Technically, everything that happens in Political Arena is fake news, but the buzz surrounding the game has been anything but. We were absolutely bowled over by the level of excitement surrounding our public unveiling of this first-ever top-to-bottom political sandbox. Here’s our first look back at some of the
The Washington Post took a close look at Political Arena:
As you climb up the political ladder, there will be lobbyists knocking on your door, pundits to win over and business leaders to appease while you pass legislation or campaign for your next elected office.
The Times of London keyed in on the excitement of politics:
In a video game market saturated by zombies, death matches and post-apocalyptic hell-scapes, it would be a tall order to offer something more cut-throat. Enter Political Arena, where, rather than chasing kill streaks and loot boxes (although, given the subject, those features might arrive in later updates), users are immersed into the world of US politics… …President Biden may be ordering copies for the White House.
Mic examined some of the challenges in designing a game like Political Arena:
Players can schedule media appearances, wheel and deal with political power brokers, and plot their career paths however they choose. From lionhearted liberals to maverick conservatives to bombastic radicals, the game promises a unique experience for every player based on their own in-universe choices...there’s no question that the mystique and, yes, circus-like atmosphere of American politics has created a very real audience primed for this type of entertainment.
Washingtonian interviewed Political Arena Creator Eliot Nelson:
If the problem with US politics is that people treat it like a game, could the answer be…turning US politics into an actual game? That’s the theory behind Political Arena, a strategy video game under development by former HuffPost reporter Eliot Nelson, which he hopes will ‘take that impulse to treat it like a game to try and beat the other side, and actually turn into something constructive.’ He pauses. ‘We hope.’