Rogue State

About

"Rogue State" is a political simulation game where you govern a Middle Eastern nation. Maintain political stability, balance the budget, and ensure national security while navigating relationships with foreign powers. Your decisions directly impact the success and failure of your country, making each playthrough unique.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 207 reviews

gameplay16 positive mentions

Rogue State offers a unique and engaging political simulation experience with a variety of gameplay options and random events that keep each playthrough fresh.
The game features a charming sense of humor and solid writing, making the experience enjoyable despite its challenges.
The mechanics of managing different factions and balancing their needs provide a rewarding challenge for players who enjoy strategy games.

The game suffers from a lack of polish, with clunky animations and a cumbersome user interface that can detract from the overall experience.
Random events can feel overly punishing and may lead to frustrating situations where players feel they have little control over their outcomes.
The graphics and presentation are dated, which may turn off players looking for a more modern gaming experience.

gameplay
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
70%
6%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of simple mechanics and casual strategy, offering a variety of options and events that can be engaging but often feel repetitive and shallow. While it features interlocking political systems reminiscent of titles like Democracy 3 and Tropico, many players find the mechanics overly simplistic, with limited choices leading to predictable outcomes. Despite its charm and humor, the gameplay lacks depth and can become stale quickly, making it less appealing for long-term engagement.
- “Looks like it has a lot of gameplay options, meaning there's probably a lot to do as the interim government.”
- “The gameplay is engaging, the randomization is just enough to give you a great new play each time, while maintaining the integrity of a very well designed branching plot and poli-strategy.”
- “At first I was pretty skeptical at the look of things and it seemed slightly shallow, but as I played, the depth of gameplay was slowly unraveled.”
- “While the core gameplay is decent, there are relatively few levers available for accomplishing any particular goal. Despite this, it's really not that hard to achieve a utopian equilibrium where everybody loves you, society is a paradise, your neighbors all respect and admire you, and your treasury is full... and yet still have problems keeping separatists from trying to break free or prevent coups because you have almost no options that allow you to directly influence those problems.”
- “The mechanics are extremely simple to the point of being ridiculously so.”
- “Gameplay is semi-fun but repetitive and a bit too random; there isn't much to do but balance a budget with the occasional sentence-long event or stock conversation with a rival diplomat.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
74%
7%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a retro aesthetic reminiscent of the 90s, which some find charming while others consider it unpolished and lacking in quality. The limited graphical options and low frame rates (locked at 36 fps) detract from the experience for some, although others appreciate the indie art style and find it fitting for the game's theme. Overall, while the graphics are not considered beautiful, they are functional and evoke nostalgia for certain players, though they may not appeal to everyone.
- “The graphics in the game are, admittedly, retro, but the artwork is very well done and the animations are clean.”
- “The use of retro graphics (unlike many games) is not an excuse to use for poor graphics, the graphics are very well done, with a modern use of perspective-animation, good atmospheric voice acting.”
- “I adore this game even down to its aged art style.”
- “The pre-rendered cutscenes were very poor resolution, and the graphic fidelity wasn't great in and of itself.”
- “Then there's the graphics (meh - looks like something from the early 90s), the tedium of watching your guy walk around the office, the lack of any real replayability and just the feeling that you're really not in control of most anything that makes it pretty bland.”
- “Graphics are going to hit you first, some strange mix of pixel art and 3D models that would be considered high-tech in the late 90s.”
story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
62%
10%
The story in "Rogue State" is engaging and offers a fun, albeit short narrative that unfolds over 60 turns, allowing players to experience multiple outcomes and story branches with each playthrough. While the storyline is compelling and features interesting themes, some players feel it lacks depth and replayability, as the game doesn't strongly incentivize multiple completions beyond unlocking certain elements. Overall, the game is praised for its strategic gameplay and branching plot, despite its unpolished graphics and limited personal story creation.
- “In rebuilding the country, you are required to complete 60 turns to finish the story, and during this time, you run your country including enacting policies, building infrastructure, and participating in annual speeches to your population.”
- “Rogue State was a decent experience that features a fun story that introduces an interesting premise in the conflict of Basenji.”
