As we all know the annual Steam summer sale recently rolled by and cleaned out our virtual wallets with prices that no one can refuse. Half of the games bought never actually get played so I decided to give one of my purchases try rather than let it gather virtual dust in the library. That game is Democracy 3; a game where you play the Prime Minister, President or leader of a select few countries. Your goal is to stay in power by pleasing groups of voters, fixing nationwide issues and implementing new laws/policies.
I don't know if the gameplay can be classed as actual 'gameplay' so to speak as the entirety of the experience has you perusing menus and eyeing up statistics as you fiddle with sliders to adjust taxes. That being said there is some allure to this game a it's interesting to try and create a country that follows your own personal ideals. One neat aspect of this diplomatic simulator is the assassination possibility. If you annoy a group too much then they will plot and attempt to assassinate you, the best part of this is that it isn't entirely random. For example if you have loose gun laws then an assassination is more likely due to the ease of access to firearms.
The layout of the main and stats screens is pristine but overwhelming at first as there is so much to take in when first faced with it. There are lines going to and fro between the many policies and laws as well as an array of bars showing the demographic of voters you've won over or pissed off.
Overall Democracy 3 isn't a game you'll spend hours on end in. It's not amazing in terms of gameplay and it certainly won't blow you away. But there's something captivating about trying to create your own set of laws in a country; whether it be legalising drugs and prostitution, banning religion or taxing the wealthy, there is a wide array of laws and policies you can pass to shape the country as you please.
Democracy 3 won't inspire hours of fun but it's certainly interesting enough to warrant a playthough.