Falling Down by helpcomputer

made by helpcomputer for LD 39 (COMPO)

Story

This is a game about being the president of a fictional country. You must keep the citizens happy so that you can win the next election.

Gameplay

Right now this largely revolves around spending your funds which you earn each day. You can increase your own approval rating, damage your opponent's, or increase the fear and hate amongst the voting public. See what works. You can periodically change your policies, and elections come around every so often.

Still on my TODO list:

Random events
More opponents and their abilities
Sound and music

Play HTML5 version on itch here: https://helpcomputer.itch.io/falling-down

Final note: I'm not making a political statement, it's just a game.

Source code	https://helpcomputer.itch.io/falling-down
HTML5 (web)	https://helpcomputer.itch.io/falling-down
Original URL	https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/39/falling-down-a-game-about-losing-power

Ratings

Overall	238^th	3.458⭐	26🧑‍⚖️
Fun	353^th	3.125⭐	26🧑‍⚖️
Innovation	59^th	3.87⭐	25🧑‍⚖️
Theme	323^th	3.522⭐	25🧑‍⚖️
Graphics	541^th	2.583⭐	26🧑‍⚖️
Audio	518^th	1.2⭐	17🧑‍⚖️
Humor	420^th	1.947⭐	21🧑‍⚖️
Mood	467^th	2.619⭐	23🧑‍⚖️
Given		10🗳️	10🗨️

Feedback

Taffaz

31. Jul 2017 · 18:51 UTC

Nice game, I couldn't quite figure out the strategy but I think I was being too nice.

skyr

31. Jul 2017 · 19:05 UTC

I liked the concept. It has enough depth but is simple to learn. Consider increasing the resolution on itch or adding a full screen button.

Michael Feldman

31. Jul 2017 · 19:05 UTC

Happy to report a reign of 181 days. Very cool political sim game. Enjoyed the panning and UI on the state level. It took me a bit to realize that each state had different priorities, I thought I was just to change them at random at first. One little glitch with the debate tactics. During the 2nd election, it keeps your old tactics checked, so if you check 2 new ones, you have 4 tactics selected. Other than that, very intriguing, and definitely gets some points for humor.

🎤 helpcomputer

31. Jul 2017 · 19:23 UTC

Thanks for the feedback so far everyone!

Pandakipu

31. Jul 2017 · 22:03 UTC

Interesting concept, 271 days :)
Good job !

jekstrom

01. Aug 2017 · 02:00 UTC

Interesting game. Had to give it a couple play-throughs but I couldn't get past the first election cycle. I think some more feedback on how the debate strategies and policies affected your approval would be a good addition. I like the concept, and it feels like there is a lot going on under the hood.

Mvdvelden

01. Aug 2017 · 08:33 UTC

Game looks great! Took me some tries before i kinda knew what i was doing :P.

mrboxbox

03. Aug 2017 · 21:08 UTC

A very cool simple little sim. I like the old-school pc look you got going on!

larzan

18. Aug 2017 · 22:48 UTC

I woooooon (the first election)
Which wouldn't happen in the real world as i focused on environment, health and social care, LOL

Very nice game, good concept :)

garethjenkins

19. Aug 2017 · 10:56 UTC

I like the national/state planning split. Wasn't always clear about pausing/playing.

HuvaaKoodia

20. Aug 2017 · 09:18 UTC

271 days as a ruler! I managed to keep my approval rates high in 4 stats, while two were complete lost causes. In the end the middle of the road states all flipped to oppose me. It seems very random which side wins a state when both me and my opposition have around 45-49% approval in a state.

I would also like to know how the election debate tactics work. Knowing more about each state and the people living there might help. Info like average education, wealth, health, etc to base my demeanor on.

Good work. Some fitting audio would add to the mood.

Aterlamia

20. Aug 2017 · 13:08 UTC

Cool concept, to bad there were no sounds. I think it would have been better to have an easier screen to see states, it took me some while before i noticed every state had its own things they thought were important. But i did enjoy the gameplay. I did lose my first election :(