Realpolitiks

An excellent introduction to grand strategy gaming, thanks to its relative simplicity. You play as the leader of the country of your choice, and try to take over the world. You’ll use diplomacy, espionage, and military and economic clout, all while dealing with problems like terrorism, financial crises, and pandemics.

If you've always dreamed of playing as an enlightened world leader but you aren't great with intricate management games, Realpolitiks is the game for you! It's a real time management and strategy game that's easy to pick up and play, and one that immerses you in the workings of modern and futuristic international politics. As you lead your country, you'll be navigating a range of political, economic, and military challenges on the way to making your nation a global superpower.

The time period covered by Realpolitiks spans 2020 to 2100, but the game also features two futuristic scenarios, including after a nuclear winter.

Getting started is easy: you start off by choosing one of a selection of countries, each with its own little objectives. This is a good option if you like this kind of game but don’t have loads of spare time, as it keeps the games short. You can also choose to play as any country in the world (including those not featured in the default selection, like Belgium and Algeria) if you're in the mood for a longer game. In this case, your aim will be to earn as many points as possible within a given period, overcoming a few challenges along the way. You'll need to erect buildings, form powerful alliances, and/or conquer other states.

It's important to note that not all countries are created equal. Powerful countries like the USA or China, for example, will enable you to do pretty much whatever you like. Others present a satisfying challenge, while others are very difficult due to their geographical location and their poor economies. This means that there's no real need for preset difficulty levels: if you feel like more of a challenge, just stop playing as great powers and try to win the game as Somalia! And put some thought into picking your country: some have poor relations with their neighbours and can quickly become embroiled in war.

The management side of Realpolitiks is both simple and engaging. You need to manage key factors like unemployment, education, GDP, the health system, resources, government, international relations, and taxes. Building buildings is easy: select a region, choose a building, pay the cost and wait for it to be completed.

There are random events like pandemics and riots that add some unforeseen challenges and push you to make pivotal decisions. An epidemic, for example, might require an investment of both money and action points, while major events like hosting the Olympics can earn you victory points.

To give you a concrete example of this in action, let's take a look at Japan. If you play as Japan, you can quickly fix the economy, get up to full employment, pay off all national debt and amass billions in capital. It's a real rush.

We liked how Realpolitiks strikes a good balance between realism and accessibility. The game serves up a believable simulation of the challenges facing the modern world, and those we might face in the future, all while remaining accessible to newbies to the grand strategy genre. The graphics, while simple, are clear and functional, and the soundtrack provides a nice atmosphere.

Our favourite part? Managing international crises. Whether that's responding to acts of terrorism, managing relations with democracies or exerting influence at the UN, every decision you make has a real impact on the world and your country's reputation.

Our tip to help you on your way*: to maximise your chance of success in Realpolitiks, stabilise your economy before anything else. For your first game, we recommend choosing a country with a stable economy. Invest in education and infrastructure to reduce unemployment and grow your GDP. Next, focus on building strategic alliances with powerful neighbours to shore up your geopolitical position. Lastly, make sure you're ready to respond quickly to random events so that you can limit their negative impact on your country.

Realpolitiks is an excellent point of entry into the grand strategy genre. There aren't too many variables to manage, but it holds sufficient depth to maintain the player's interest. It's a great choice for anyone who wants to dip into the genre without feeling overwhelmed by complex mechanics.

And just so you know, "realpolitik" (from the German for "realistic politics") refers to "foreign policy based on a calculation of strengths and the national interest", a concept that Realpolitiks embodies perfectly.