Government Simulator
Released Dec 2017
Government Simulator is a is a simple economic and political simulation game based on real-world data. Take control of a whole country, like the USA, Germany, France, Russia, or Austria. Change laws, taxes and budgets based on real world statistics and data, and see what happens.
47% positive · 189 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
Medium confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
Medium confidence
Where to buy
Steam $4.49 $9.99 −55%
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Evaluation
Government Simulator launched on December 4, 2017 and received a series of feature updates through its first year: version 1.1 (February 2, 2018), 1.2 (April 6, 2018), 1.3 (July 9, 2018), and 1.4 (September 17, 2018). After a nearly four-year gap, the developer returned with version 1.5 on July 4, 2022, describing it as "the first update after a long time" with minor improvements. In September 2022, the developer announced Government Simulator 2 as a separate Steam product, noting they would "merge some of the improvements back into Government Simulator 1, where it makes sense" — but this appears to be a goodwill gesture toward the original game rather than a commitment to a sustained content roadmap.
Since the Government Simulator 2 announcement in September 2022, there have been no further posts or updates to the original game. The announcement of a sequel is a strong signal that the developer's attention and resources have shifted to the new product. The original game has no unreleased DLC, no announced future content, and no post-launch update cadence that suggests more is coming — the most recent feature patch (version 1.5) was the last substantive update, and the last official communication of any kind was the GS2 announcement on September 11, 2022. With no developer activity since September 11, 2022 and the developer's focus clearly on a successor title, Government Simulator 1 is best understood as a complete, finished product.
Evidence
Developer announced Government Simulator 2 as a new, separate Steam product with a modernized engine and new features, noting some improvements may be merged back into GS1. This is the last official communication about the original game.
Version 1.5 released with minor improvements, described by the developer as 'the first update after a long time.' This is the last feature update shipped to the original game.
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Ambiera
Achievements
20
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player
About this game
The game simulates a whole country: Population, debt, GDP, economic growth, unemployment, crime, life expectancy, birth rate, mortality rate, state of the infrastructure and so on. The player can adjust budgets, taxes, laws, and see what the outcome is.
The game is running on real-world data. Meaning everything is based on real values: If you play as the USA, the debt, income, expenditures, crime rate, unemployment rate, etc. you start with is based on the actual, real values of the USA. For example if you lower a tax rate, you'll see what the simulation calculates as new values afterwards, in dollars, people, crimes per 100.000, interest rate, life expectancy in years, and similar.
There are goals to fulfill, like decreasing the crime rate or achieving a certain public health or education rating, but it is already interesting to try to fiddle with the various options alone: What happens if you lower the minimum wage? What if you change the length of maternity leave? Or the retirement age? You can also do more serious changes like introducing censorship laws, compulsory military service, cash bans, or universal basic income.
There are military options, so you can start a war with any country in the world, and adjust its operation mode while the conflict is active. But be sure not to let it run out of control. Some countries for example also have a nuclear option, of course.
The game also includes a media and public relations system, where you can read the most interesting headlines, and try to influence the media with PR stunts, interviews, and similar.
You can play as the USA, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, France, Switzerland, and Austria: These are the countries the simulation was implemented and tested to work nicely. But there are also additional countries and scenarios which can be downloaded. It is also possible to create new countries and scenarios on your own and share them with others.
Real World Data
The game is running on real-world data. Meaning everything is based on real values: If you play as the USA, the debt, income, expenditures, crime rate, unemployment rate, etc. you start with is based on the actual, real values of the USA. For example if you lower a tax rate, you'll see what the simulation calculates as new values afterwards, in dollars, people, crimes per 100.000, interest rate, life expectancy in years, and similar.
Gameplay
There are goals to fulfill, like decreasing the crime rate or achieving a certain public health or education rating, but it is already interesting to try to fiddle with the various options alone: What happens if you lower the minimum wage? What if you change the length of maternity leave? Or the retirement age? You can also do more serious changes like introducing censorship laws, compulsory military service, cash bans, or universal basic income.
There are military options, so you can start a war with any country in the world, and adjust its operation mode while the conflict is active. But be sure not to let it run out of control. Some countries for example also have a nuclear option, of course.
The game also includes a media and public relations system, where you can read the most interesting headlines, and try to influence the media with PR stunts, interviews, and similar.
Countries
You can play as the USA, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, France, Switzerland, and Austria: These are the countries the simulation was implemented and tested to work nicely. But there are also additional countries and scenarios which can be downloaded. It is also possible to create new countries and scenarios on your own and share them with others.
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 27, 2026
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