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Getting Started

Welcome to Lawmaker! This guide will walk you through your first steps in the game.

Creating Your Account

  1. Visit lawmakergame.com
  2. Create an account with your email address
  3. Verify your email (check your spam folder if needed)
  4. Log in to access the game

Choosing a Country

After logging in, you'll need to select a country to play in. Each country is an independent simulation - parties in one country don't interact with parties in another.

Available countries include:

  • Avalon - A large parliamentary democracy (65 million population, 650 seats)
  • Marianne - French-inspired political system
  • Columbia - American-style governance
  • Rheinland - German-influenced federation

Choosing Your Country

Pick a country based on which community you want to join. Check each country's activity level and existing parties before deciding. You can create parties in multiple countries if you want!

Creating Your First Party

Once you've selected a country, it's time to create your political party.

1. Basic Information

Give your party:

  • Name - What your party will be called
  • Abbreviation - A short form (e.g., "Democratic Party" → "DP")
  • Color - Your party's identifying color on charts and maps
  • Slogan - A catchy phrase that summarizes your platform
  • Description - Explain your party's vision and goals

2. Define Your Ideology

This is the most important step! You'll set your party's position on 8+ major political issues:

Issue Spectrum
Gender Equality Traditional Roles ↔ Full Equality
Role of Religion Secular State ↔ Religious Governance
Environment Economic Growth ↔ Environmental Protection
Individual Liberty Strong Leadership ↔ Maximum Freedom
Military Diplomatic Solutions ↔ Strong Military
Immigration Border Security ↔ Open Borders
Economy Wealth Redistribution ↔ Free Market
Workers' Rights Business-Friendly ↔ Worker Protections

Choose Carefully

Your ideological positions affect how voters perceive you. Vote consistently with your ideology to maintain credibility, or adjust your positions strategically to appeal to different voter groups.

3. Launch Your Party

Once you've defined your party, you're ready to enter the political arena!

Understanding the Dashboard

Your party dashboard shows:

  • Political Power (PP) - Your resource for actions (you gain 1 PP per game day)
  • Current Seats - Your representation in legislatures
  • Active Proposals - Laws currently being voted on
  • Upcoming Elections - When the next election will occur
  • Recent Activity - Latest game events

Your First Actions

1. Review Active Proposals

Check what laws other parties are proposing. Click on each proposal to:

  • Read the proposed changes
  • See how other parties voted
  • Cast your vote (Yes, No, or Abstain)

Voting Strategy

Every vote shapes your party's legislative record. Voters will judge you based on your voting history, so vote according to your ideology or strategic goals.

2. Check the Current Laws

Visit your country's overview page to see:

  • All current laws and their settings
  • Which parties enacted them
  • Historical changes to laws

This helps you understand what's already been decided and what you might want to change.

3. Build Political Power

You start with some Political Power (PP), but you'll need more to take major actions. PP regenerates at 1 per game day (1 real-world hour) up to a maximum of 120.

PP Costs:

  • Propose new legislation: 30 PP
  • Recruit a character: 10 PP
  • Commission a poll: 10 PP
  • Call early election: 30 PP (or 10 PP for empty legislatures)

4. Wait for Elections

Elections happen on a regular schedule (typically every 4 game years = ~96 real days). Your party will automatically participate based on your voting record and ideological positions.

Next Steps

Once you're comfortable with the basics:

  1. Propose Your First Law - Create legislation to change your country
  2. Recruit Characters - Build your party team with activists
  3. Study the Voters - Understand how electors make decisions
  4. Connect with Other Parties - Send messages and negotiate

Tips for New Players

Starting Strategy

  • Vote consistently with your ideology to build a clear party identity
  • Don't spend all your PP immediately - save some for opportunities
  • Study successful parties in your country to learn what voters want
  • Communicate with other parties - coalition building is key
  • Be patient - electoral success takes time and consistent voting

Game Pace

Remember: 1 real hour = 1 game day. You don't need to be online constantly. Check in once or twice a day to vote and make decisions.

Ready to dive deeper? Continue to Game Concept to understand the core mechanics, or jump to specific topics in the Gameplay section.