Rogue State Revolution

About

"Rogue State Revolution" is a challenging political strategy game by Little Red Dog Games, where you serve as the president of the Glorious People's Republic of Basenji. Your mission: rebuild, reform, and prepare for various trials as your nation evolves into a regional powerhouse. With procedural map generation, each run offers a new experience. Appoint ministers, manage various aspects of your nation, and heed the advice of devoted advisors to ensure your presidential tenure thrives.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 355 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

The game offers a surprising amount of depth and complexity, making it engaging and challenging.
The humor and quirky scenarios, along with the FMV cutscenes, add a unique charm to the gameplay.
The rogue-like progression system allows for varied experiences in each playthrough, enhancing replayability.

The game is plagued by bugs and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
Balancing the needs of the population and ministers can feel overly complicated and punishing, leading to a sense of helplessness.
The UI can be clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to manage resources and units effectively.

gameplay
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
8%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of unique mechanics and engaging concepts, such as political management and resource allocation, but is marred by numerous bugs and inconsistencies that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the depth and humor, many criticize the lack of polish, shallow mechanics, and frustrating random elements that can lead to unintentional failures. Overall, the game shows potential but requires significant refinement to fully realize its innovative ideas.
- “It's a great game with hilarious live action cutscenes and dark humor along with nice game mechanics.”
- “The core gameplay loop of building up your cities and managing the different demographics, diplomatic, minister demands, and military is really compelling.”
- “Most innovative gameplay this year :)”
- “This game has a lot of identity which is super nice, but as far as I am concerned it has a lot of bugs that can make you lose without your fault. You can produce double the energy you need and still have blackouts, factories randomly not producing goods (in my case it was processed food and it went from above 200 to 0 in one turn). It's such a shame that such a good idea as a mix of democracy and civilization, with rogue-lite mechanics set in the Middle East, is broken. Apparently, the developers abandoned this game and the studio probably has problems existing.”
- “However, I unfortunately cannot recommend this game due to fundamental problems with gameplay and a near lack of actual politics.”
- “It is an unstable, buggy mess, with mechanics that seem contradictory at times.”
humor
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
8%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending dark comedy with absurd scenarios, such as managing a nation led by a chicken and engaging in ridiculous live-action cutscenes. While some players find the humor hit-or-miss, with certain jokes feeling outdated, many appreciate the clever dialogue and the game's ability to balance serious political themes with lightheartedness. Overall, the developers' comedic touch adds charm and enjoyment, making the game a fun experience despite its complexities.
- “It's a great game with hilarious live action cutscenes and dark humor along with nice game mechanics.”
- “The irony of the game is that it has some very flippant, humorous elements (chickenistan and their infallible, unintelligible chicken leader, put yourself in a giant mech to fight terrorists), but it also has a surprisingly realistic system of economic and political management.”
- “Fortunately, the game has a hilarious sense of humor (and I don't just mean the neighboring nation ruled by a tyrannical chicken); keep an eye out for lots of little humorous easter eggs in the dialogue and text.”
- “The humor falls flat, making the game feel more awkward than entertaining.”
- “The jokes are forced and often miss the mark, leaving players cringing instead of laughing.”
- “The attempt at humor feels out of place and detracts from the overall experience.”
story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
81%
8%
The game's story is a unique blend of humor and serious themes, featuring a time loop mechanic that allows for multiple endings and unexpected twists. While the narrative is engaging and offers a compelling political backdrop, some players feel it lacks depth and coherence, particularly in how player decisions impact the story. Overall, the game successfully combines strategy and storytelling, but it could benefit from more meaningful interactions and feedback related to player choices.
- “I keep coming back to it every once in a while and I keep discovering new things, endings, and story twists!”
- “There is more than a possible strategy to success, and the story tone was perfect - silly enough for you to laugh at a chicken president (and it actually makes sense for him to be there), serious enough for you to regret engaging in some light genocide.”
- “The game's title is even a pun on the concept of a rogue state and the genre of roguelite games, and this game absolutely is a roguelite, with a story.”
- “The plot seems rather nonsensical when you have 90% approval and yet these rebels appear to fight you, but I suppose you won't achieve 90% on higher difficulty than normal, but the game didn't take that into account for the story.”
- “The story is either very unfinished, or is just set up as a reaction to what you are able to accomplish in the game.”
- “Lots to like in this game, however, after 1.5 terms there is nothing left to do than keep skipping turns as the story plays out.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
60%
15%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players noting low replay value due to gameplay issues and limited differences between playthroughs, particularly in rogue-lite elements. However, others appreciate the procedural generation and random events that offer a fresh experience each time, suggesting that it has good potential for replayability, especially for fans of economic and governance games. Overall, while some aspects may feel repetitive, the inclusion of varied scenarios and mechanics can enhance replayability for certain players.
- “There's real replay value here: some objectives are simply impossible if you pick the wrong minister for the job (yes, I'm looking at you, department of culture).”
- “The game is really good, really fun; and lots of replayability with all the well-done procedural generation elements.”
- “If you're looking for a challenging and complex strategy game (think a mashup of Civilization, SimCity, and Tropico, not to mention a healthy dose of Dune II nostalgia) with a lot of procedurally generated content for maximum replayability, then this is the game for you.”
