In the world political video games, you don’t want to leave anything to chance. Whether you are a member of a faction operating within a space empire or a leader seeking to lead a banana republic to a golden age of prosperity, you would be wise to use all your assets to ensure that the election goes your way. It's simply a sound strategy, and quite a few games explore this aspect of government in unique and fun ways.
Whether through money, influence, or good old blackmail, these strategy games approach election tricks from a variety of angles while implementing all sorts of advantages and consequences necessary to go down this path. Let's highlight a few games that make this concept a core part of their gameplay loop.
I've reduced the number of entries here because I want to emphasize different approaches rather than similar games. Additionally, while these are three of the best, there are many other great games that utilize similar mechanics.
GameRant Quiz
Easy (15 seconds) Medium (10 seconds) Hard (5 seconds)
Tropico 6
Viva Tropico! Viva El President!
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They ask him directly if he wants to rig the election.
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Don't want to take risks? Don't even hold an election.
Under El Presidente's leadership, Tropico is sure to prosper, reaching heights unmatched on any island in the Caribbean, Asia or the Mediterranean. Sure, there may be the occasional hiccup, like mass famine or financial crisis, but that's just an arena of struggle that will make the ultimate glory that much sweeter. Honestly, the citizens of Tropico should be grateful to have such a compassionate, strong, handsome, and humble leader.

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Now, in reality, El Presidente should not even have to prepare for elections, such an action would simply result in unnecessary public humiliation for his political opponents. El Presidente is, after all, the definition of its kind. But if we must go this route, there is absolutely no reason to leave the decision entirely in the hands of the people. Don't misunderstand. El Presidente loves and respects all of his children, but understands that everyone makes mistakes and may accidentally vote for someone else. This happens. It is therefore in Tropico's interest to approve some 'clerical adjustments' to the ballot box purely as a safety net against the inevitable errors of voters.
Rigging an election will leave permanent scars that will lower your approval ratings (with no guarantee of victory) and make the next election much more difficult. Fortunately, invoking martial law would avoid a second election entirely. It is for the benefit of the people.
endless space 2
power of dust
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Depending on your type of government, you can influence or directly choose who wins an election.
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It also varies depending on the force. This time I will choose Lumeris.
endless space 2 It's a highly complex sci-fi 4X strategy game that emphasizes the political and social chaos that can come from owning an empire that stretches beyond the stars. Elections now take place differently depending on the empire, government type, and faction. For this entry, I'll just stick with it. Lumeris factionBecause they are the most likely to try to buy the election. Unlike other ideologically driven factions, Lumeris is entirely business-oriented, existing around a trade network that ensures financial dominance.
The game features seven political parties with their own ideologies, priorities, and types of government. From the beginning, the Lumeris faction is aligned with the pacifist party, which makes sense since the latter values trade. However, for true dominance, you'll want to partner with an Industrialist who better suits your gameplay strategy. Bringing industry workers into government will help increase productivity while reducing costs. You can colonize planets and build factories much faster than if you had any other government (although religious parties can work just as well).
In reality, rigging an election is simple (at least by election standards). endless space 2). By funding your chosen faction using your base currency, “Dust,” you can essentially overwhelm other competitors through overexposure. Now there's a bit of a problem with this. That's because winning an election and significantly increasing wealth creation could spur inflation, making future bribes, or “elections,” more expensive.
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Crusader Kings 3
Make them see your way with gold or threats
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Each empire differs because the succession voting system is different.
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Feudal and monarchical electives will be the focus
in Crusader Kings 3You are always thinking about the future. Succession is the name of the game, and you want to make sure your power transfers to your heirs instead of going to another vassal who gains popular power. In this topic we will focus on: Feudals and Princes ElectiveThe result is The entire territory goes to a single candidate chosen by vote.Voting is done by vassals rather than the entire population. In other systems, land is often distributed to children, so this is a completely different issue.
As emperor of the Roman Empire, there are several ways to rig elections to increase the chances of your preferred candidate winning, even if there is no 100% guarantee that you will get the desired result. If you have a section of the electorate that doesn't want to vote in your candidate's favor, you can target his or her weaknesses. Basically, send them a gift as a little incentive and eventually they will start to see things your way. The argument is much more compelling when presented alongside gold.
Or blackmail is always an option. If you don't like the idea of enriching electors who are actively opposing you, you can instead spend that money on spies to learn information that can be used against them. If you have the “Truth Is Relative” perk and your spy hasn't found a truly terrible secret, you can also use a crafted hook.

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