The Political Process

About

"The Political Process" is a serious game that simulates the experience of running for public office. Players must navigate policy debates, fundraising, and media relations while trying to maintain their integrity and gain the support of the electorate. With its focus on the complexities and trade-offs of governance, the game encourages players to think critically about the political process and its impact on society.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+44

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,596 reviews

gameplay24 positive mentions

monetization35 negative mentions

Incredibly detailed political simulator that allows players to run for various offices from local to federal levels.
Active developer who regularly updates the game and listens to community feedback.
Engaging gameplay that combines election campaigning with the legislative process, providing a realistic political experience.

Lacks depth in the governing phase, with limited legislation options and repetitive gameplay once in office.
The user interface can be clunky and overwhelming, making navigation difficult for new players.
Political dynamics and voter demographics remain static, reducing the game's replayability and realism over time.

gameplay
125 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
74%
6%
The gameplay of this political simulation game is characterized by a dual focus on campaigning and governing, with a click-and-slide mechanic that some players find engaging yet repetitive over time. While the election mechanics are praised for their depth and detail, many reviewers express a desire for more variety and complexity in governance and legislation, noting that the game can feel shallow and simplistic in certain areas. Overall, despite its early access status and some limitations, the game offers a compelling experience for political enthusiasts, with ongoing updates promising to enhance gameplay further.
- “Gameplay consists of two major areas: running a campaign for office, and governing while in office.”
- “Balancing political capital and public opinion is crucial to success, adding a layer of depth to the gameplay.”
- “The best political simulation game that I have ever encountered, it combines interesting election mechanics with governing in a unique way.”
- “However, it has been 5 years and there are only a couple of hours of unique gameplay to be experienced.”
- “The game looks mediocre, the gameplay gets repetitive quickly, and I really want the simulation to be more expansive with even more laws and mechanics.”
- “Unfortunately, while the game is broad in its scale and ambition, it is shallow as a puddle in terms of gameplay, options, and variety.”
graphics
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
84%
8%
The graphics in this game are largely described as simplistic and minimalistic, often compared to basic spreadsheet visuals, which some players find adequate given the game's focus on political simulation rather than visual appeal. While the user interface is generally easy to navigate, the lack of detailed graphics and animations has been noted as a drawback, with many reviewers emphasizing that the gameplay experience compensates for the visual shortcomings. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose in supporting the game's depth and realism, but players seeking a visually rich experience may be disappointed.
- “The graphics are nice; however, you will be doing a fair bit of reading.”
- “The game's aesthetics are simplistic, which I find complements the gameplay rather than detracting from it in any significant way.”
- “The art style for the characters works well.”
- “Lack of visual appeal: the game is heavily text-based, with minimal graphics and animations.”
- “The graphics are basic but serviceable.”
- “Biggest complaint is the lack of graphics and visual aid.”
monetization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The monetization aspect of the game revolves around managing campaign finances and advertising strategies, allowing players to choose how to allocate resources between rallies, ads, and other campaign activities. While players can invest heavily in advertising to boost name recognition and influence public opinion, many reviews highlight a perceived imbalance, where significant spending does not always translate to electoral success, suggesting that the game's mechanics may not accurately reflect real-world political dynamics. Overall, players express a desire for more nuanced options in advertising and campaign management to enhance the strategic depth of the game.
- “I desperately want to disagree with those who complain that the elections are only driven by big money and your popularity derived from bloated advertising budgets, but only because they are completely correct about all of it.”
- “Campaigns should be more balanced; ads are heavily unbalanced. Just spam ads on your strongest issue and you will likely win.”
- “It's such an unplayable game during any election since it's so difficult even if you pour millions (I poured 4 trillion even with cheat engine) into your ads.”
replayability
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
65%
10%
The game offers significant replayability due to its character customization, random generation of politicians, and various gameplay options, allowing players to explore multiple paths and ideologies. Frequent updates and a sandbox model further enhance its replay value, although some players note limitations in customization and certain gameplay aspects that could affect long-term engagement. Overall, it is regarded as one of the most in-depth and replayable political simulators available.
- “The ability to shape a character’s career path and influence policy decisions adds a high level of replayability.”
- “Great replay value here, because you could take many different routes, as well as plenty of ideological choices.”
- “The depth of the game is what makes it so incredible, and allows for seemingly endless replayability.”
