Best strategy game that lets you buy a pick

In the world of political video gamesYou never want to leave anything to chance. Whether you're part of a faction operating within the confines of a space empire or a leader looking to guide a banana republic to a golden age of prosperity, you'd be wise to use every asset at your disposal to ensure an election goes your way. It's simply a sound strategy, and quite a few games explore this side of government in their own unique, fun ways.

Whether it's through money, influence, or good old-fashioned blackmail, these strategy games approach election tricks from different angles, while implementing all the possible benefits and consequences of going this route. Let's highlight a few games that make this concept a central part of their gameplay loop.

We went with fewer entries here, as we'd rather highlight different approaches rather than similar games. While these are three of the best, there are many other great games that use similar mechanics.

Tropical 6

Viva Tropico! Viva El Presidente!

• You will immediately be asked if you want to rig elections.

• Don't want to take the risk? Don't even hold elections.

Under the leadership of El Presidente, Tropico is sure to flourish and reach heights never experienced by any island, be it one in the Caribbean, Asia or the Mediterranean. Sure, there might be the occasional hiccup, like a mass famine or a financial crisis, but it's only the fighting chapters that will make the eventual glory that much sweeter. Frankly, the citizens of Tropico should be grateful to have such a benevolent, strong, handsome and humble leader.

Now really, El Presidente shouldn't even bother to arrange an election, and such an act would simply result in unnecessary public humiliation of his political opponents. After all, El Presidente is the definition of variety. But if the need arises to go this route, there is really no reason to leave the decision entirely in the hands of the people. Don't get me wrong, El Presidente loves and respects all of his children, but he also understands that everyone makes mistakes and that they can accidentally vote for someone else. These things happen; therefore, it is in Tropico's interest that he approves a small “printer adjustment” of the ballot boxes, purely as a safety net for the inevitable errors of the voters.

Rigging an election leaves a permanent scar on the population that lowers your approval rating (and you're not guaranteed to win), and the next election will be significantly more difficult. Fortunately, you can just trigger martial law to avoid the second choice altogether. It is for the good of the people.

Endless Space 2

The power of dust

• Depending on the type of government, you can influence or simply choose who wins an election

• Depends on the faction as well; let's go with The Lumeris for this one

Endless Space 2 is an extremely complex sci-fi 4X strategy game that emphasizes the political and social turmoil that would arise from having an empire that extends beyond the stars. Now, depending on empire, government type, and faction, the choices play out differently. For the sake of this post, let's just stick to it The Lumeris factionbecause they are among the most likely to try to buy a whale. Unlike other factions driven by ideologies, the Lumeris is entirely business-oriented, with its existence revolving around trade networks and ensuring financial dominance.

The game features seven political parties, each with unique ideologies, priorities, and government types. Right from the start, the Lumeris faction is aligned with the Pacifist Party, which makes sense since the latter values ​​trade. However, for true dominance, I would recommend joining the Industrialists, as they are a better fit for your game strategy. If you manage to get industrialists in the government, it will help you increase productivity while reducing costs. You can colonize a planet and build factories much faster than if any other government is in play (although the religious party can also work well).

The actual rigging of the election is straightforward (at least by the standards of Endless Space 2). You use “Dust”, the main currency, to bankroll your chosen faction, allowing you to basically overwhelm any other challenger through sheer overexposure. Now there is a bit of a catch here, as winning the election and greatly increasing your wealth generation can drive up inflation, making future bribes, I mean “elections”, more expensive.

Crusader Kings 3

Make them look your way with gold or threats

• Varies from empire to empire as they have different succession voting systems

• Feudal and Princely electives will be the focus

IN Crusader Kings 3you always think about the future. Succession is the name of the game, and you want to make sure that your power is transferred to your heir rather than going to some other vassal who has gained momentum with the populace. For this post, let's just focus on Feudal and Princely optionalbecause they result in the entire territory goes to a single candidate elected by a voteand the votes are made by vassals rather than by the entire population. In other systems, the land is often divided between your children, so that's a completely different matter.

As Emperor of the Roman Empire, there are a couple of ways you can manipulate an election to increase the odds of your preferred candidate winning, although there's never a 100% guarantee that the outcome you want will happen. If you have a section where a powerful voter does not want to vote in favor of your candidate, you can only target his weaknesses. Basically, send them a gift as a small incentive and they will eventually see things your way. An argument is much more persuasive when presented alongside gold.

Alternatively, blackmail is always an option. If you hate the idea of ​​enriching a constituent who actively defies you, spend the money on spies instead, so you can learn information that can be used against them. If you have the “Truth is Relative” perk and the spy finds no real damning secret, you can even use a Fabricated Hook.