Democracy 3

Fascinating, fast, and friendly but far too forgiving. Wait for the patches and iron man/lady mods.

Starting at €24.50Buy now

Democracy is a government simulation game. The player plays as if they are the president or prime minister of a democratic government. The player must introduce and alter policies in seven areas - tax, economy, welfare, foreign policy, transport, law and order and public services. Each policy has an effect on the happiness of various voter groups, as well as affecting factors such as crime and air…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,668 reviews

gameplay66 positive mentions

stability29 negative mentions

Democracy 3 offers a unique and engaging political simulation experience, allowing players to experiment with various policies and see their effects on different demographics.
The game features a complex web of interconnected issues, making it a thought-provoking challenge for players interested in politics and governance.
The modding community enhances the game significantly, providing additional content and customization options that increase replayability.

The game suffers from a significant liberal bias, making it difficult to successfully implement conservative or libertarian policies without facing severe backlash or assassination.
Many players experience frequent crashes and bugs, particularly on Windows 10, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and functionality of the game.
The gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth after a few playthroughs, as players often find themselves following the same successful strategies.

gameplay
341 mentions
19 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by complex mechanics that allow for a variety of political decisions and their consequences, but many players find it repetitive and lacking depth after a few hours. While the interface is generally user-friendly, the gameplay can feel simplistic and overly reliant on sliders, leading to a sense of predictability once the mechanics are mastered. Additionally, the game has been criticized for its ideological bias and the lack of engaging content beyond initial playthroughs, making it more suitable for those with a strong interest in political simulation rather than casual gamers.
- “The game's mechanics are complex, giving players a wide range of tools and options for managing their country and making decisions that will affect the economy, society, and politics of their nation.”
- “The gameplay is all about the policies you enact, and the funding you allocate to them - each one impacting your country, voters, and other policies - which creates emergent gameplay as you try to solve crises and improve your country.”
- “The gameplay is straightforward: there's a main screen with a large number of interconnected factors (policies, effects, and crises) represented as colored circles.”
- “The gameplay becomes very stale after ~1.5-2 terms, the graphics are somewhat lackluster, and there is significant lag when returning to the main issues screen of the game, every single time.”
- “The game mechanics are extremely simple, so anyone can pick up and play, but it lacks long-term appeal and in-depth mechanics.”
- “Once you've figured out the mechanics, this game is boring as heck.”
graphics
154 mentions
14 % positive mentions
78 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally described as simplistic and functional, resembling a spreadsheet or infographics rather than traditional game visuals. While some players appreciate the clarity and ease of understanding provided by the minimalistic design, others find it dull and outdated, lacking engaging animations or detailed artwork. Overall, the graphics serve the game's purpose of simulating political strategy but may not appeal to those seeking visually rich experiences.
- “The graphics are simple, along with the sound, yet effective.”
- “The interface is well designed and the game mechanics are quite intuitive; the graphics are not flashy, but neat and well designed.”
- “It runs smoothly and boots quickly, with simple yet elegant graphics making this complex game easy to understand after a few short rounds.”
- “The graphics are extremely simple, since the interaction is all done through charts and graphs, and a few dialogue choices, but honestly for this type of game that's all that's necessary.”
- “Don't mistake what I'm driving at - the lack of graphics is fine, but if you're going to produce a largely text-based game in 2013, you need to have tremendous depth that makes up for the stark white background and simplistic graphics.”
- “The game interface is unintuitive and far too busy, and the graphics, while clean, are flat and boring.”
replayability
116 mentions
25 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is highly variable among players, with some praising its extensive options and mod support that enhance replay value, while others criticize it for becoming repetitive and lacking depth after a few playthroughs. Many reviews highlight that the ability to approach the game from different political angles and the presence of various difficulty settings contribute positively to replayability, but a significant number of players feel that once the core mechanics are mastered, the game loses its appeal. Overall, the consensus suggests that while there is potential for replayability, it heavily depends on individual player interest and the use of mods.
- “Near endless replayability and highly modable.”
- “The replayability is on point because there's never one best way to play.”
- “A thoroughly enjoyable game with a lot of replayability, due to the various social groups, choice of countries to rule and political play styles.”
- “But, for me, it had close to zero replayability value.”
- “Game is solid, and enjoyable, but has absolutely no replayability to it.”
- “Unfortunately, the replay value is not immensely high, as you may tire of tinkering with the same policies over and over again.”
humor
48 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often described as absurd and satirical, poking fun at political scenarios and the unpredictability of governance. Players find amusement in the exaggerated outcomes of their decisions, such as creating authoritarian states or witnessing the chaos of poorly managed policies. However, some reviewers note that the humor can wear thin over time, and the game's political bias may detract from the overall comedic experience.
- “I find it funny that one can completely eviscerate state pensions at no consequence while reasonable tax policies will get you killed by the capitalist - still worth playing.”
- “The budgets and policy making is hilarious.”
- “It's a pretty funny 'simulator' of what politics do and why... maybe in order to get your own ass up and do something.. or appreciate what is being done.”
story
44 mentions
7 % positive mentions
