The Political Machine 2016

The Political Machine 2016 The aim of the game is simple, pick one of several current top Democrats or Republican candidates you can play as and run for the President of the United States. Players can try Clinton vs Trump or Bush vs Gore or any combination of Democrat and Republican. Players are represented on a map with bobblehead figures, on the bottom of the screen is six options and they are Create Ads, Give Speech, Fundraising, Build HQ, Endorsements and Operatives. The player's candidate has a certain amount of stamina which gets used up by either flying around the country at $30,000 per trip to various US states, building a Headquarters (four stamina + money for each section), raising funds (3 stamina per fundraising event), or making a speech (five stamina per speech).

Creating Ads can be made by Print or Television on a range of topics where you state if you or your opponant agree or oppose the topic, each ad made by Print costs $50,000 plus $3,000 a week with TV costing $450,000 plus $30,000 per week. Speeches can be on a range of issues with players able to say they agree or oppose the topic or their opponent agrees or opposes the topic, state approval ratings can go up or down on how wisely you choose what to say. The building of HQ's whilst expensive can either bring in Cash (Headquarters), Consulting Office (PC points for Political Operatives) Outreach Centre (Clout for Endorsements).Operatives can be used to boost your campaign or wreck the opposition campaign, each use of a operative increases the amount of points you need to use the same operative again.Endorsements can increase the effectiveness of the topics you make speeches on for example the endorsement of the NCAAP makes the topic of #blacklivesmatter more effective. About a third of the way through the campaign, you can select your Vice President whose job is to boost your awareness levels to voters in the state you place them in, Vice Presidents also gives small awareness boosts in surrounding states and boosts your coffers. The game is fun yet it can be frustrating especially if your opponent gets a good run on you and your election hopes go down the drain late in the campaign but it makes you want to try and win the next time around, if you want a tough challenge pick an unknown to take the heavyweights of American politics.