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Game Concept

Lawmaker is a multiplayer political simulation game that puts you in charge of a political party in a fictional democratic country. Your goal is to build electoral success through strategic legislation, coalition building, and understanding voter behavior.

Core Gameplay Loop

graph LR
    A[Create Party] --> B[Vote on Laws]
    B --> C[Build Record]
    C --> D[Elections]
    D --> E[Win Seats]
    E --> F[Form Government]
    F --> G[Propose Laws]
    G --> B
  1. Create your party with a distinct ideology
  2. Vote on proposals from other parties
  3. Build your legislative record through consistent voting
  4. Compete in elections where voters judge your record
  5. Win seats in the legislature
  6. Form governments and appoint cabinet ministers
  7. Propose new laws to shape the country
  8. Repeat!

Key Concepts

Political Parties

You control a political party - a group representing specific ideological positions. Your party:

  • Has positions on 8+ major political issues
  • Gains representation through elections
  • Proposes and votes on legislation
  • Recruits characters as activists
  • Uses Political Power as a resource

Learn more: Party Management

Legislative Process

The heart of Lawmaker is the legislative system:

  • Any party can propose a law (costs 30 PP)
  • Proposals contain 1-5 articles (individual law changes)
  • All parties vote on each proposal (Yes/No/Abstain)
  • Votes are weighted by seat count in the legislature
  • After 60 game days, proposals pass or fail based on majority

Each law has multiple options representing different policy positions. For example, the minimum wage law has three options:

  • No minimum wage (free market)
  • Basic minimum wage (moderate)
  • High living wage minimum (worker-friendly)

Learn more: Legislation & Voting

Voter Simulation

Elections are determined by individual simulated voters (called "electors"):

  • Each country has ~60 electors representing the population
  • Each elector has personal preferences on political issues
  • Electors analyze your voting record to form opinions
  • They vote for parties that support policies they agree with
  • Recent votes matter more than old votes (time-weighted)

How Voters Think

An elector who strongly supports environmental protection will favor parties that voted for green energy laws and against deregulation. If your party voted for coal subsidies, this elector probably won't vote for you!

Learn more: Elections & Voters

Electoral System

Lawmaker uses proportional representation:

  • Vote share determines seat allocation
  • 10% of votes ≈ 10% of seats
  • No single party usually wins a majority
  • Coalition building is essential

Elections happen on a regular schedule (typically every 4 game years).

Government Formation

After elections, parties can attempt to form governments:

  • Cabinet positions represent executive power (Prime Minister, ministers, etc.)
  • Parties nominate characters for these positions
  • All parties vote on the proposed government
  • Successful formations give parties executive authority

Learn more: Government & Cabinet

Characters

Your party recruits characters - individual activists who:

  • Represent your party publicly
  • Can hold cabinet positions
  • Have unique traits (Charismatic, Media Savvy, etc.)
  • Build followers and authority over time
  • Post political commentary

There are also journalists - independent characters who comment on politics but aren't affiliated with parties.

Learn more: Characters & Activists

Political Power (PP)

Political Power is your action resource:

  • Gain 1 PP per game day (1 real hour)
  • Maximum capacity: 120 PP
  • Spend PP to take major actions

This system prevents spam and encourages strategic decision-making.

Learn more: Political Power

Game Time

Time Progression

1 real-world hour = 1 game day

This means: - 1 real day = 24 game days - 1 real week = ~168 game days (~7 game months) - 1 real month = ~720 game days (~2 game years) - Elections every 4 game years = ~2 real months

The slow pace allows players to participate without constant attention. Check in once or twice a day to make decisions.

Win Conditions

Lawmaker is an ongoing simulation without a fixed end. Success can mean:

  • Electoral dominance - Win the most seats consistently
  • Legislative legacy - Pass significant laws that shape the country
  • Coalition leadership - Lead governments and appoint cabinets
  • Ideological victory - Move the country toward your values
  • Long-term influence - Build a party that lasts for many election cycles

Strategic Depth

Success in Lawmaker requires balancing:

  • Ideological purity vs. electoral viability - Do you vote your conscience or chase voters?
  • Short-term gains vs. long-term strategy - Opportunistic votes may hurt your record
  • Solo play vs. coalition building - Can you win without allies?
  • Resource management - When to spend Political Power and when to save it
  • Timing - When to propose laws, call elections, or form governments

Multiple Countries

Each country is an independent simulation:

  • Different countries don't interact
  • Each has unique population, seats, and cabinet structure
  • You can create parties in multiple countries
  • Each country develops its own meta-game and community

What Makes Lawmaker Unique?

Unlike most political games:

  • Real human opposition - You compete against other players, not AI
  • Voter simulation - Elections aren't random; they reflect your voting record
  • Long-term consequences - Every vote matters for future elections
  • Social gameplay - Negotiation and coalition building are essential
  • Asymmetric competition - Small parties can punch above their weight through strategy

Next Steps

Ready to dive deeper into specific systems?