Democratic Socialism Simulator is a Soothing Balm for My Political Pessimism

Democratic Socialism Simulator is a Soothing Balm for My Political Pessimism

All games are political. But then there are games from Molleindustria, an indie developer whose explicitly political work has fascinated me since I stumbled upon McDonald’s Video Game back in high school. In this game, you manage McDonald’s from the supply chain down to an individual restaurant. No matter how much I tried to behave ethically, I couldn’t win—I didn’t get the message as clearly as I do now, but it left an enormous impression on me. I’ve been following Molleindustria’s work ever since. (more…)

Postgame.2: Hot Dog Sock

Postgame.2: Hot Dog Sock

Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly Patreon-exclusive podcast, where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games.

In this episode, we talk about how the mechanics of four politics-oriented games tie into their themes and how that interplay leaves us feeling (sometimes, it’s bad!). Zora also uncovers some deeply buried Scott-Westerfeld-related feelings, and Melissa tries to get a message to Warner Bros. Media.

Topics & timestamps:

Theme music is Bass Thee by Alexander Nakarada, used under Creative Commons 0.

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