For the People

About

For the People is a single player tactical role playing game. It was developed by Brezg Studio and was released on August 13, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

For the People is an acute social novel with strategic elements, in which you take control of the newly appointed mayor of a small city. Will the party provide for the people, or are the people just cogs in its machine? The choice is yours, comrade!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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65%

Audience ScoreBased on 153 reviews

story20 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features an intriguing and original story set in a fictional socialist state, providing a unique perspective on political dilemmas and governance.
The writing is sharp and engaging, with a good mix of humor and serious themes that reflect the complexities of leadership in a totalitarian regime.
The minimalist art style and atmospheric music effectively complement the narrative, creating an immersive experience despite the static visuals.

The gameplay mechanics, particularly resource management and decision-making, are often clunky and poorly explained, leading to confusion and frustration.
The game is relatively short, with many players feeling that it lacks depth and replayability, as choices often lead to similar outcomes.
There are numerous grammatical errors and translation issues that detract from the overall experience, making some parts of the story difficult to follow.

story
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
72%
5%
The game's story is generally seen as intriguing but ultimately underdeveloped, with many players finding it forgettable and lacking depth. While the setting and themes resonate with some, the narrative suffers from poor translation, tedious exposition, and a lack of meaningful choices, leading to frustration with its pacing and character development. Overall, the story has potential but is hampered by its execution, leaving players wanting a more engaging and polished experience.
- “The writing is sharp and focused, with dialogues and story beats that often leave you reflecting on the ethical implications of your choices.”
- “The story and cold war-esque setting were the stars of this game.”
- “An engaging, immersive story about life in a socialist city.”
- “And this game failed its mission with me; it did not make me care enough about it.”
- “The plot is not much, so it feels like the devs tried to bite off more than they could chew; many of the storylines are under-developed, forced, and boring.”
- “Most of the decisions don't make any sense, and the branching of the main story is very limited.”
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
68%
15%
The gameplay is primarily focused on decision-making and narrative engagement, revolving around managing resources, handling citizen petitions, and navigating ethical dilemmas within a bureaucratic framework. While the core mechanics offer an interesting premise, many players find them convoluted and poorly explained, leading to frustration and a sense of linearity. Overall, the gameplay is described as clunky and simplistic, with a compelling story that may not fully compensate for its mechanical shortcomings.
- “It delivers gameplay with a focus on simulated bureaucracy, social management, and political intrigue.”
- “The gameplay consists of reading letters, reports, etc., so keep that in mind before buying.”
- “The trailer on the store page is nothing like the gameplay visually; in-game, all scenes are static PNGs, not moving elements.”
- “The gameplay loop revolves around reading reports, handling citizen petitions, issuing directives, and making tough calls about how to allocate limited resources.”
- “However, this game just feels clunky mechanically; it does not explain its mechanics well (if at all), and half the time it is a guessing game.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique cold war aesthetic and distinctive art style, while others find the visuals to be bland and lacking engagement. The simple yet effective graphics align well with the game's themes, though some feel that the overall presentation could be more captivating. Overall, the artwork is praised for its charm, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere despite some criticisms of its simplicity.
- “The game's art style is brilliant.”
- “Love the overall atmosphere created by witty writing, distinctive art style, and music.”
- “The artwork is amazing.”
- “I also don't know if the colorless gray aesthetic is really necessary to have in a game about a city bureaucrat; it's not like I actually want to feel more bored reading reports in a room.”
- “With lackluster visuals and hand-holding, the game didn't engage me.”
- “Graphically, its rather simple and bland nature provided a convincing aesthetic.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The game effectively creates a compelling atmosphere through its minimalist visuals, distinctive art style, and well-integrated music, which enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of humor and tension, capturing the essence of life in a socialist state while reflecting on themes of corruption and oppression. Overall, the atmosphere is described as engaging and immersive, making it a standout aspect of the game.
- “Despite its minimalist visual style—static backgrounds and stylized character portraits—the game manages to establish a compelling sense of place and atmosphere.”
- “Love the overall atmosphere created by witty writing, distinctive art style, and music.”
- “Fill your lungs with the industrial atmosphere of a people's state, free of its former imperial oppression.”
- “Thumbs up for capturing the atmosphere, corruption and life-destroying maliciousness of a government driven by left-wing ideology.”
- “As a c-party member, I recommend this game to anyone who is curious about 'what is the atmosphere of living in a socialist country.'”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as a low-key soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and adds depth to the experience. While it may not be the most prominent feature, it effectively complements the game's tension and emotional closure. Overall, the music, along with the art and writing, contributes to a cohesive and engaging ambiance.
- “Lovely music, decent art, and written with lots of talent, love to the characters, and understanding of politics.”
- “Love the overall atmosphere created by witty writing, distinctive art style, and music.”
- “The music and sound, while not very noticeable, is acceptable to good and adds to a mostly tense atmosphere, while giving closure to the endings.”
- “The low-key soundtrack adds to the ambience.”
- “As for the soundtrack, it got me right from the main menu.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The game offers some replayability, with multiple endings and a design that encourages revisiting, though it is relatively short, typically taking under two hours to complete. While players find it enjoyable and worth replaying, the replay value is not as extensive as in some other titles, suggesting a more limited experience overall.
- “Lots of replay value.”
- “+ over five possible endings providing some replayability.”
- “I suppose the game's rather short and its replayability is rather minor, but oh well, I got what I came for here.”
- “Yes, it is replayable, but not to the same extent as 'Papers, Please' for example.”
- “It can be finished in a bit less than two hours, but I believe there's some replayability.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the delayed outcomes of agent actions, which complicates optimization efforts. While some elements of the report are enjoyable, much of the content feels irrelevant or repetitive after the initial playthrough, leading to frustration with the scoring system and a desire for a more streamlined experience. Overall, the grinding mechanics detract from the narrative and engagement.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I also did not like that the outcome of things you send your agents to is not revealed until the following day, so if you're like me and try to neurotically optimize everything, even if it means save scumming, that's made more tedious.”
- “You could reload to choose option B and see how that changes your scores, but that would be really tedious, and from what I saw, the scoring didn't always make sense.”
- “It is all 'Sovietesque' and so tedious to read.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its lighthearted atmosphere and clever humor, particularly evident in the amusing letters that provide comic relief without directly tying into the main story. Reviewers appreciate the well-written dialogue and the overall humorous tone, making it an enjoyable experience.
- “It has a lighter atmosphere than Beholder and more funny sentences.”
- “Reading the letters was my favorite activity, as they were humorous in nature and did not relate to the main story much.”
- “The game is very well-written; it has humor and atmosphere in it.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, particularly with the mouse cursor freezing or lagging when moved quickly, and the inability to enable a hardware cursor, which prevents the game from launching altogether.
- “The mouse cursor freezes or lags if you move it faster than a snail's pace, and you can't enable the hardware cursor, or the game won't even start.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experienced constant frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall experience.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.
- “The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the immersion.”
- “The optimization is so bad that loading times are unacceptably long, even for simple tasks.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game highlights the poignant letters sent to the city government, reflecting the deep concerns and feelings of the community. However, it also underscores the tension between these heartfelt expressions and the city's bureaucratic responsibility to prioritize stability over individual emotional needs.