86 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely absent, with players describing it as a "make your own story" experience rather than a traditional narrative. While it features a backdrop of political intrigue and assassination plots, the gameplay often leads to repetitive scenarios with minimal control over outcomes. Overall, it lacks a cohesive storyline, making it more of a strategic simulation than a story-driven game.
- “The story goes like this: Earth is captured by a technocapital singularity as renaissance rationalization and oceanic navigation lock into commoditization take-off.”
- “This game offers the story of your term in office, whether that be in the United Kingdom, USA, Germany, Canada, or any other nation across the globe.”
- “It's one of the better story generators I've played.”
- “No real story and minimal control.”
- “As a game, I'll say it fails; it's not very entertaining, doesn't tell a story, and doesn't have production values.”
- “I was thrilled to play it since it was a political/social/financial game with all its frills; however, I'm baffled on the gameplay and its quest line (if it exists).”
stability
31 mentions
6 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and stability issues, with many players reporting frequent crashes, glitches, and performance problems that hinder the overall experience. Despite its enjoyable gameplay and interesting concepts, the persistent technical issues have led to frustration among users, making it difficult to recommend without reservations. While some players find ways to enjoy the game, the consensus is that significant improvements in stability are needed.
- “Not buggy.”
- “I have it on my MSI notebook, and it runs great.”
- “The game is incredibly buggy and there seems to be little will to fix issues with the game.”
- “Costs $28 (CAD), which is very expensive for a buggy and broken game.”
- “While it can be fun, the game is still very buggy and crashes often.”
music
31 mentions
35 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it overly repetitive and lacking variety, often leading to frustration. While some appreciate the soothing and atmospheric qualities of the soundtrack, others criticize it for being limited and monotonous, with reports of it stopping unexpectedly during gameplay. Overall, while the music can enhance the experience for some, many players feel it detracts from the game due to its lack of diversity and depth.
- “The music is good, nothing special, but it is relaxing and it suits the atmosphere of the situation that you are in.”
- “Navigation is a pleasure and the nice ambient music provides a relaxed atmosphere for you to play in.”
- “While the layout looks very simple, I feel that this is actually to the game's benefit, and the use of music as well as the knock-on effects of choices made really can lead to a tense experience, which is more than I could have expected.”
- “The music is too repetitive; they should add more variety.”
- “The music is painfully repetitive.”
- “The music consists of a single song that gets old faster than listening to 'Achy Breaky Heart' on repeat.”
grinding
13 mentions
0 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often requiring significant time investment to progress. Many reviews highlight the repetitive nature of tasks and the steep learning curve, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the underlying mechanics, the grind often overshadows the game's potential, leading to a mixed reception.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Your hands are pretty much tied to a specific set of actions, and it's exceptionally tedious to get past the learning curve.”
- “It's not a terrible game, but it's relatively tedious and a bit too simplistic in a lot of areas - which is odd because it has a fairly rich underlying mechanic.”
optimization
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report frequent crashes and poor performance on new systems, others praise its smooth operation and quick loading times, highlighting its user-friendly graphics and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game's optimization appears inconsistent, with significant issues for some users contrasted by a positive experience for others.
- “The game runs smoothly and has a wide variety of ways that you can change your country.”
- “It runs smoothly and boots quickly, with simple yet elegant graphics making this complex game easy to understand after a few short rounds.”
- “Abolished nearly all crime, lowered pollution, optimized health and education, but got assassinated by capitalists.”
- “In terms of performance, the game keeps crashing on a brand new computer, showing signs of horrible optimization.”
- “The game is poorly optimized.”
- “Aside from some weird parameters (good diplomatic relations decrease trade, why?), the optimization is a little bad, and crashes happen quite frequently.”
monetization
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism for misleading advertisements, particularly regarding the extremism DLC, which users feel do not accurately represent the game's content. Players express frustration over the dense and potentially overwhelming nature of the monetization strategies, suggesting they detract from the overall experience.
- “Wow, was I wrong; the advertisement is completely misleading.”
- “Don't be deceived by its flashy advertisement because the content is so dense that I fear it may one day burst into a supermassive black hole and consume everything.”
- “There are elections here, but you do not give speeches or fund ads.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a relaxing ambient soundtrack that complements the intricate political dynamics, creating an engaging environment for players. Once familiar with the controls, users find the blend of statistics and political themes elevates the overall experience to a masterpiece level.
- “Once you get used to the controls and understand how the political atmosphere is intertwined, the game becomes a masterpiece of statistics and political science.”
- “The music is good, nothing special, but it is relaxing and it suits the atmosphere of the situation that you are in.”
- “Navigation is a pleasure and the nice ambient music provides a relaxed atmosphere for you to play in.”
- “The music is good, nothing special, but it is relaxing and suits the atmosphere of the situation you are in.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players of Modded Democracy 3 report a strong emotional engagement, feeling the weight of ruling a nation and grappling with the complexities and challenges of political decision-making. The game evokes a sense of realism that highlights the often irrational and emotional nature of political ideologies, particularly from a liberal perspective.
- “Modded Democracy 3 is the first game that actually made me feel like I’m ruling a nation – and experience all the short-sightedness of doing so.”