The Political Machine 2020

About

The Political Machine 2020 is a single player and multiplayer management game. It was developed by Stardock Entertainment and was released on March 3, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

Win the hearts and minds of America’s voters and take the 2020 presidential election by storm in Stardock’s popular political strategy game. Choose a candidate and run against a computer opponent or a candidate controlled by another person over the Internet.

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 649 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

monetization10 negative mentions

The game is a fun and light-hearted political simulation that allows for creative candidate customization and unique scenarios.
The new ideology system adds depth to gameplay, making it more engaging and allowing players to strategize based on different political platforms.
The game is enjoyable for both casual players and political enthusiasts, providing a humorous take on the electoral process.

The game feels stripped down compared to previous versions, with fewer candidates and missing features like endorsements and campaign lengths.
Gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with limited depth and a lack of significant strategic options.
There are technical issues and bugs that affect performance, particularly on certain systems, leading to a frustrating experience for some players.

gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
The gameplay is generally fun and engaging, featuring unique mechanics and a strategic depth that appeals to both casual and seasoned players. However, many reviewers note that it lacks repeatability and feels similar to previous versions, with some mechanics being poorly balanced or confusing. While there are improvements and new features, such as the ideology points system and town halls, the overall experience is marred by a lack of significant innovation and customization options.
- “Simple but engaging mechanics, accessible to non-gamers, very fun.”
- “The additional town halls were a true stroke of genius and add yet another layer of complexity to the mechanics, but still remain approachable for a casual player.”
- “This system is a major improvement over the previous game and adds a lot of strategic depth to the gameplay.”
- “This year is no exception and when compared to the 2016 version they have removed most of the previous mechanics, campaigns, and characters all in order to bring some 'more cartoony' graphics and a single new ideology points system.”
- “The mechanics of the game are confusing with how the control layout is set up, winning the game is fairly hard, and the features in the previous versions have been removed.”
- “Forget adding pointless candidates... I can play earlier versions of political machine games if I really want to play as George Bush or Obama again - why play them in 2020 when the gameplay is near identical to the old games, and, in many cases, actually worse and lacking in anything that makes it feel relevant to this current election.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the new bobble-head character design and sleeker aesthetic compared to the 2016 version, while others feel that the overall visual quality has declined and appears too busy. Many users noted that the graphics effectively convey necessary information, but there is a desire for more customization options and a return to the strategic depth of previous iterations. Overall, the graphics are seen as a notable improvement for some, but not universally embraced.
- “I also like the choice of candidates and the graphics.”
- “The graphics look much better than the 2016 game; it looks great.”
- “The improved graphics are a welcome treat from the last version of the game.”
- “This year is no exception and when compared to the 2016 version, they have removed most of the previous mechanics, campaigns, and characters all in order to bring some 'more cartoony' graphics and a single new ideology points system.”
- “I feel the graphics got worse.”
- “The new 'art style' is worse than 2016 and the game just looks too busy.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it highly replayable due to extensive customization and modding options, others feel it lacks depth and becomes boring after extended play. Many reviews highlight that the ability to choose various candidates and ideologies enhances replay value, but some users express disappointment in its overall longevity compared to earlier titles.
- “The customization and modding options allow you to pick whichever candidate or ideology you want, which allows for endless replayability.”
- “With the ability to play as various candidates, including custom candidates, there's quite a bit of replay value here.”
- “Really like this game, with a wide range of candidates and custom candidates the 'replayability' is quite high!”
- “The game has lost almost all of the replayability that the earlier titles had and I can't think of any reason why Stardock would do this unless they wanted to put even less effort into reskinning this game four years from now and selling it as 'The Political Machine 2024'.”
- “My biggest complaint is the replay value, as it loses its punch after playing for too long in one day; overall, it's a really fun game.”
- “There is no depth or replay value to this.”
humor
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it hilarious and entertaining, particularly enjoying the quirky characters and funny scenarios, such as the explosive finale involving Mondo Burger. While some note that the humor can be somewhat limited, it remains a strong aspect that enhances the overall enjoyment, especially when played with friends or used for streaming content. The game effectively combines political themes with lighthearted jokes, making it appealing to both newcomers and those looking for a fun experience.
- “A lot of well-humored jokes.”
- “Really fun game, I love it when the mondo burger explodes at the end; that was hilarious.”