- “This was a hefty endeavor and I am impressed with what was included; however, the lack of customization when it comes to policy, or the ability to build relationships to influence legislation at different levels (like a school board lobbying state regarding education policy) limits the replay value of the game.”
- “Nothing ever changes, and the replayability value is nada.”
- “Pretty cool for what it is, but there are two major issues that need to be fixed that make the game stale and less replayable at the moment.”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
75%
15%
The game's story aspect is largely minimal, with many users noting the absence of a traditional narrative. However, players express enjoyment in crafting their own stories through gameplay mechanics, such as political influence and world editing, allowing for a personalized and engaging experience. The potential for "choose your own adventure" elements adds depth to the storytelling, enhancing player agency.
- “Being the megalomaniac you are, you then take it one step further and sprinkle in a little of the 'choose your own adventure' style storytelling from a 'suzerian' to complete this blended masterpiece.”
- “Love that we can create our own story.”
- “I think the joy comes from writing my own story.”
- “Adding more statewide offices or giving more agency to appointed offices would go miles in adding roleplaying and storytelling to the game.”
- “It’s small but again, I need it for my storytelling!”
grinding
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
24%
71%
Players frequently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and repetitive, often requiring excessive clicking and back-and-forth navigation that can detract from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the realism and the engaging narratives that emerge from gameplay, many feel that the grind can become overwhelming and monotonous, necessitating a significant time investment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It gets tedious and can be a grind at times, but that’s politics for you!”
- “Very repetitive and tedious gameplay.”
- “The game can get a bit tedious and boring after a while, however.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The music in the game is criticized for being limited to just four repetitive loops of mellow piano, which many players find bland and uninspiring. Some reviewers suggest that a more engaging soundtrack, such as lounge music, would enhance the overall experience. Overall, the lack of variety in the music detracts from the game's atmosphere, leading players to feel the need to provide their own background music.
- “Such a fun game! I do wish there was more music to keep it from being so bland, but other than that, the game itself can be fun.”
- “I get so drawn in, I don't even notice the minimal sound/music.”
- “If mellow music really had to be used, some lounge music that sounds like something that would be playing in the background of bigwigs who argue about policy over expensive drinks.”
- “The sound is nothing but four loops of mellow piano music which do nothing for the mood of the game.”
- “The lack of music is evident; the four tracks this early access game came with are repetitive and boring.”
- “You have to provide your own background music (if you’re into that sort of thing).”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its satirical take on politics, with players finding amusement in absurd scenarios such as a spouse being elected president despite the player's failures and the ironic consequences of political decisions. The comedic elements are highlighted through exaggerated situations, like the lack of military impact and the humorous portrayal of political influence. Overall, players appreciate the blend of genuine opinion and humor in their experiences.
- “Oh and my wife was elected president for two terms even after I could not win the nomination myself, which was pretty funny.”
- “So funny to work as a politician and gain so much influence you can end foster care and human rights!”
- “First run through was fun and funny, kinda lost a few elections.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game experiences significant stability issues, frequently freezing during key actions like loading elections and saving progress. While it is still in early access and has some bugs, players report that these do not completely ruin the overall experience.
- “Obviously, it just came out pretty recently, so it's not 100% bug-free, but I haven't come across anything that ruins my game as of writing this.”
- “The game frequently freezes when it tries to load an election, and it also often freezes when you try to save a game.”
- “If you click 'quick save', it won't let you do anything else in the game and freezes.”
- “The game is still in early access and somewhat buggy.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong emotional responses through its idealistic and wholesome simulation, particularly highlighting the heartbreak of narrowly losing an election. Players appreciate the depth of emotional engagement, suggesting that the game's full potential may be realized as it continues to develop in early access.
- “And it's just as heartbreaking to lose an election by only a fraction of a percent.”
- “A surprisingly idealistic and wholesome simulation, where you feel deeply connected to the outcomes.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The character design has received positive feedback, indicating that players appreciate the visual representation and creativity behind the characters.
- “I actually like the character design, personally.”
- “The character development in this game is incredibly deep and engaging.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making each decision feel impactful.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is praised for its good performance, indicating that it runs smoothly and efficiently on various systems.
- “The game's optimization is impressive, allowing for smooth performance even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I appreciate how well-optimized the game is; it runs seamlessly without any noticeable lag.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job with optimization, ensuring a stable frame rate and quick load times.”