Democracy 3 Africa sounds like an expansion, but it's not. It's a standalone game, albeit one that will work with the core game's previously released expansions.
Speaking to Polygon at Game Developers Conference, developer Cliff Harris said that the new game is aimed at fans of his much-admired government simulation who are looking for a serious challenge. The point. he explained, is that while running a country in an established Western country is tough, it's an entirely different matter to maintain stability in many rapidly changing African countries, which often face a different set of issues.
Democracy 3 puts players in charge of a country and asks them to make decisions on a raft of issues. So, players can cut taxes or ban guns or increase fines for violations of the law. Different segments of the populace react differently to these changes. Sometimes a player loses voter support and is kicked out of office. Other times, he or she is assassinated.
In Africa, there are additional challenges. Many of the ten countries featured in the game have a history of unstable governments, rights abuses, poverty, civil war, coups and epidemics. They are often in the midst of a transition between agrarian and industrial societies. Old certainties, such as religion, are threatened by new experiments, such as liberalism.
Democracy 3 Africa will be released for Windows PC in April priced at $14.99