- “While I'm a big fan of cheesy FMV cinematics, and the game did a decent job with that, the replayability is really low due to severe gameplay issues. You probably won't be able to unlock a large portion of the cinematics since you need to explore different choices to unlock them.”
- “I also do not really feel like the replayability is there, which is especially bad for a rogue-lite; ministers don't feel overly different from one another to make playthroughs unique, and maps and map seeds only have a minor influence, especially with the limited number of resources.”
- “I had fun playing the game for 6 hours, but unfortunately, there is very little replay value in its current state.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
63%
16%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful hand-drawn art style and tasteful animations, while others find them basic and reminiscent of older games. The user interface is noted to be functional, though some elements are criticized for being small or unclear. Overall, while the graphics may not be groundbreaking, they contribute positively to the game's aesthetic appeal.
- “The art style is so beautiful, though I suggest the difficulty is increased a little bit.”
- “Along with the soundtrack, the game boasts a lovely hand-drawn art style for character portraits and policy icons - it is clear a lot of heart went into the making of this game.”
- “Excellent graphics and entertainment.”
- “The animations and graphics are tasteful, but quite basic, like a 15-year-old game.”
- “Game graphics are okay, some textures are a bit simple.”
- “Some of the graphics could be clearer and there are some UI elements that are very small.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of bugs, crashes, and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players appreciate its charm and originality, the overall consensus is that the game is in a "bug-ridden mess" state, making it frustrating to play due to frequent technical issues and gameplay imbalances.
- “However, you should know it does have issues regarding game crashes, freezes, and volume settings resetting when it happens.”
- “Unfortunately, it is rather buggy, which makes moving units, among other things, like a chore.”
- “Still in a very buggy state... keeps crashing requiring a reload... gameplay balance is totally out, making it impossible to do anything but crash and burn each game even on the easiest difficulty.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
12%
13%
The game's music is characterized by an impressive orchestral soundtrack that complements its thematic elements, including a morbidly amusing national anthem. While the atmospheric music enhances the setting and is generally well-received, some players note that it can become repetitive, suggesting that additional tracks would enrich the experience. Overall, the sound design and music effectively capture the game's essence, contributing to its charm.
- “The game features an impressive soundtrack, orchestral and bombastic, with the morbidly amusing national anthem playing in the start menu, proudly singing for the king's body to be thrown into the sea.”
- “The music, voice acting, and art are good, and in sync with the theme and setting of the game.”
- “There is also brilliant music, which you'll understand within 30 seconds of opening the title screen.”
- “Lastly, the music gets a bit repetitive; adding more pieces would improve the experience a lot. Using the Basenji theme from the main menu would be great, especially if it plays during certain events like the anniversary of the revolution.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while the strategic elements can be engaging, the repetitive nature of tasks and slow unit movement can lead to tedium, especially as the game progresses. Many express a desire for quality-of-life improvements, such as the ability to skip lengthy summaries, to alleviate some of the grind. Overall, the enjoyment can diminish as the grind intensifies, impacting the overall experience.
- “After that, it gets more and more tedious as you get richer and have more stuff on the map due to the clunky controls and slow movement of units.”
- “Maybe the other crisis possibilities are more interesting, but with how grindy things can become, it's not really worth it.”
- “There needs to be a button coded in for skipping the summary when a playthrough is ended; as I restart a lot, it becomes tedious to sit through.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for effectively blending successful genre concepts with a compelling political simulation, creating an engaging environment for players. The music complements the setting beautifully, enhancing the overall immersive experience. Overall, it is recognized as a solid strategy game with a captivating atmosphere.
- “This game brings together many successful concepts from the genre, balancing political simulation complexity with a compelling replayability, all set against a rich atmospheric backdrop.”
- “The music is atmospheric, perfectly fitting into the region where the game takes place.”
- “Rogue State Revolution is a solid strategy game with a great atmosphere.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users noting significant performance issues that are unjustifiable given its size and asset load. While the core concept is enjoyable, the overall execution feels rough and lacks the necessary polish for a smooth experience.
- “There is absolutely no justification for such bad performance for a turn-based strategy game of this size and that amount of assets.”
- “Also, the optimization of this game is poor.”
- “The concept behind this nation builder is solid and fun, but it's a little rough around the edges and has some performance issues.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to "Rogue State," highlighting its ability to evoke feelings of happiness and a sense of responsibility akin to being a "dear leader." This emotional engagement suggests that the game successfully resonates with players, instilling hope for the future of game development.
- “I have seen that there is still hope for game development; Rogue State made me feel happier than ever before about video games.”
- “It really made me feel like a somewhat overburdened 'dear leader'.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy has been criticized for being unclear and potentially exploitative, leading players to feel that the game may have been rushed to market for profit rather than being fully developed.
- “The monetization strategy feels like a cash grab, leaving players frustrated with the lack of transparency in the manufacturing process.”
- “It seems like the game was rushed to market, with monetization taking priority over delivering a polished product.”
- “The opaque monetization system makes it hard to understand what you're actually paying for, which feels exploitative.”

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5h Median play time

5h Average play time

5-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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