5 reasons why Filipinos should play the satire game Party Animals

Party Animals is a misleading name for a game about politics. This part-political-satire and part-strategy game developed by a team of Philippine game developers has you working to win the presidential elections by using different methods. During your election, you will need to take care of fund raising, going on campaigns, making deals, and interacting with voters.

At the moment, there is no mention of the game being based on elections in the Philippines, but as a Filipino, I cannot help but see my country in this game, especially when the elections are just two years away. Politics in Philippines are a mess, and they’re also hard to follow if you’re not truly interested. But you should make an attempt to understand what’s going on, because every citizen has a duty to his or her country when it comes to elections. And so, here’s why I think trying Party Animals is a must for my fellow Filipinos.

1. It’s made by Pinoys

The Party Animals development team didn’t say that the game is based on a specific country’s politics, but the fact that its developers are from the Philippines means that their experience within the country—the government, the economy, the people, the culture—will have influenced this game. In my opinion, it would be something Pinoys would find easier to relate to, compared to something that’s created by a foreigner. It would also be a lot easier to ‘trust’ the game’s ideas, because these people have actually experienced living here, so it saves you from wondering if they know what they’re talking about.

2. It puts you in the shoes of the politicians

You might be asking “Why on earth would I want to be in the shoes of a politician?” It’s so you have an idea of how they think! As I mentioned, the Philippine presidential election is two years away, and if you have been paying attention to elections over the years, you’ll know that politicians will go through extreme lengths to win. I can’t guarantee that you will fully understand a Filipino politician’s mind simply by playing this game, but it will help you to have a vague idea about why some of them think holding more motorcades is better than a holding a debate during campaign period.

3. It makes you take your vote seriously

Since this is a game about winning an election, you have to deal with voters. Wouldn’t it be interesting if you could find a reflection of yourself or someone you know in the game? Are you the one who cares a lot about the rate of crime in the country? Or are you the one who thinks the government should focus on tackling unemployment? Or maybe you’re the district head who asks for favors. Playing the role of a politician may help to zero in on your priorities and help you decide what type of voter you are, which will certainly help you with understanding candidates when election year finally rolls around. .

4. It will help you understand satire