The Political Machine 2016

About

The Political Machine 2016 is a multiplayer casual strategy game. It was developed by Stardock Entertainment and was released on February 4, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Run for President of the United States as one of dozens of past or present presidential candidates or create your own ideal candidate. Give speeches, go on talk shows, hire unsavory operatives, and do whatever it takes to win on election day.

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 655 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

monetization30 negative mentions

The Political Machine 2016 offers a fun and engaging political simulation experience, allowing players to create their own candidates and navigate the electoral process.
The game features a variety of candidates and issues, making each playthrough unique and providing a light-hearted take on real-world politics.
Multiplayer mode adds an entertaining competitive element, making it enjoyable to play with friends.

The game suffers from bugs and glitches, particularly with mouse controls and resolution issues, making it frustrating to play at times.
Many players feel that the game lacks depth and replayability, as it is very similar to previous versions with minimal new content.
The absence of features like primaries, debates, and third-party candidates limits the overall experience and realism of the political simulation.

gameplay
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
70%
7%
The gameplay is centered around a tabletop-style simulation of U.S. elections, featuring simple yet strategic mechanics that allow players to navigate the complexities of campaigning. While some players appreciate the fun and customization options, others criticize the gameplay for being repetitive and lacking depth, with many noting that it feels similar to previous iterations without significant improvements. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable mechanics and frustrating limitations, making it a hit or miss depending on player expectations.
- “The mechanics are simple and easy to learn but can be used in a multitude of different ways, with a variety of candidates, to execute strategies and yield interesting results.”
- “Elections are amazingly complex things, but this game has managed to distill the election process down into a handful of mechanics.”
- “The gameplay and the gameplay mechanics are solid, and they have been since the inception of this series.”
- “Regardless, the gameplay is awful, graphics bad, and political bias unforgivable.”
- “Gameplay is too repetitive for full price.”
- “The gameplay appears to be random and does not make much sense in the progress of the game.”
graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
71%
10%
The graphics of Political Machine 2016 have been widely criticized for being outdated and subpar, with many reviewers noting that they are essentially the same as those from the 2012 version. While some appreciate the consistent art style and find it appealing, the overall consensus is that the visuals do not meet expectations for a modern game, often described as "atrocious" or "bad" for its price point. Despite these shortcomings, a few players still find enjoyment in the game's mechanics and humor, suggesting that graphics may not be the primary focus for all players.
- “I have a good PC that can play games no problem at max graphics.”
- “Amazing graphics, in-depth campaigns, real-time problems, and much more!”
- “I have a very delightful and appealing graphical style to it.”
- “Political Machine 2016 is a rebadge of previous Political Machine games using the same engine, graphics, and so on.”
- “The graphics are atrocious, although this has been a problem since TPM 2008.”
- “The tutorial felt unintuitive, the graphics were subpar for a $10 game, and the difficulty seems way too hard even when on easy.”
monetization
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game revolves around managing campaign resources effectively, including the purchase of ads (both local and national), establishing campaign headquarters, and hiring operatives to influence voter opinions. While the mechanics are straightforward—focusing on ads and speeches to sway states—some players feel the content is lacking and criticize it as a cash grab, suggesting that the game could benefit from more depth and development. Overall, players appreciate the strategic elements of ad placement and resource management, but express concerns about the game's limited content and complexity.
- “The content is severely lacking; there's been no extra development to add to the previous games, it's a stupid cash grab.”
- “Speeches are cheap, but use up a candidate’s stamina quickly; advertising expends less stamina, but costs more money in the long term.”
- “The only gameplay change is the consolidation of 'radio' and 'newspaper' ads into a single category called 'ground game,' which is the only option for advertising besides television.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it funny and enjoyable, particularly due to its quirky character creation and amusing animations. However, some critiques highlight that the humor can be hit-or-miss, with certain aspects feeling vague or lacking depth, potentially missing opportunities for sharper political satire. Overall, it serves as a lighthearted take on the political landscape, appealing especially to those interested in political science.
- “This game is so funny it's even funnier when you look outside and see that this is not a game, but a reality. - Markiplier”
- “Very funny, especially with such a wide and diverse field of candidates that 2016 provided.”
- “Funny take on the political system of the U.S.”
