The game has a fun, cutesy aesthetic, with a cast of anthropomorphic animals reminiscent of Night in the Woods, and a soundtrack by Jesse Stiles combining synth pop and old labor hymns. Your goal is to maximize “people power” and minimize carbon emissions, while successfully carrying out two full terms in office.
These decisions adjust meters indicating your budget, carbon emissions, and “people power,” as well as your overall popularity among different sections of the electorate. The policies are all taken from discussions in the modern socialist movement: from Medicare for All and cancelling student debt to seizing the means of production. In the game, various advisers present you with a series of policy proposals that you can accept or reject using the “swipe right” and “swipe left” mechanic from the dating app Tinder. Even your closest allies may turn on you.” But beware: the ruling class won’t give up its power easily. The game’s promotional material promises that you can “Enact radical reforms, tax the rich, transform the economy, tackle the most pressing issues without alienating voters or bankrupting the government. In Democratic Socialism Simulator, you play as the first socialist to be elected president of the United States. Democratic Socialism Simulator, the latest entry from the Italian “culture jamming” group Molleindustria, continues this trend, using a Reigns-inspired simulation game to explore “the opportunities and challenges of a Sanders (or Sanders-like) presidency.” But the indie scene, through games like Disco Elysium and Tonight We Riot have shown that video games can be used as a vehicle for leftist politics. The video game industry has been resistant to this process, producing Reaganite propaganda like the upcoming Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War, and trying to pass it off as apolitical.
As global capitalism is thrown into ever-deeper crisis, it’s only natural that our entertainment will reflect this situation.
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