The Political Machine 2012 Critic Reviews

It's a lot of work to get into politics, but it's also a lot to try and turn it into a simulation for us to play at home. I would never say this game is a perfect simulation of anything, but it does a great job of being a simple, accessible simulation game even for people who aren't really into that type of game.

This political machine is in need of a little tune-up.

The issues themselves are a little more engaging than before, but the departure of quirky campaigns and beloved former presidents like Abraham Lincoln and JFK pose significant threats to its replayability. Without them, The Political Machine 2012 is a sober reminder of the problem that's plagued American politics almost since the beginning: at heart, it's still just the same old game.

The Political Machine 2012 updates the Beltway players and the hot-button issues, but keeps the same gameplay as its 2008 predecessor.

It's too absurdly mechanical for those uninterested in the process, and too bare-bones and lackluster for those willing to engulf themselves in it.

Ultimately, TPM might give you the odd chuckle, but you're not really looking forward to it running for a second term in your office.

You can randomize population (electoral votes), wealth, issue importance, and demographics, but all this does is divorce Political Machine 2012 from context even more. There are historical and social reasons for red state/blue state divides, reasons that Republicans tend to be more successful in rural, poorer states, reasons that certain issues may be more important to California and New York than they are in Georgia and Tennessee. But Political Machine 2012 is only interested in the game of presidential politics -- and unfortunately, it doesn't even do a good job with that game.

Not serious to be legit, not funny enough to be, well, fun.