The Political Machine 2020

About

"The Political Machine 2020" is a political strategy game that allows players to run for president in the United States. Create and customize your candidate, manage campaign finances, and engage in debates to win over voters. Navigate various issues, events, and scandals as you travel to different states to gain support and secure electoral votes. With updated policies and current events, this game offers a realistic and engaging political experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 702 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

monetization14 negative mentions

The game is fun and engaging, especially for political enthusiasts, with humorous elements and a light-hearted approach to serious topics.
The new ideology system adds depth to gameplay, allowing for varied strategies and customization of candidates.
The game offers a quick and casual experience, making it easy to pick up and play without a significant time commitment.

The game feels stripped down compared to previous versions, lacking features like endorsements, multiple campaign lengths, and a wider variety of candidates.
There are significant balance issues, with the AI often having advantages that make it difficult for players to compete, especially with custom candidates.
Replayability is limited due to the lack of diverse scenarios and the repetitive nature of gameplay, leading to a quick sense of boredom.

gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
8%
The gameplay is generally described as fun and engaging, with some new mechanics that add depth, but many players feel it lacks repeatability and significant innovation compared to previous versions. While the core mechanics are accessible and enjoyable, there are criticisms regarding balance, complexity, and the removal of features from earlier iterations, leading to a sense of stagnation in the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the visual upgrades and the introduction of new gameplay dynamics, though they express a desire for more customization and relevance to current political contexts.
- “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.”
- “It's surprisingly deep, the characters look like goofy cartoon versions of themselves, and the gameplay loop is very fun.”
- “There is honestly a lot of cool features here, but they aren't used well and it all boils down to the actual core gameplay.”
- “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.”
- “The gameplay has nothing but subtractions all around.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
73%
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 while the graphics are decent and convey necessary information effectively, the game lacks sufficient customization options and replayability features that were present in earlier iterations. Overall, the graphics are seen as an improvement by some, but not universally praised.
- “I also like the choice of candidates and the graphics.”
- “The graphics look much better than the 2016 game though, it looks great.”
- “One thing I am a fan of is the new graphical style.”
- “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.”
- “Graphics seemed to have taken a turn for the worse; gameplay is less strategic and much more micro, with actions only impacting specific states, leading to lots of state-to-state jumping.”
- “The new 'art style' is worse than 2016, and the game just looks too busy.”
replayability
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
71%
14%
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 quickly becomes boring. Many reviews highlight that the game can be addictive, but it may not sustain long-term interest for everyone. The addition of various candidates and the ability to randomize elements contribute positively to replay value, yet some players express disappointment compared to earlier titles in the series.
- “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 game is widely praised for its humor, featuring hilarious jokes, funny characters, and entertaining scenarios that enhance the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the comedic elements, such as amusing customization options and quirky events, making it a fun choice for casual play and streaming. While some feel the humor could be more expansive, overall, it is considered a charming and enjoyable game that appeals to those looking for a lighthearted take on politics.
- “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
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
93%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for its simplification and removal of various features, leading to a less engaging experience. Players feel that the game has become a cash grab, with essential elements like diverse advertising options and campaign depth stripped away, while the introduction of DLCs for iconic characters has further frustrated users. Although some appreciate the streamlined donor and ideology systems, the overall consensus is that the game lacks the complexity and variety that made political simulations interesting, resulting in a diminished impact of advertising and campaign strategies.
- “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.”
- “This game is a cash grab.”
- “They've removed much of the more interesting depth, like choosing between headquarters types, advertising types, and more operative types.”
- “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.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
50%
38%
The reviews indicate a lack of a compelling story in the game, with users expressing a desire for a more narrative-driven experience, particularly one that includes historical characters. While some players find the gameplay enjoyable, they feel that the absence of a strong story detracts from the overall experience.
- “There's no political capital, chasing issue points for ideology bonuses feels off, and I always feel like I'm just the computer, since the AI knows exactly where to go and when, before I've ever had a chance to plot out my moves on the map.”
- “I hope they make a story mode with more historical characters again.”
- “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).”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players express that grinding in the game can be extremely time-consuming, likening it to needing a "second life" to manage it. However, the overall pace of the game is enjoyable, with engaging elements that prevent it from feeling tedious.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, even on high-end PCs, leading to performance concerns. Players hope for future updates to address these problems while also enhancing gameplay features and graphics without compromising 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 and introduce more features and maybe even better graphics, but not if it traded performance.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
Character development in the game is characterized by its quirky, bobble-head designs and an arcade style that embraces a goofy aesthetic. Players appreciate the unique and whimsical nature of the characters, which adds to the overall fun and engaging experience.
- “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 feel static throughout the game.”
- “The characters are quirky, but their development is so minimal that it detracts from the overall experience.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The music in the game remains consistent with previous installments, which may not resonate with all players, but its politically charged nature is seen as a fitting complement to the game's themes.
- “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 unique 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.