The Political Machine is a government simulation game from Stardock and the first game in the Political Machine series, in which the player leads a campaign to elect the President of the United States. The player accomplishes this goal by traveling from state to state and engaging in a variety of activities to either raise money or raise poll numbers.
Each game starts with the selection of a pre-created candidate or creation of a fictional candidate from one of the two major American political parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.
Headquarters and fundraisers are possible, the effectiveness of which depends on various factors.
When enough money is accumulated the player can "invest" it in advertisements (either through newspapers, radio, or TV media). The effectiveness of these ads are determined by several factors. An ad supporting tax cuts will work better with Republican Texas than with Democratic Massachusetts.
A key factor in the game is the concept of "Stamina" and "Turns." In each turn (representing one week), a candidate has a set amount of stamina to engage in activities. For example, establishing or upgrading a campaign HQ costs more stamina than creating a newspaper ad.
A sequel, The Political Machine 2008, was released June 16, 2008, with new characters introduced, such as Barack Obama and John McCain. A second sequel, The Political Machine 2012, was released on July 31, 2012, with new characters introduced, such as Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.
Candidates[]
Basic candidates[]
Democrats[]
- Bill Clinton
- Hillary Clinton
- John Edwards
- Al Gore
- Jeffory Jackson
- John Kerry
- Chloe Sullivan
- Tom Vilsack
Republican[]
- Barbara Bush
- George H. W. Bush
- George W. Bush
- Laura Bush
- Dick Cheney
- Mike Forbes
- Bill Mason
- Condoleezza Rice
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
Unlockable candidates[]
Democrat[]
- Wesley Clark
- Jimmy Carter
- Bill Richardson
- Dick Gephardt
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- Woodrow Wilson
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Thomas Jefferson
Republican[]
- William Taft
- Gerald Ford
- Ulysses S. Grant
- Richard Nixon
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Ronald Reagan
- Abraham Lincoln
- George Washington
Candidate Gallery[]
1st
President of the United States
3rd
President of the United States
16th
President of the United States
18th
President of the United States
26th
President of the United States
27th
President of the United States
28th
President of the United States
32nd
President of the United States
36th
President of the United States
37th
President of the United States
38th
President of the United States
39th
President of the United States
40th
President of the United States
41st
President of the United States
42nd
President of the United States
43rd
President of the United States
45th
Vice President of the United States
46th
Vice President of the United States
67th
United States Secretary of State
United States Senator
from Massachusetts
38th
Governor of California
Links and references[]
External links[]
- The Political Machine - official site