The Political Machine 2016
Released Feb 2016 · delisted
Run for President of the United States as one of dozens of past or present presidential candidates or create your own ideal candidate. Give speeches, go on talk shows, hire unsavory operatives, and do whatever it takes to win on election day.
75% positive · 706 reviews
Not yet
Removed from storefront
High confidence
Not yet
Removed from storefront
High confidence
Where to buy
Steam
Can't confirm — worth a look
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Evaluation
The Political Machine 2016 is no longer available for purchase on Steam — the store listing shows no active purchase options. The game launched on February 4, 2016 and received several updates throughout 2016, including a Campaign DLC (July 19, 2016) adding Ladder Mode and historical candidates, and a series of feature patches bringing new candidates, issues, and events tied to the real 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle. The last recorded developer communication was on October 6, 2016, when patch v1.31 was released with debate-themed content. No developer posts or updates have appeared since that date. Given that the game was thematically tied to the 2016 election cycle and has since been removed from sale, it has been delisted from the storefront.
Evidence
No purchase options are available for this game — it cannot currently be bought on Steam.
Patch v1.31 released with issue and event updates tied to the 2016 presidential debates. This is the last recorded developer communication.
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Stardock Entertainment
Achievements
24
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Not rated
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · PvP
About this game
Let the campaign begin!
Your goal: Win the hearts and minds of America’s voters to achieve victory in the 2016 presidential election. Play as one of more than a dozen candidates such as Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and more!
Think you can do better than the other candidates? Create your own candidate from scratch and show the rest of those windbags how to make a real run for the White House. Take to the campaign trail and try to out talk, outsmart, and out spend your opponents!
The Political Machine 2016 features updated relevant political topics from across the 2016 presidential campaign. Dozens of national issues including the Keystone XL Pipeline, human trafficking, and the Iran Nuclear Deal have been added, with more updates on the way as the season continues. Regional issues require the candidate to walk a fine line between appealing to the widest range of voters or appearing to “flip flop.”
Gaining favor from your voters by interviewing on talk shows might grant you some sympathy, but not everything can be swept under the rug forever. You must always be on the lookout for career-ending scandals like a torrid affair, natural disaster, or an unsavory email trail. They can pop up at any time and change the course of the campaign -- which can put you down in the polls!
Do you think you have what it takes? Take to the campaign trail and show the nation why you should be the next President of the United States of America!
Your goal: Win the hearts and minds of America’s voters to achieve victory in the 2016 presidential election. Play as one of more than a dozen candidates such as Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and more!
Think you can do better than the other candidates? Create your own candidate from scratch and show the rest of those windbags how to make a real run for the White House. Take to the campaign trail and try to out talk, outsmart, and out spend your opponents!
The Political Machine 2016 features updated relevant political topics from across the 2016 presidential campaign. Dozens of national issues including the Keystone XL Pipeline, human trafficking, and the Iran Nuclear Deal have been added, with more updates on the way as the season continues. Regional issues require the candidate to walk a fine line between appealing to the widest range of voters or appearing to “flip flop.”
Gaining favor from your voters by interviewing on talk shows might grant you some sympathy, but not everything can be swept under the rug forever. You must always be on the lookout for career-ending scandals like a torrid affair, natural disaster, or an unsavory email trail. They can pop up at any time and change the course of the campaign -- which can put you down in the polls!
Do you think you have what it takes? Take to the campaign trail and show the nation why you should be the next President of the United States of America!
Core Features
- Time for some Mudslinging! - Use your power and money to purchase ads to discredit your opponent and influence voters.
- Dozens of Candidates - Play as one of several pre-made past and present candidates like Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, and more.
- Turn Friends into ‘Frenemies’ - Challenge a friend for the presidency in multiplayer mode.
- Create a Candidate - Not a fan of the candidates? Create your own custom front runner and race for the White House.
- Out-talk, Out-smart, and Out-spend your opponents - Gain favor with the public by interviewing on talk shows, navigate disastrous random events, and buy advertisements to gain an advantage over your adversary.
- Practice your Politics - A sophisticated underlying simulation model uses census data and real issues to test your political savvy.
- Be Ready for Anything - Torrid affairs, natural disasters, email scandals, and other random events can come out of nowhere and change the direction of the campaign for better or worse.
- Check your Standings - With poll tracking and leaderboards, you can see how well people are playing as their candidates or what issues they are supporting over time.
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jul 30, 2026
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