Stardock announced that the latest iteration of its hit political strategy series, The Political Machine 2024 entered its playtest phase today. The game, which allows players to simulate a run for the American presidency, features an updated roster of politicians and introduces new gameplay mechanics that reflect the ever-evolving landscape of U.S. politics.
The Political Machine 2024 allows players to step into the shoes of current political figures like Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Elizabeth Warren, and Nikki Haley, or create a fully customized candidate through the game's character customization system.
Building on the series’ robust political simulation model, which has been recognized by major news outlets for its accuracy in predicting previous election outcomes, the 2024 edition adds some much-requested features. Play testers will have the exclusive opportunity to experience these new additions in the 2024 version, including:
Primaries: Players can choose to run against other candidates to win their party’s nomination for President.
Debates: Candidates will face each other in a simulated debate on the issues of the day.
PACs (Political Action Cards): Players can use these to bolster their campaign or thwart their opponents.
At its core, The Political Machine 2024 is a sophisticated simulator, where each state's political leanings and issues are meticulously researched and updated to reflect the latest demographic data and current political climate. Players with a deep understanding of the real-world political landscape will discover a game that rewards strategic thinking and political savvy.
"At Stardock, we value player feedback as a cornerstone of game development. By inviting fans into the game prior to release, we foster a collaborative environment where their input directly shapes the final, polished experience." said Brad Wardell, Creative Director of Stardock.
Stardock invites players to explore the nuances between candidates within the same party, appreciating the ideological spectrum that differentiates a Democrat like Bernie Sanders from one like Dean Phillips, or a Republican like Ron Desantis from Ted Cruz.
Pre-order customers of The Political Machine 2024 can now gain access to the game ahead of its full release. The Political Machine 2024 remains available for pre-order and includes a free pre-order bonus, the 'Cabinet of Curiosities' DLC.
Update Notes for February 20, 2024
Launcher update: Added support for The Political Machine 2024.
Announcing The Political Machine 2024
Pre-order now and get the 'Cabinet of Curiosities' DLC free
Stardock announced the latest iteration of its hit political strategy series, The Political Machine 2024 today. The game, which allows players to simulate a run for the American presidency, features an updated roster of politicians and introduces new gameplay mechanics that reflect the ever-evolving landscape of U.S. politics.
The Political Machine 2024 allows players to step into the shoes of current political figures like Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Ron DeSantis, or create a completely customized candidate with the game’s in-depth creation workshop.
Building on the series’ robust political simulation model, which has been recognized by major news outlets for its accuracy in predicting previous election outcomes, the 2024 edition adds some much-requested features including:
Primaries: Players can choose to run against other candidates to win their party’s nomination for President.
Debates: Candidates will face each other in a simulated debate on the issues of the day.
PACs: Political Action Cards that players can use to bolster their campaign or thwart their opponents.
At its core, The Political Machine 2024 is a sophisticated simulator, where each state's political leanings and issues are meticulously researched and updated to reflect the latest demographic data and current political climate. Players with a deep understanding of the real-world political landscape will discover a game that rewards strategic thinking and political savvy.
"The Political Machine has always been about capturing the spirit and complexity of the American election cycle," said Brad Wardell, Creative Director of Stardock. "With the 2024 edition, we're bringing even more depth to the experience with new features that mirror the real-world tactics used in political campaigns."
Stardock invites players to explore the nuances between candidates within the same party, appreciating the ideological spectrum that differentiates a Democrat like Bernie Sanders from one like Bill Clinton, or a Republican like Ronald Reagan from Mitt Romney.
Update Note for October 9, 2023
Launcher update for Galactic Civilizations IV.
Update Notes for 7/27/23
Just a launcher update to replace some graphics files.
The Political Machine 2020 v1.4 - The Final Stretch
Greetings fellow Political Junkies!
It's almost here - the moment we've all been waiting for - Election Night 2020!
Of course, being 2020, experts warn that the surge in mail-in ballots may result in an 'Election Month', but...whatever. I know WE'RE pumped! And with early voter numbers being shattered, it looks like most of the electorate is pumped too!
But enough about the horse race - let's talk about v1.4!
Randomization Options
In the Advanced Setting popup, you can now play with the Randomization of Issues and State Data. Want a crazy game where all the state values are scrambled and the big issues are "Banning Soft Drinks" and "Giving Frogs the Right to Vote"? Want a regular game with just small randomization tweaks made to top issues? In v1.4, all those randomization options at your fingertips.
New Achievements
We've doubled the number of available achievements to unlock, giving hardcore players rewards for their mastery of the game! Masochistic wins for Trump, Biden, and several other candidates will give you an official badge of honor for your accomplishments. Wear them proudly!
New & Improved Issues
Keeping up with the news has been hard the last few weeks, but we've added & boosted several issues that are coming up in the final stretch of campaigning.
Investigating Hunter Biden
Herd Immunity
Saving the Middle Class
Court Packing
Dangers of Socialism
Second Stimulus Package
Nation Mask Mandate
Election Integrity
We've also updated the Biden and Trump Ideology trees to reflect their 2020 campaign messaging.
v1.4 Changelog
NEW FEATURE: Issue and State Randomization
You can now access Randomization options under the ADVANCED SETTING tab when setting up your game.
Issue randomization can result in 'Some Randomization' or a 'Very Random' game, where even the most crazy fringe issues can bubble up in importance.
State Data can have Wealth, Electoral Votes, Party Affiliations, or 'All The Above" randomized.
Election Night: Updated the '270 to Win' text to be driven by the actual number of electoral votes.
Note: This only works in Single Player modes.