- “The cartoon-like characters are funny, and there is a lot of customization.”
monetization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
91%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with players noting a simplification of the advertising system and the removal of various campaign features, such as iconic characters and diverse ad types, in favor of DLC sales. While some appreciate the streamlined experience and the introduction of donor and ideology mechanics, many feel that the depth and strategic options have been significantly reduced, leading to a less engaging campaign experience. Overall, the game is seen as a step above other political sims plagued by microtransactions, but it still suffers from a lack of variety and depth in its monetization approach.
- “I believe it is the best of its kind, considering many political simulation games have one billion microtransactions.”
- “The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel exploitative, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content, making it accessible for everyone while still providing optional purchases for those who want to enhance their experience.”
- “In one hand, they simplified the ads, streamlined the experience, removed campaigns, and iconic characters in order to sell them in DLCs (very bad). They improved the system with donors and ideology points (consequences and pluses) that are custom to the candidate you pick.”
- “Significantly less candidates, no ability to create your own ideology or shape your position on the issues, no ability to change the campaign length, too many issues that all three political groups support making it too easy to gain wide support, the removal of endorsements, and an over-simplification of ads.”
- “There are far fewer campaign issues to discuss, only one form of advertising, and one type of campaign building you can create.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The reviews indicate a lack of a compelling story in the game, with some users expressing a desire for a more narrative-driven experience featuring historical characters. While the gameplay is enjoyable, the absence of a dedicated story mode is noted as a missed opportunity.
- “This is already really long so I'll end here, just get the political process instead (or if you want something more story-focused but still a political sim then play Suzerainty, it's really good).”
- “This is already really long, so I'll end here. Just get the political process instead. If you want something more story-focused but still a political sim, then play Suzerainty; it's really good.”
- “No story.”
- “I hope they make a story mode with more historical characters again.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Character development in the game is characterized by its quirky, bobble-head designs and an arcade style that embraces a whimsical atmosphere. Players appreciate the goofy aesthetics, which contribute to the overall charm, though the focus remains more on gameplay than deep character progression.
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with any of the characters.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful growth for the characters; they seem to remain static throughout the game.”
- “The characters are quirky, but their development is so minimal that it feels like they are just there for comic relief rather than to evolve.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be demanding, suggesting it requires significant time investment, but many appreciate the engaging gameplay and humor that keeps the experience enjoyable rather than tedious.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and often tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel more like a chore than a fun experience.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with players reporting poor performance even on high-end PCs. There are hopes for future improvements and additional features, but concerns remain about potential trade-offs in graphics quality.
- “I was hoping for them to expand on this fundamental and introduce more features and maybe even better graphics, but not if it traded performance.”
- “The game has poor optimization issues even when I have a really good PC.”
- “I was hoping for them to expand on this fundamental aspect and introduce more features, and maybe even better graphics, but not if it compromises performance.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The music in the game remains consistent with previous installments, which may not be significant for all players, but some find it adds a poignant touch. Its political themes are well-suited to the game's context, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The music is very political in nature, perfect for this game.”
- “Music is the same as before, which not many people may care about, but it adds a stinging edge for me.”
- “The music is the same as before, which not many people may care about, but it puts a stinging edge on it for me.”
- “The music is very political in nature, which is perfect for this game.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game is praised for its stability, with users noting a lack of significant glitches or fatal errors.

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151h Median play time

101h Average play time

2-200h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Political Machine 2020 is a management game.

The Political Machine 2020 is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 101 hours playing The Political Machine 2020.

The Political Machine 2020 was released on March 3, 2020.

The Political Machine 2020 was developed by Stardock Entertainment.

The Political Machine 2020 has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its graphics.

The Political Machine 2020 is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include The Political Machine 2016, The Political Machine 2024, Democracy 4, The Political Process, Mad Games Tycoon 2 and others.

The Political Machine 2020

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