“Why is everything so political?!” As Americans wrestle with constant news alerts, alarming texts from family, and brow-raising social media notifications, it’s important to remember that media and entertainment are inherently political. Even your favorite childhood board game likely drew gameplay elements from ruling bodies or political structures.
Gaming is no different. As global citizens increasingly seek escapism — suspenseful novels, “doomscrolling” short-form videos, tuning into ’round-the-clock commentary from talking heads, indulging in popular podcasts — many turn to video games that offer engaging, immersive, and cathartic outlets for otherwise directionless frustrations.
These 10 titles from indie studios and AAA teams are among the genre’s best, allowing players to be their ideal leader, citizen, war strategist, or soldier.
BioShock (2007)
In this classic retro-futuristic role-playing game from the early aughts, gamers take control of their fate. Wander through the underwater city of Rapture, a former utopia built by sniveling business magnate Andrew Ryan. After the advent of the sinister superhuman substance ADAM, Rapture erupts into chaos and disarray. Your task? Escape the submerged city using whatever tools you can to your advantage.
Papers, Please (2013)
In Papers. Please, players work as immigration officers in Arstotzka, an intimidating and hostile fictional dystopia. Gamers sift through paperwork at their desks, accepting and rejecting travelers per the ruling administration’s ever-growing specifications. This puzzle game is heralded for its empathetic storytelling, gravitas, and artistic political and social commentary.
Editor’s Hell (2022)
Pixelated Goose Games.
Congrats on your new gig! You’ve been hired as an editor for a popular newspaper circulated in a problematic country. Players must choose to follow government censorship specifications or rebel by publishing conflicting headlines and information that challenge the status quo. Will you foster those in power, or work to dismantle the dictatorship?
Follow us on MSN for more of the content you love.
No Umbrellas Allowed (2020)
Hoochoo Game Studios.
Welcome to Ajik City! Here, greed and gluttonous behavior are punishable by law, and citizens’ emotions are chemically neutered using “Fixer,” a substance added to area rainfall. Players must manage a rinky-dink pawn shop alongside an android assistant, accepting or declining citizens’ hauls per government specifications. REMEMBER: NO UMBRELLAS ALLOWED.
FACEMINER (2025)
Wristwork Ltd.
It’s 1999, and you’re clacking away on your bulky desktop computer. Click through sus surveillance data, scope out invasive face scans, and build your data-mining capabilities for the sake of profit. In this clicker, your HUD mimics an old-school PC interface. FACEMINER‘s sometimes monotonous gameplay amplifies that mundane “steno pool” feeling with a tinge of suspense, like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Detroit: Become Human (2018)
In Detroit: Become Human, follow three androids throughout dystopic Detroit as they slowly develop consciousness. Enjoy a true “choose your own adventure” game, bewilderingly beautiful graphics, and killer performances from notable names (Spongebob Squarepants‘ Clancy Brown, The Boys‘ Valorie Curry, and Grey’s Anatomy‘s Jesse Williams), and explore what it really means to be human.
Not For Broadcast (year)
Control mainstream media in Not For Broadcast, a full-motion video game that positions players in a behind-the-scenes news studio role. Filter information to your liking, censor content, and ultimately control the truth. Your actions aren’t without consequences; your control room-based decisions will impact the world around you.
Yes, Your Grace (2020)
In Yes, Your Grace, play as King Eryk, a monarch tasked with maintaining his territory with a series of executive decisions. Keep an eye on supplies, monitor your military, placate constituents, and keep your kingdom intact. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy a lore-rich cast of characters, some allied, others willing to challenge your rule. Like most other titles on this list, your in-game decisions will impact the rest of your gameplay.
Frostpunk (2018)
Nineteenth-century society survival game Frostpunk puts players in charge of a city under threat of winter volcanic activity. As a leader, you’re tasked with keeping it all together, managing conflict and chaos in unstable New London. Construct amenities, communicate with and soothe citizens, make heavy decisions, and do everything it takes to keep you and your constituents alive.
Life is Strange 2 (2018)
This true successor to the adventure series Life is Strange follows the suspenseful and shocking story of Hispanic-American brothers Daniel and Sean.
After young Daniel reveals his supernatural abilities during a tragic run-in with the police, the pair must stick together and escape the cops, all while making story- and timeline-altering choices along the way.
Life is Strange 2 touches on political themes, including immigration, racism, and police brutality.
Follow us on MSN for more of the content you love.
Read more:
- ‘Schedule I’ and other offbeat ‘simulation’ games your library needs
- Trump Tariffs Threaten Nintendo Switch 2, Board Games
A lifelong gamer raised on classic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Croc, Stephanie brings her expertise of gaming and pop culture to deliver unique, refreshing views on the world of video games, complete with references to absurd and obscure media.
Leave a Reply