Can someone recommend me a good political game?

Jeedan

Basically I want to build up a country and then run it into the ground. I'm open to the details of exactly how but I dont want anything thats too focused on warfare. Space colony type games might be worth a try too if anyone knows any good ones.

I remember reading something about an American Presidency game that was a few years old I'd quite like to try but I cant remember the name. Can anyone help?

lowlylowlycook

Jeedan wrote: »

Basically I want to build up a country and then run it into the ground. I'm open to the details of exactly how but I dont want anything thats too focused on warfare. Space colony type games might be worth a try too if anyone knows any good ones.

I remember reading something about an American Presidency game that was a few years old I'd quite like to try but I cant remember the name. Can anyone help?

I dunno, but I suspect you want to play Dwarf Fortress.

Jean

Jeedan wrote: »

I remember reading something about an American Presidency game that was a few years old I'd quite like to try but I cant remember the name. Can anyone help?

You're thinking of President Forever I believe.

Fiatil

Democracy 2 is pretty damn fantastic. You can change your policies on just about anything you can imagine, I know the first one took away many many hours from my days.

bamjo

Supreme Ruler 2020 lets you control all aspects of a country. There are also Victoria and Europa Universalis 3 if you don't mind a little complexity.


Edit: How could I forget Tropico? You can be the most corrupt Caribbean dictator of them all. Or create a communist haven and be the hero of the working man. Also there's no warfare, aside from political assassinations.

revolutionary bean

Play Hidden Agenda, it's a free nifty old(ish) game where you play as a newly instated president of a minor south american country which has been under a dictatorship for the past decades.

The "game" is more like a choose your own adventure book than an interactive point and click game in which you pick your ministers (left-wing or right-wing) and the whole game is basically you listening to their advices (and deciding yourself) on how to reform the country/react to external events.

Every one of your decisions will have a reaction in the game. Depending on how you play the game, your military generals can either be your downfall or your right hand man, the US your greatest friend ($$$) or your greatest enemy (CIA backed invasion of your country) and you can even renege on your promise of democracy and turn the country back to dictatorship ffs.

Fucking love this game and if you love politics, i'm sure you will too. Just google it and you should find it in a few abandonware sites.

Fiatil

bamjo wrote: »

Supreme Ruler 2020 lets you control all aspects of a country. There are also Victoria and Europa Universalis 3 if you don't mind a little complexity.


Edit: How could I forget Tropico? You can be the most corrupt Caribbean dictator of them all. Or create a communist haven and be the hero of the working man. Also there's no warfare, aside from political assassinations.

Tropico's awesome as well. I just started playing it again on a whim yesterday (Deluxe edition just came out on Steam for $15), and it's the ultimate combination of island dictator + awesome latin music.

CyberJackal

Is the SimCity series too obvious?

WotanAnubis

If you can find it and get it running, there's always Startopia. In it you manage a giant spacestation that gets visited by all kinds of aliens. And cute little furry things that, if they eat enough trash, mutate into giant, black things of rampaging destruction.

travathian

Political Machine by Stardock focused on the 2004 election, allowing you to create a candidate chose your competition, and simulate the process of trying to grab enough electoral college votes.

Rohan

Shadow President is donkey's years old, but a great game still.

seasleepy

travathian wrote: »

Political Machine by Stardock focused on the 2004 election, allowing you to create a candidate chose your competition, and simulate the process of trying to grab enough electoral college votes.

There was a 2008 version of it as well, with what looked like a fairly extensive free demo. I haven't played it though.

Sir Carcass

What about games that do Medieval politics? Something like The Guild 2. I haven't really found anything deep enough to sate my hunger. Crusader Kings is awesome with the titles and stuff, but I want more personal interaction.

Couscous

Wikipedia has a list of them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Government_simulation_video_games

I've heard good things about Europa Universalis III. I'm not sure if you can avoid warfare though.

HamHamJ

Europa Universalis is pretty simplistic if you avoid combat, I would say. Internal politics is mostly civics sliders.

Ethan Smith

Vicky is also a bit simple once you realize the things you need to do to get people to vote a certain way.

lowlylowlycook

Sir Carcass wrote: »

What about games that do Medieval politics? Something like The Guild 2. I haven't really found anything deep enough to sate my hunger. Crusader Kings is awesome with the titles and stuff, but I want more personal interaction.

There was that old Machiavelli: The Prince game back in the day. You could take over Venice or the College of Cardinals. Also a lot of trading and not much combat.