- “Depending on how long your regime survives, you'll see more of the story unfold, and because playthroughs aren't the same, you might see new story threads each time you play.”
- “The problem with this game is that it doesn't make you desperate to replay it once you've finished the story once.”
- “The storyline events and crises add some flavor, but end up limiting the replayability after a few runs.”
- “Is better than a lot of political simulators but doesn't have much room for personal story creation or depth.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability, with some players finding it low due to a lack of depth and engaging gameplay after the initial playthrough. However, others appreciate the presence of random events and varied playstyles that contribute to a degree of replay value, especially when adjusting difficulty or exploring different strategies. Overall, while some players see limited replayability, others find enough variety to warrant multiple playthroughs.
- “Makes for lots of replay value.”
- “I can say that the game is 100% replayable because after every turn random events pop out, which make this game super fun.”
- “Well replayable, thanks to random start settings.”
- “Low replayability value in my opinion.”
- “So for that reason alone it has no replay value and is not really a lot of fun after the first playthrough.”
- “The storyline events and crises add some flavor, but end up limiting the replayability after a few runs.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is a mixed bag, featuring a charming and zany atmosphere with moments of genuine hilarity, particularly in its dialogue and events. However, some players find the humor inconsistent, with certain elements feeling forced or lacking coherence, leading to a decline in comedic impact over time. Overall, while the game offers entertaining and funny scenarios, its simplistic style and reliance on randomness can detract from the overall experience.
- “It is funny, realistic, and definitely has a charm.”
- “But also contains really funny and entertaining modes that just make the game so fun to play.”
- “The writing of the game is often funny, and the voice acting is very good (and everything is voiced).”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
27%
27%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and thematic relevance, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience. Reviewers appreciate the diverse soundtrack, which includes voice acting and culturally inspired tunes, contributing to the game's artistic direction. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, with many rating it highly for its fitting and enjoyable compositions.
- “It has great atmosphere, music, and art direction (by the way, the soundtrack comes with the game, which is nice).”
- “Fits the theme of the game in every way, and any given piece of music fits an event in the game.”
- “It is probably too bad because the turn-based tour of the office, the voice-acted little dolls, and the Middle Eastern music playing had decent flavor.”
- “Fits the theme of the game in every way, and any given piece of music fit an event in the game.”
- “Artistically and musically, this game really excels.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its engaging music, art direction, and effective blend of humor with serious themes. Players appreciate the well-executed retro graphics and modern animation techniques, alongside atmospheric voice acting that enhances the overall experience. The inclusion of a soundtrack and culturally relevant tunes further enriches the game's immersive environment.
- “It has great atmosphere, music, and art direction (by the way, the soundtrack comes with the game, which is nice).”
- “I love its zany atmosphere, and the game's ability to describe real-world 'serious' into 'funny.' The game got me wanting to see what happens next.”
- “The use of retro graphics (unlike many games) is not an excuse for poor graphics; the graphics are very well done, with a modern use of perspective-animation and good atmospheric voice acting.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game's stability is marred by several glitches, including issues with unlimited wealth exploits and screen blackouts during battles, which can lead to crashes. Additionally, players have reported persistent mouse pointer problems that detract from the experience. While the game functions adequately overall, these bugs suggest it is not entirely polished.
- “The game runs smoothly overall, and while there are minor bugs, they don't significantly detract from the experience.”
- “Despite a few small issues, the game maintains a stable performance, allowing for an enjoyable gameplay experience.”
- “For its size, the game is surprisingly stable and offers a fun experience without major technical problems.”
- “There are several glitches where your wealth becomes unlimited by abusing a certain buy item.”
- “The war board, where you attack other nations, glitches and turns your screen black for a couple of minutes or crashes the game.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is undermined by the lack of meaningful trade interactions with neighboring states, which diminishes the potential for a rich and immersive economic simulation. This absence of depth may lead to a less engaging experience for players seeking emotional investment in their gameplay.