The Political Machine 2024
- May 2, 2024
- Stardock Entertainment
Get on Steam"The Political Machine 2024" is a political strategy game that allows players to run for President as existing candidates or their own creations. Its powerful simulator, praised by news outlets for accurately predicting past elections, features meticulously researched political issues and demographics. The game offers nuanced approaches to both Democratic and Republican ideologies.
Mac OS
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Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging political campaign simulation experience with a variety of customization options for candidates.
- The addition of primaries and the political card system adds new layers of strategy and gameplay, making it enjoyable for both casual and dedicated players.
- Overall, the game is easy to pick up and play, providing a lighthearted take on politics that can be entertaining for a wide audience.
- The game lacks depth and feels overly simplistic, with many players noting that it doesn't significantly improve upon previous versions and is often seen as a cash grab.
- AI opponents are often perceived as overpowered, making it frustratingly difficult to win even on lower difficulty settings, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- The absence of detailed election results and the inability to transition smoothly from primaries to general elections leaves players feeling unsatisfied and wanting more substance.
- gameplay38 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Gameplay in the game offers a mix of new mechanics and familiar elements, but many players feel it lacks interactivity and depth, particularly in the debate and political action mechanics. While the inclusion of numerous candidates and custom options provides potential for replayability, the overall experience is marred by imbalances and unclear mechanics, leaving some fans of the series wanting a return to the more engaging aspects of previous versions. Players hope for future updates to enhance core gameplay elements and address these concerns.
“There are also so many base candidates in the game, and over 200+ custom candidates in the Steam Workshop, leading to endless gameplay opportunities.”
“On one hand, it retains that simple yet addictive gameplay loop that made the original so charming, with its lighthearted take on the often heavy subject of politics.”
“Overall if you're hoping for something that is a satire board game or you're a fan of the series you might like it but as a newcomer to the series it failed to hook me with a mix of both overly complicated and simple mechanics.”
“Unfortunately at the moment, there isn't very much to actually do, and the gameplay isn't terribly interactive, so I hope that they add more to it later (maybe something like what 2016 did where you ran against multiple past presidents) so it has more replayability.”
“Overall if you're hoping for something that is a satire board game or you're a fan of the series you might like it, but as a newcomer to the series it failed to hook me with a mix of both overly complicated and simple mechanics.”
“The lack of political action cards that cause major nationwide effects is a glaring hole in the game; this needs to be addressed, and this is also somewhere that the debate mechanic could work in as the race evolves instead of getting the exact same questions every single time.”
- monetization12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for feeling like a cash grab, with gameplay primarily revolving around limited actions such as speeches and advertisements, which lack the depth and variety expected. Players note that the removal of distinctions between ad types and the localized impact of TV ads detracts from the overall strategic experience, making it feel more like a repetitive map-based exercise rather than a nuanced political simulation.
“Feels like a cash grab.”
“And most importantly, TV ads only influence certain areas instead of nationwide.”
“Additionally, the distinction between TV, radio, and newspaper ads is now gone.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a charming bobblehead aesthetic that complements both pre-made and custom characters, enhancing the visual appeal of the gameplay. They are optimized to run smoothly on a wide range of PCs and laptops, including lower-end devices like the Steam Deck, although some users may need to adjust settings for performance.
“The bobblehead aesthetic fits nicely with both pre-made candidates and custom characters, allowing for some interesting appearances and policy choices.”
“The graphics are sufficient for it to run well on most PCs and laptops; I'm pretty sure even the Steam Deck would be able to run this.”
“The graphics are enough for it to run well on most PCs and laptops; I'm pretty sure even the Steam Deck would be able to run this.”
“For me personally, I have a bad laptop, so I had to turn down the graphics a tiny bit.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game currently suffers from limited replayability due to a lack of strategic depth and interactive gameplay, with many reviewers noting the absence of a campaign mode and difficulties in finding online matches. Players express hope for future updates that could enhance replay value, similar to features found in the 2016 version. Overall, the game feels lacking in substance, making it less engaging for repeated playthroughs.
“It's okay at first, but I think they missed a lot of opportunities to add more strategy and replayability.”
“Unfortunately, at the moment, there isn't very much to actually do, and the gameplay isn't terribly interactive. I hope that they add more to it later (maybe something like what 2016 did where you ran against multiple past presidents) so it has more replayability.”
“It doesn't have any sort of campaign mode like the 2016 version, so this game lacks a lot of substance in terms of replayability, especially since it's nearly impossible to find an online multiplayer match.”
- story6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The 2024 version of the game has been criticized for lacking a compelling story, with users labeling it as one of the weakest entries in the series alongside 2020. Many feel that the game's narrative is insufficient compared to other titles available at a similar price point, which offer richer storytelling and greater playtime.
“I played since the 2012 version, and I can honestly say that 2024 is the worst series so far, together with 2020. At the time of writing, the price is 20€ in my country, which is a ridiculous price for such a game compared to new games that have much more story and possible playtime.”
“☑ no story”
“☑ no story”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with many users reporting numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience, leading some to lose interest in playing. While a few players noted minor glitches, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game's instability is a major drawback.
“Very buggy to the extent that I just don't want to play it anymore.”
“Very buggy to the extent that I just don't want to play it anymore.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as quirky and unconventional, with players appreciating the funny characters and their interactions. However, some users feel that the game falls short of being genuinely funny or entertaining, suggesting a mixed reception regarding its comedic elements.
“This game is great! Download funny characters and make them run against each other. It's a weird game, but that's what makes it great.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted to complement the gameplay, particularly with its jazz elements; however, many users feel it does not measure up to the quality of the 2020 version.
“Works well with the jazz music.”
“The cards, the music, and the complexity of this game is just not as good as 2020's version.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization in the game has received mixed reviews, with players noting that the balancing of ideology trees and candidate performance feels inconsistent and heavily reliant on random number generation (RNG) for debate outcomes. This randomness can frustrate players, as it undermines the significance of candidates' views and public opinion.
“It doesn't matter what your candidate's views align with or what the public's majority opinion on an issue is, you're subject to RNG on whether your debate performance goes well or not.”
“Whereas in 2020, ideology tree balancing and candidate performance was all over the place and full of tricky knowledge checks, but that may be a sore spot for some people.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
