The Political Machine 2020

The Political Machine 2020 is a turn-based strategy game in which we play the role of a candidate competing for the presidency in elections that resemble what we know from the American political system. Interestingly enough, the production enables us to compete with one of the politicians known from the real presidential campaign in the United States (in 2020). The title was developed and published by the well-known Stardock Entertainment studio (authors of, among others, popular strategic cycles Sins of a Solar Empire and Galactic Civilizations).

Plot

The direct inspiration for The Political Machine 2020 is the election of a US head of state in 2020. In this title you can find many authentic figures from the world of American politics, such as President Donald Trump or Democratic Party candidates - Vice-President Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Andrew Yang or Tulsi Gabbard. There are also people from the past - George Bush and Mitt Romney.

Mechanics

The main goal of the player in The Political Machine 2020 is to win the election and become the US President. The game begins with choosing one of the existing candidates or creating your own (we can define many things, including ideological beliefs). Then we try to attract voters.

Each of the candidates has specific projects and political plans that are associated with them - during the game we collect special points of ideology that allow us to "assign" a given idea to ourselves. For example, one of the plans associated with Donald trump is to build a wall on the Mexican border, while Bernie Sanders is known for his support for the idea of a public health service.

Different issues have a different impact on different states, so we need to proceed with caution and plan our steps in advance. What is popular among California's voters will not necessarily be appreciated by the people of Texas or Ohio. Final victory requires an advantage in most states. This means that you need to get at least 270 votes - in the American electoral system, it is they, and not the support of voters (at least not directly), that gives a politician a victory.

The production has an complex strategic layer, which includes analyzing surveys, assessing and managing voters enthusiasm (we can spend money on advertising spots and posters promoting our candidate or slandering a competitor), as well as taking care of campaign funds (we can organize events during which we raise money, but of course it is also necessary to spend it wisely). At the same time, the game does not deter players with less experience and political knowledge.

During the game there may also be various events that affect the election (e.g. natural disasters or scandals).

Game modes

In The Political Machine 2020, we can play alone or with others. In single player mode we compete with a computer-controlled rival, while in the online multiplayer mode we can face another player.

Technical aspects

The Political Machine 2020 has an interesting, stylized design, which has been significantly improved since the previous part of the series. You can find two- and three-dimensional elements here. There are a lot of tables and statistical screens, but the whole thing is given with some sense of humour - for example, individual candidates are often shown in the form of characteristic, slightly satirical, animated puppets (which, interestingly, show some similarity to them). The whole thing is clear and looks pretty good.