The Political Machine 2008

THE POLITICAL MACHINE 2008 is a very timely political simulation game that follows different presidential candidates through the campaign trail as they attempt to sway the general population enough to win the election. The game is played from an overhead view of the USA with each state as a selectable place. The details on the political leanings of a specific state as well as what particular issues are important to the people of that state are shown in a realistic manner. After you select the candidate you wish to represent, be it Obama or McCain or even an entirely new candidate of your own creation, you choose how to run the campaign. Do you play rough and smear you opponent in key states, or do you focus purely on the positive aspects?

Controlling the game is quite simple once the slightly steep learning curve is overcome. Each turn represents a week of time where your candidate can fly to any state she or he wishes, and once there choose from the many options presented. Making speeches on key topics are one option, as are building outreach centers to win endorsements or starting an advertising campaign to appeal to the local population. As the weeks go on, visiting states with more Electoral College votes and performing the right action is key to winning the election. However each action costs money so you must take time to hold fundraisers to pay for the campaign, or else the election will be not be within your grasp.