for everyone. It is for the good of the people.
Probably doesn’t need to be said, but I’m obviously being sarcastic. Still, political sims can serve as educational tools that teach players the various ways they might be influenced by politicians or even the media. Crucially, these games are also a lot of fun, and they tackle this theme in unique ways (compared to each other).
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Rig It
How To Rig An Election
Now, let’s start with something a touch different. Rig It is a simple browser game that speedruns an election, going through 5 stages along the way. At each point, players need to make a string of decisions that define their identity as a politician, their strategy as a politician, and their success as a politician. Although not deep by any stretch of the imagination, Rig It highlights common manipulative strategies used by parties to influence voters, be it by publishing hit pieces on their opposition or utilizing social media posts as a modern form of propaganda.
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Rig It was created in a collaboration between GLOBSEC (a global think tank), DROG (an organization about countering misinformation, and Gusmanson (a Dutch developer). Clearly intended to be an educational piece, this game accomplishes its goal while being relatively fun, or at least fun enough to warrant a few quick play sessions.
Not For Broadcast
Control The Information, Control The Voters
While not directly about rigging an election, Not for Broadcast revolves entirely around manipulating the aftermath of an election. After an extreme government wins in a surprise landslide, you are put in charge of managing the national news broadcast, and you determine what the public sees. If a politician says something embarrassing, you decide whether to censor or show it.
On the other side of the spectrum, you influence the reach of a resistance group that forms as the government becomes increasingly more unhinged and dangerous. Besides choosing what is broadcast, you also decide its presentation through camera angles that might flatter or undermine someone. Naturally, any media broadcaster needs to run ads to survive, and they might involve propaganda puff pieces that present the ruling party in as positive a light as possible. Or, you can go the other way and stoke the flames of rebellion.
While most election/government-themed games revolve around the people in power, Not for Broadcast brilliantly shines a light on the media’s importance and impact. Somehow, the game manages to be simultaneously hilarious and terrifying.
Suzerain
A 4-Year Manipulation Plan
Suzerain walks the line between a visual novel and a political sim; most of the game consists of reading text, but your choices not only matter but also greatly impact the story’s trajectory. Following a civil war, Anton Rayne steps in as the elected president of Sordland, a 1950s country taking its first stab at democracy. Anton has four years to leave his mark, all the while hoping to set himself up for reelection. You don’t get to play the second term, though.
Depending on the direction you take, “manipulation” might be too harsh a word, but that’s essentially what you do throughout Suzerain. While the country has a constitution, it is incredibly biased and designed to support the conservative Old Guard. As president, you must draft a new constitution, which is where the rigging really gets going. Will you actually try to create a proper democracy? Or will you set things up to try to ensure you retain control in the future?
Suzerain lets you use quite a few different methods of manipulation, most of which are grounded in reality. Stuff like changing the electoral threshold to ensure minority parties have no chance of earning seats, or creating a puppet Judiciary system. You can even enter the country in an emergency state, which is basically martial law.
Tropico Series
El Presidente Always Acts In His People’s Best Interests
The entire series fits this topic, but let’s just focus on Tropico 6 since that’s the most recent one. Unlike Suzerain, Limbic’s political sim doesn’t remotely take itself seriously, although that doesn’t come at the expense of clever writing, social commentary, and depth. El Presidente reigns over the Caribbean island of Tropico, a role he humbly accepts out of sheer love for his nation and its people.
Elections don’t consume too much of your time as a leader, but they pop up every couple of years, and they can catch you off guard if your approval rating is extremely low. If this happens, El Presidente can accept an opportunity to rig the election, gaining a percentage of the votes. If you have like 5% approval, this manipulation won’t make any difference. However, in close races, rigging the election will give it to you. Be warned, though, the people remember.
Alternatively, just declare martial law and don’t hold an election at all. After all, El President knows better than to leave such important matters to his adoring public.
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