Generating Preview ...
Generating Preview ...
Positech Games, the independent developer behind beloved strategy titles like *Gratuitous Space Battles* and *Democracy*, has a distinct knack for creating deep, engaging experiences that resonate with a dedicated fanbase. From intricate economic simulations to grand interstellar conflicts, Cliff Harris's creations offer a unique blend of accessible gameplay and surprising complexity. This poll celebrates the diverse catalog of Positech, inviting everyone to weigh in on which of their finely crafted worlds has captured their strategic minds the most. Now it's your turn to shape the narrative! We want to hear from you, the players who have invested countless hours in optimizing fleets, managing nations, and navigating the challenges laid out by Positech Games. Cast your vote for your absolute favorite titles and share your reasoning. Let's see which Positech masterpieces rise to the top and discover the collective gaming passion of this incredible community!
Gratuitous Space Battles 2 (2015) embodies the Positech Games philosophy by delivering a deeply engaging, uniquely Positech-style simulation experience. It's not about twitch reflexes or real-time battlefield micromanagement, but rather about the grand strategy of fleet design and deployment. Players are elevated to the role of supreme commander, meticulously crafting every aspect of their starships – from the strategic placement of purple rotating radars and sixty-four engines to the visual flair of beams ten times as "beamy" and explosions ten times as gratuitous. The game's "Gratuitous Engine" is a testament to Positech's commitment to pushing the boundaries of their in-house technology, offering a visual spectacle where every ship is a unique creation and every battle a meticulously orchestrated dance of destruction. This sequel refines the core asynchronous multiplayer gameplay that Positech excels at, allowing players to upload their custom fleets and designs for others to challenge. This iterative, community-driven approach to content and competition is a hallmark of Positech's best titles. With its focus on creative freedom in ship design, the exhilarating, hands-off spectacle of massive fleet engagements, and the clever implementation of emergent gameplay through component interaction and formation persistence, Gratuitous Space Battles 2 is a quintessential Positech Games offering. It appeals to players who appreciate depth, creativity, and a healthy dose of playful excess, demonstrating why Positech continues to stand out in the indie game landscape.
Vote items to sort list. Click to browse.
Democracy 3 (2013) throws you into the hot seat, letting you step into the shoes of a president or prime minister. Convinced you can steer the ship of state better than the current crop of leaders? This is your chance to prove it. Tackle pressing issues like crime, unemployment, national debt, terrorism, and climate change by implementing laws and policies. The game uniquely simulates a virtual country by modeling the motivations, loyalties, and desires of every individual voter. A custom-designed neural network drives this sophisticated simulation, allowing for individual voters with varying affiliations to political parties and pressure groups, their income, complacency, and cynicism. The result is the most complex political strategy game ever created, offering an unparalleled depth of simulation for those who believe they have the answers. Despite its immense underlying detail, Democracy 3 boasts a remarkably intuitive and iconic user interface. This design makes visualizing the intricate web of connections between your laws, policies, the diverse voter base, and the resulting situations incredibly easy. You can effortlessly "drill-down" through the relationships, understanding how a trade policy might ripple through GDP, unemployment, poverty, and even crime, ultimately impacting tourism and circling back to GDP. The simulation of voters is equally complex; each is a nuanced blend of up to 21 different voter groups, capable of being a "young, wealthy, liberal socialist commuter" or a "retired conservative religious capitalist," with their group allegiances fluid and potentially influenced by your long-term policies. Furthermore, the game's robust mod support, requiring no coding experience, and its single-developer pedigree from indie veteran Cliff Harris solidify its place as a standout title within Positech Games' catalog, showcasing their commitment to deep, simulation-driven gameplay.
Democracy 4 (2022) stands as the pinnacle of political simulation, offering an unparalleled sandbox for aspiring leaders. Step into the shoes of a President or Prime Minister and wield the power to shape your nation. From crafting intricate policies and enacting groundbreaking laws to managing the delicate balance of popularity required for re-election, every decision carries weight. Powered by a sophisticated neural network that meticulously models the diverse opinions, beliefs, and biases of thousands of virtual citizens, Democracy 4 delivers a profoundly realistic simulation. Its revamped vector-graphics engine provides a clean, adaptable interface, while an array of new features, including dynamic media reports, coalition governments, emergency powers, and a robust three-party system, elevate the gameplay. Dive deep into modern economic challenges like inflation and corruption, and explore contemporary policy debates surrounding universal basic income, transgender rights, and more. This iteration builds upon the series' legacy, presenting players with the ultimate tool to test their political philosophies without judgment. Whether you envision a libertarian utopia with minimal government intervention or a socialist state prioritizing public services, Democracy 4 allows you to implement and experience the probable consequences. The game's commitment to unbiased modeling ensures that it serves as a strategic challenge, not a political manifesto. With extensive modding support, including Steam Workshop integration, the game is infinitely expandable, allowing you to fine-tune its mechanics or share your own insights. Ultimately, Democracy 4 transcends the simple pursuit of electoral victory, challenging you to create a nation you can genuinely be proud of, making it a quintessential entry in Positech Games' distinguished portfolio.