10 NEW ACHIEVEMENTS There are now a series of 10 achievements, many of which tied to beating the game on Masochistic difficulty with specific candidates.
Trump Train
President Joe
#YangGang4Ever
Tea-Party Triumph
Feel the Burn!
Obama's 3rd Term
Romney 2020
A Vote for Extinction
A Totally Random Win
Beating the Coronavirus
New Issues
Investigating Hunter Biden
Peaceful Transfer of Power
Saving the Middle Class
Socialism
Election Integrity
Herd Immunity
Court Packing
California Wildfire Assistance
Updated Issues
Higher Importance: Fracking, Filling Supreme Court Vacancy, Second Stimulus Package
Lower Importance: Building the Wall, Funding Nasa, Stopping the Coronavirus, National Mask Mandate, Defund the Police, Prosecuting Rioters
Updated State Demographics: Alaska: D +1, R +8, I -9 / Oklahoma: D - 5, R +3, I +2 / Texas: D + 6, R -1, I-5 / Virginia: D +2, R -2 / Washington: D +2, I -2 /
Updated Candidates
Donald Trump: Ideology Tree given several new issues: Saving the Middle Class, The China Virus, and Dangers of Socialism, +1 to Minority Appeal, Notes: One of the big areas where President Trump is outperforming his 2016 numbers is with Latino voters, so boosting his 'Minority Appeal' stat made sense for this update.
Joe Biden: Ideology Tree given several new issues: National Mask Mandate, Second Stimulus Package, and Court Packing, +1 to Starting Funds, +1 to Media Appeal, Notes: After some record-breaking fundraising months, we had to give him a boost in funds. We're also seeing the media go pretty easy on the former VP in situations where they'd be tougher on his opponent, so boosting his Media Appeal made sense as well.
Fixes
When you have a malformed Ideology Tree in the My Games directory, the game will now pop up a message warning you about the problematic XML (This would break the game in earlier versions).
John Adam's home state set to Massachusetts
Various Misc Typos
The Political Machine 2020 v1.31 - The Big Issues
Hard to believe there are only 6 weeks until election day! With a new slew of issues on everyone's minds, we thought it would be a good week to make some additions to bring the state of the game in line with the state of the race.
New Issues
National Mask Mandate: Should the federal government or regional authorities be in charge of determining the laws of mask-wearing during a pandemic?
Additional Stimulus Checks: Do you support sending citizens a second stimulus check and risk a ballooning deficit, or does the rebounding stock market mean the economy is doing fine as-is?
Defunding the Police: Protesters have called for the dismantling and defunding of Law Enforcement, but opposition points to National Rioting as the exact reason we need that Law Enforcement.
Prosecuting Rioters: To protest is American, but what happens when those protests turn ugly?
Updated Issues
#BlackLivesMatter: After the death of George Floyd, national protests thrust the #BlackLivesMatter movement back into the spotlight.
Filling Supreme Court Vacancy: The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg last weekend has flipped the 2016 script, with Republicans looking to fill the vacancy during an election year, and Democrats looking to prevent it.
Happy campaigning - it's coming down to the wire!
New Founding Fathers DLC and FREE v1.3 Update
Get Ready, Pundits! The Founding Fathers DLC & HUGE Update Have Arrived
Battle for your spot in the White House against the founding fathers of America! In the new Founding Fathers DLC, you'll play as political heavyweights like George Washington, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and more. Do you have what it takes to go down in history?
None of the founding fathers could predict where the world would be some 200 years later, but some of their ideals are still applicable anyway! All of the new candidates’ ideologies have been adjusted to tackle current real-world issues. The founding fathers included in the DLC are:
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Alexander Hamilton
James Madison
John Adams
New Ideology Tree - Democratic Republican
States’ rights and a way to keep the national government in check were the cornerstones of the Democratic Republican party’s ideals. Founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and James Madison will take on real-world 2020 issues like lower taxes, Wall Street regulation, liberty, and much more!
New Ideology Tree - Federalist
A strong government and a powerful executive branch were the basis of every Federalists’ belief system. Founding fathers Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and John Adams bring their beliefs into 2020 by fighting for things like free market capitalism, taxing the rich, subsidizing domestic industry, and much more!
New Customization Parts
Race for the White House in style! New customization parts from hairstyles to clothing choices give you more options when creating your own candidates.
v1.3 UPDATE FEATURES
In addition to the DLC, we're releasing the FREE v1.3 update today! v1.3 introduces a couple of new candidates and is packed with new features and game improvements that will spice up your campaign and get your voters fired up for the big election.
New Candidates
The 42nd President of the United States is the first new candidate to grace the election trail: say hello to Bill Clinton. He is joined by Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee from Alaska. They're both ready to fight to earn their seat in the White House!
Candidate Workshop
You've been asking to be able to upload your custom candidates to Steam, and now you can thanks to the Candidate Workshop. With just a few clicks, you can share your custom creations to the Steam Workshop - we can't wait to see all the presidential contenders that you come up with!
Dynamic Map
The electoral map is the ultimate source of information for you when you're playing, showing you which states you have a lock on, which states are battlegrounds, and which states your opponent is taking. Thanks to the new animated Dynamic Map system, you'll be able to get all of that information at just a glance. Now, states will bounce, flash, and visually inform you when a choice you've made results in a change.
Campaign Events
In order to give you more agency, we've changed the randomized campaign events system. Now, when you see a state with a bouncing yellow "?", you can visit there and receive a message from someone wanting to help your campaign. You can use these opportunities to earn more money, ideology points, political operatives, and more!
