Games
Election Day
(For more on this game, visit www.election-day.info.)
Basic Game Design
1-5 people play the game on any PC running Windows95+.
Players choose to be candidates or campaign managers. They can play against one another or compete with computer-managed candidates.
The goal is to win the election. Players can participate in a variety of local, state, and federal elections from 1988-2020.
A game can last from 30 minutes to 6 hours, depending on a player's preferred pace and the level of complexity chosen.
Sequence of Play
1. During the setup phase of the game, players agree upon the basic game settings and each chooses a candidate and campaign staff.
2. During the main phase of the game, players take turns planning candidate activities, supervising campaign staff, setting budgets, studying poll data and maps, and responding to events that occur during the campaign.
3. In the post-mortem phase, players study a detailed report of voting results and other effects the election had on the candidates, the electorate, and the political environment.
Design Principles
Playability: The user-interface employs simple controls, familiar layouts, and a dash of humor to make the game enjoyable.
Multiple levels of complexity: The game design should be sophisticated enough to challenge politically experienced players. At the same time, the most complex features of the game must be optional and hidden from the view of new players. This permits players to gradually incorporate advanced features as they become more skilled at the game.
Accuracy: The game must be a realistic simulation based on actual campaign laws, census data, public opinion surveys, voter behavior patterns, and campaign environments.
Variety: People who play Election Day will recognize patterns but never experience identical campaigns. Players can choose from over 100 candidates (or create their own), and candidates can run for a wide variety of elected offices across the nation.
Future Revision
Though the main goal right now is to make the existing design bug-free, I welcome any design ideas you might have. If you wanted to play an election simulation game (or, if you're a teacher, use such a game as a class assignment), what features would you want the game to have? The game can not incorporate all the complexities of the political world, but which ones would you consider essential? For example, what factors do you consider the basic determinants of Presidential election outcomes? Which factors are most important for state/local races? What information must a campaign manager have to conduct a strategically sound campaign? If you would like to offer some suggestions for the game design, just email them to me at your convenience. You can also email me to be put on a mailing list that will receive an update when a relatively bug-free version is available. I can be reached at jgastil@u.washington.edu.
For more on this game, visit www.election-day.info.