stability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has received significant criticism, with users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and persistent glitches that have plagued the series for years. While some players noted improvements in the interface and fewer glitches in gameplay, many found the overall experience too buggy and unplayable, particularly due to issues with mouse controls and the game's performance. Overall, the game's stability issues detract from its potential enjoyment, leading to a recommendation to avoid purchasing until these problems are resolved.
- “But this game crashes/freezes far too much for what it is.”
- “Bottom line: glitches are fine and are to be expected, but not when the same glitches have been in your game series for over eight years.”
- “Do not buy this game just yet as the mouse is so buggy just now it makes the game unplayable and the game doesn't have fullscreen now.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the variety of candidates and customizable challenges that enhance replay value, many others find it limited and repetitive, often leading to boredom after extended play. The presence of glitches and a lack of diverse endorsements further detracts from the experience, resulting in a consensus that, despite some enjoyable elements, the game ultimately offers shallow replayability.
- “The game is enhanced by the large number of candidates, customizability, and challenges, which increases its replayability.”
- “Able to randomize political issue importance, state wealth, voting power, etc. = great replayability.”
- “It featured a mode where you'd face former presidents (from Nixon and Kennedy to Lincoln and Washington) to unlock more playable characters.”
- “It also has limited replay value and gets boring quickly if you play it too much at once.”
- “The small amount of organizations (and lack of politician or media endorsements) takes out much of the replay value of the game, where, essentially, each game you'll end up endorsed by the same people (because you get to choose who endorses you).”
- “Shallow strategy game with very little replayability.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
49%
38%
The music in the game features a mix of new tracks alongside a return of many classic soundtracks, though some users noted issues with audio looping and overlapping tracks during certain screens. Overall, while the music adds to the experience, technical glitches detract from its quality.
- “There is some new music added (and most of the old soundtracks are back.)”
- “This is a minor issue, but sometimes the music loops poorly or barely loops at all.”
- “After a campaign is over and I'm reviewing the map one final time, music from the 'results' screen and the 'map' screen play at the same time.”
- “Same music.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The story aspect of "The Political Machine 2016" is minimal, primarily focusing on a campaign mode that lacks depth and additional content, such as third-party candidates and customizable backstories for characters. While players enjoy the strategic gameplay and representation of 2016 political figures, there is a desire for more narrative elements and features to enhance the experience.
- “Positives - fun, addictive, some detailed strategy, all top politicians of 2016 represented, good selection of characters available including presidential candidates, running mates, helpers - PR support, speech writers, political activists, story tellers, etc. You can gain support of lobby groups for bonuses (Tea Party, gun lobby, environmentalists, etc).”
- “The political machine 2016 is a great game that I have gotten hours of enjoyment out of, but I am somewhat disappointed at the lack of content outside of the story mode.”
- “You have to pay for George Washington, Abe Lincoln, and other past presidents along with a story/campaign mode!”
- “This is a nice game... there are certainly a lot of amazing things about it, but there are also a lot of things to add, like third parties, Scott Walker, the ability to create a backstory for a custom candidate, and debates.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to achieve progress or unlock content. While some enjoy the repetitive nature and find it rewarding over time, many feel it is unnecessary and detracts from the overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's tedious and completely unnecessary.”
- “Overall, if you don't mind grinding XP and doing repetitive stuff, you'll get into this just like I have.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The game's optimization is inconsistent; while some users report no performance issues, others criticize it for being poorly optimized given its simplicity.
- “No performance problems at all.”
- “The game runs smoothly on my system, even at high settings.”
- “I appreciate how well-optimized the game is; it loads quickly and maintains a steady frame rate.”
- “Very poorly optimized for such a simple game.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively captures a contemporary political atmosphere, presenting relevant issues that resonate with current events. This immersive environment enhances the overall experience, making players feel engaged with the themes being explored.
- “It seems to simulate the political atmosphere really well and offers relevant issues that resonate with today's world.”
- “The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into its richly detailed environments.”
- “Every sound and visual element contributes to a haunting atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”

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9h Median play time

9h Average play time

7-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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