**Production Line: Car Factory Simulation (2019)** plunges you into the intricate world of automotive manufacturing, challenging your organizational prowess and entrepreneurial spirit. Experience the idealized "just-in-time" efficiency of a modern car factory, where robots perform a ballet of precision and components flow seamlessly. However, theory rarely matches practice. You'll start with a basic factory, struggling to turn a profit on bespoke orders, and must evolve into a mass-market titan. To conquer multinational competition, you'll need meticulous planning, foresight into future technology, a keen eye on your finances, and an unparalleled ability to optimize every square meter of your factory floor, driving down production costs to an absolute minimum. Developed by Positech Games, known for their unique approach to strategy and simulation titles like "Democracy" and "Gratuitous Space Battles," **Production Line** appeals directly to the inner efficiency expert and ambitious entrepreneur. This game celebrates the subdivision of labor and the power of specialized machinery. As you progress, you'll research advanced production methods, allowing you to break down complex tasks into smaller, faster, and more efficient production areas, ensuring a constant flow of vehicles. Simultaneously, your product design teams will be integrating cutting-edge technologies to enhance your cars, from automatic headlights to voice recognition. It's a dual race: one for peak productivity and another for ultimate profitability. **Production Line** rightfully earns its place among the best Positech Games by offering a deeply engaging simulation that rewards strategic thinking, meticulous planning, and the satisfaction of building a complex, efficient system from the ground up.
Gratuitous Space Battles (2009) is a unique take on the sci-fi strategy genre that throws out traditional resource management and real-time control in favor of grand, unadulterated fleet combat. Players step into the role of a supreme space admiral, tasked not with piloting individual ships, but with the intricate design of each vessel and the strategic composition of their entire fleet. Before the battle even begins, you issue orders and formations, setting your colossal armada on a collision course with the enemy. Success hinges on careful planning and the meticulous balancing of defensive systems against offensive firepower, transforming each engagement into a cerebral puzzle of ship design and big-picture strategy rather than a twitch-based reaction test. This title exemplifies Positech Games' signature approach of focusing on innovative mechanics and providing deep, engaging gameplay loops. Gratuitous Space Battles stands out on their list for its bold departure from RTS conventions, offering a fresh and addictive experience. The core loop of designing ships, assembling fleets, and then observing the pre-programmed outcomes of epic battles is incredibly satisfying. Furthermore, the innovative multiplayer challenge system, where players can upload their custom fleets to act as AI opponents for others, ensures endless replayability and a constant stream of cunningly designed adversaries. With its over 40 ship hulls, 120+ modules, and diverse game modes ranging from AI skirmishes to endless survival and the online challenge, Gratuitous Space Battles solidifies Positech Games' reputation for creating thoughtful and endlessly replayable strategy titles.
Democracy 3: Africa invites you to step into the shoes of a president or prime minister and prove you can do a better job running a nation. This standalone expansion of the acclaimed political strategy game, Democracy 3, places you at the helm of diverse African countries. Your challenge is to maintain power while tackling complex societal issues, improving the lives of your citizens, and guiding your nation towards prosperity. Featuring a unique icon-driven interface and a proprietary neural network, the game simulates intricate political and economic interactions, forcing you to balance the demands of voters, policies, and emergent situations. With its focus on real-world challenges like foreign aid, malnutrition, and access to clean water, Democracy 3: Africa offers a unique and engaging experience. Democracy 3: Africa stands as a prime example of Positech Games' commitment to creating deep, thought-provoking strategy simulations. It builds upon the successful foundation of the original Democracy 3, demonstrating the studio's ability to iterate and adapt their core mechanics to new and compelling settings. The expansion's dedication to simulating the specific socio-economic realities of African nations, including unique events, artwork, and music, highlights Positech's attention to detail and their knack for exploring underrepresented themes in gaming. This willingness to create nuanced and challenging political simulators, like Democracy 3: Africa, firmly solidifies Positech Games' reputation for delivering intellectually stimulating and replayable strategy experiences.
Gratuitous Space Battles 2 (2015) embodies the Positech Games philosophy by delivering a deeply engaging, uniquely Positech-style simulation experience. It's not about twitch reflexes or real-time battlefield micromanagement, but rather about the grand strategy of fleet design and deployment. Players are elevated to the role of supreme commander, meticulously crafting every aspect of their starships – from the strategic placement of purple rotating radars and sixty-four engines to the visual flair of beams ten times as "beamy" and explosions ten times as gratuitous. The game's "Gratuitous Engine" is a testament to Positech's commitment to pushing the boundaries of their in-house technology, offering a visual spectacle where every ship is a unique creation and every battle a meticulously orchestrated dance of destruction. This sequel refines the core asynchronous multiplayer gameplay that Positech excels at, allowing players to upload their custom fleets and designs for others to challenge. This iterative, community-driven approach to content and competition is a hallmark of Positech's best titles. With its focus on creative freedom in ship design, the exhilarating, hands-off spectacle of massive fleet engagements, and the clever implementation of emergent gameplay through component interaction and formation persistence, Gratuitous Space Battles 2 is a quintessential Positech Games offering. It appeals to players who appreciate depth, creativity, and a healthy dose of playful excess, demonstrating why Positech continues to stand out in the indie game landscape.
