The Political Machine

Lore & Background

The Political Machine allows players to select a pre-created candidate or create a fictional candidate from either the Republican or Democratic Party. The game revolves around managing stamina and turns, where each turn represents one week, and candidates have a set amount of stamina to perform activities such as establishing headquarters, holding fundraisers, or creating advertisements. Advertisements can be placed in newspapers, radio, or TV media, and their effectiveness depends on factors like the candidate's stance and the state's political leanings. For example, an ad supporting tax cuts works better in Republican Texas than in Democratic Massachusetts.

Reader's Guide

The Political Machine received average reviews according to Metacritic. Despite this, it was nominated by Computer Gaming World for the 2004 'Strategy Game of the Year (General)' award, though it lost to The Sims 2. The editors noted that the game allowed players to run the 2004 presidential campaign in a way that was more fun than its real-life counterpart. Additionally, Computer Games Magazine awarded it the 2004 'Best Budget Game' award. The game introduced a roster of basic and unlockable candidates, including historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as fictional characters. The series continued with sequels released in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020, each adding new candidates such as Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Bernie Sanders, and others.

Did You Know?

• The game includes fictional candidates such as Jeffory Jackson, based on Jesse Jackson, and Mike Forbes, based on Steve Forbes.
• Unlockable candidates include Thomas Jefferson, mislabeled as from Georgia, and Theodore Roosevelt, mislabeled as from Ohio.
• The Political Machine won Computer Gaming World's 2004 'Best Budget Game' award.
• A sequel, The Political Machine 2008, was released on June 16, 2008, introducing Barack Obama and John McCain.