When playing strategy games, players have to keep a lot of things in mind as they take their turns. They’ve got to think of what their opponents might do next and figure out how to counteract that with the resources and units they have at their disposal. Some even go beyond military tactics and consider what policies will help them get ahead.
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The Civilization series technically dabbles in it, as the player makes deals with their rivals to avoid war or adopts certain approaches to get their Wonders made before anyone else. But what if players wanted a strategy game where politics plays a much bigger role? Getting ahead in these political strategy games will require more than military might to succeed.
9
Plutocracy
Turning Presidents into Pawns with the Power of Money
- Developer: Redwood.
- Platform: PC.
- Release: November 2019 (Early Access).
Having ideals and a vision is nice in politics, but that can only take a person so far. What they really need to get ahead in life is money, as without it, many of the players in politics today wouldn’t even be allowed at the proverbial table. People can get a taste of what it’s like to sway voters with cold, hard cash in Plutocracy.
It’s currently in Early Access, so the game has yet to reach its full scope. But it still lets players buy companies, raise money, and build their businesses from the ground. All while using skills, negotiation, and ‘agents of influence’ to sway public officials and select business-friendly candidates for elections. The bigger the business, the more influence the player has.
8
Star Dynasties
Handling Medieval Politics in a Sci-Fi Setting
- Developer: Pawley Games.
- Platform: PC.
- Release: September 2021.
Spreading into space can be risky, as Star Dynasties shows. Humanity has ventured into the cosmos, but after Earth gets destroyed, their space colonies end up in a new Dark Age. By the time the game starts, they’re all run via a feudal system, where humanity’s fate hinges on the turning tides of internal conflicts between the aristocratic families that run them.
In other words, it’s Crusader Kings in space! Players have to play nicely in the public sphere before striking hard with blackmail, threats, and outright coups outside of it. But like the CK games, players have a bloodline to consider. If they don’t tailor their style of play to the pros and cons of their custom character’s descendants, their golden age could end after a single generation.
7
Suzerain
Placing the Weight of the World on the Player’s Shoulders
Suzerain
Strategy
RPG
Adventure
Indie Games
- Released
-
December 4, 2020
Suzerain is a little different from the other games, as the player controls a single, set main character. As President Anton Rayne, they go through a story campaign where they lead Sordland through different crises, be they small and mundane or of national concern. Each choice they make impacts the narrative in one way or another until it leads to one of 9 core endings, with up to 25 sub-endings to go with it.
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They each depend on how the player handles Sordland’s economy, what decisions they make based on the nation’s security, and how they handle diplomacy with other nations, among many more. Do they take a pragmatic approach and stick to the nation’s values? Or do they take a more personal approach to running Sordland, choosing when things need to change? Each decision has different consequences, and the nation’s future depends on how the player handles them.
6
Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out
Living Through the End of the World
- Developer: A Sharp.
- Platforms: PC, macOS, iOS.
- Release: August 2023.
The original Six Ages saw players try to keep their clan going during a time when gods walked among mortals. It combined RPG elements with turn-based strategy gameplay and interactive fiction to let players trade with their neighbors, develop agriculture and, if necessary, go to war. The sequel, Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out, does the same with a twist.
The world is now dying, as the forces of chaos roam the lands, killing gods and mortals alike. Now players must barter with their rivals over dwindling resources, and choose whether to go to war with them, or help them against a mutual enemy for an equal share. With just a council of elders for advice, players have to do their best to help their clan survive the apocalypse.
5
Rogue State Revolution
Being Politically Shrewd and Politically Corrupt At the Same Time
Like Suzerain, players take control of a single leader of a single, fictional nation in Rogue State Revolution. Unlike Suzerain, the game has a more satirical edge to it, as players try to stabilize and improve the nation of Basenji’s infrastructure. If improving diplomatic relations with foreign countries wasn’t enough, they must be mindful of Basenji’s own cultural divides as well.
The player’s government isn’t any better, as their ministers are just as likely to try and launch a coup against them if they get too popular with the people. So, players can try and keep everyone happy and try to run Basenji like a utopia or be more ruthless with their rule and dispose of seditious ministers the moment they get too full of themselves. It’s all down to the player in the end.
4
Tropico 4
Causing Trouble in Paradise
- Developer(s)
-
Haemimont Games
Before Rogue State Revolution, there was Tropico 4. It shrinks the focus down to managing a city state, as players can expand their influence on an island (via map options or random generation), erecting everything they need to keep a city going. Pretty standard SimCity-esque fare, until the political elements come in.
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As El Presidente (either customized or based on one of several ‘popular’ Caribbean dictators), players have missions to complete, favors to negotiate, and a populace to placate. If they want to make hard decisions, they’ve got to pick the right ministers to get those policies across. Then they have to keep an eye out for potential rivals to handle/dispose of, and build up their personal funds as well as the city’s coffers.
3
Stellaris
Letting Players Co-Operate with or Subjugate Alien Civilizations
- Released
-
May 9, 2016
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Unlike Star Dynasties, Stellaris keeps everything in space rather advanced. No feudal societies to worry about. But exploring space still requires as much strategic thinking as internecine politics. One wrong move into the wrong territory, and players could end up in an interstellar war they’re not prepared for.
Through careful planning, strategy, and customization, players can seek out new forms of life and civilizations and rule them with an iron fist or a velvet glove, depending on which policies and ethics they go by. Each approach offers different pros and cons they can work around, as a pacifist approach offers more stability, while a militaristic one gives them more firepower.
2
Victoria 3
Reshaping Early Modern History by Controlling Its Economy
- Released
-
October 25, 2022
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
It’s hard to think of any century in history not being turbulent in one part of the world or the other. 1836-1936 started with revolts like the Texas Revolution and ended with fascism taking root in Europe. But in Victoria 3, players can change society in this era any way they see fit, be it by making the most of the Industrial Revolution, or by being way ahead of its time with new social policies.
The game largely focuses on managing economies, but even this requires some political finagling. Players have to shape their government one way or the other to be traditional, radical, peaceful, expansionist, or otherwise, and maintaining that approach requires careful dealing. Knowing when to bluff and when to break out the sabers can make a world of difference.
1
Crusader Kings 3
Where Bloodlines Rule Nations and Form Empires
- Released
-
September 1, 2020
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
For people tired of modern politics, they can see just what medieval affairs were like in Crusader Kings 3. Taking control of any land between Ireland and Myanmar, players have to do more than talk in doublespeak in royal courts to secure their country. They must be careful about who they form alliances with, how they forge those bonds, and how they can expand their influence.
For one, it’s not enough to stick to one customizable ruler. Death can come at any time, be it through sickness, accidents, or plots. Players have got to secure their legacy as well through grooming the right heirs, who’ll inherit different genetic traits that could help or hinder their rule too. If they can’t get to grips with their heir’s issues, their empire could end up dying before it has truly begun.
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