Democracy 2 (2012) stands as a monumental achievement in political simulation, offering players the unparalleled opportunity to step into the shoes of a nation's leader. This deeply complex yet accessible game masterfully simulates the intricate web of motivations, loyalties, and desires that drive a populace. As president or prime minister, you'll grapple with the fundamental challenge of balancing the nation's fiscal health against the ever-present demands of your citizens. Will you strive for an eco-conscious utopia, a robust capitalist engine, or perhaps find yourself navigating the conflicting currents of patriots, liberals, and religious factions? The game presents a rich tapestry of real-world political dilemmas, from managing crime rates without sacrificing civil liberties to maintaining delicate diplomatic relations with other global powers. Its innovative interface allows for intuitive understanding of complex interdependencies, while the turn-based gameplay fosters thoughtful strategic planning. The signature policy sliders offer precise control over every facet of governance, from taxation and education to workers' rights, making it both easy to learn and incredibly challenging to master. Democracy 2 undoubtedly deserves its place among Positech Games' best offerings due to its commitment to depth and thoughtful design, a hallmark of the studio. Positech Games is renowned for creating intelligent, niche simulations that cater to a specific, dedicated audience, and Democracy 2 is the quintessential example. It doesn't shy away from the complexities of politics, instead embracing them to provide a uniquely rewarding experience. The game's ability to simulate a vast spectrum of political ideologies and policy choices, from controversial social issues to economic strategies, ensures immense replayability and appeals to a wide range of players who appreciate intellectual engagement over traditional action. Democracy 2 embodies Positech's philosophy of empowering players with intricate systems and allowing them to forge their own paths, test their ideologies, and experience the profound challenges of leading a nation.
Gratuitous Tank Battles (GTB) stands as a compelling testament to Positech Games' unique design philosophy, blending genres in unexpected and engaging ways. This title masterfully fuses tower defense, real-time strategy, simulation, and an alternate history narrative where World War I rages on for centuries, bringing advanced mechs and lasers into the fray alongside traditional warfare. What truly sets GTB apart, and firmly anchors it as a highlight in Positech's catalog, is its groundbreaking approach to gameplay. Players aren't confined to passive defense; they can actively launch assaults on any map, even saving their attack replays to then face them as a defender. Furthermore, the game empowers unparalleled customization, allowing players to construct their units from individual components, design their aesthetics, and unlock new modules and abilities as they progress. This deep level of control, coupled with an integrated map editor and a robust online sharing system for custom maps and challenges, fosters an incredibly creative and replayable experience, a hallmark of Positech's best work. GTB's inclusion in a list of Positech Games' finest is further solidified by its commitment to player-driven content and emergent gameplay. The ability to design entirely bespoke armies and then pit them against friends or the community through its online challenge system cultivates a thriving, player-shaped meta. The adaptive AI ensures that even veteran commanders will find new challenges, while the accessible yet powerful map editor makes tinkering and creation a core, integrated part of the experience. This emphasis on providing players with tools to craft their own fun, rather than solely dictating it, is a defining characteristic of Positech's development approach, evident in titles like the *Gratuitous Space Battles* series and *Democracy*. GTB, with its ambitious scope, deep customization, and player-centric design, perfectly encapsulates what makes Positech Games a standout developer, offering hundreds of years of strategic warfare and creative expression within a single, enduring package.
**Kudos 2 (2023)** is a highly original turn-based life simulation that challenges players to navigate the pivotal decade between ages 20 and 30. You meticulously manage a single character's life, from their friendships and career path to how they spend their precious free time. The core mechanic, however, lies in its stark simplicity: you can only choose *one* activity per day, or two on weekends. This constraint transforms Kudos 2 into a game of deeply engaging, and at times agonizing, choices. Will you prioritize your demanding job over a friend's invitation, or sacrifice career advancement for social connection? Every decision matters, shaping your character's personality, social standing, financial security, and even their overall happiness. The game boasts a unique artistic style, featuring the legendary comic art of Jamie McKelvie, ensuring that each playthrough is a visually distinct and memorable experience. Kudos 2 truly embodies what makes Positech Games stand out. Unlike the fast-paced action of many games, Positech excels at creating thoughtful, deep simulations that reward careful consideration and strategic planning. Kudos 2 fits this mold perfectly, offering a "game for people who love life simulation games, but want something new." It provides a grounded, relatable experience that, while distinct from the open-ended nature of *The Sims*, offers a similarly compelling journey of personal development and consequence. The game's emphasis on meaningful choices, its unique mechanics, and its commitment to a refreshing aesthetic firmly plant Kudos 2 as a prime example of Positech Games' dedication to innovative and intellectually stimulating gameplay.
Gratuitous Space Shooty Game (2024) is a wonderfully uncomplicated homage to classic arcade shooters, brought to you by the talented developer behind Gratuitous Space Battles. This title embraces its hobby project origins, charmingly re-using the distinctive art assets from its predecessor to create a vibrant, if somewhat familiar, cosmic battlefield. The gameplay is elegantly simple: left and right arrow keys pilot your lone starfighter, while the spacebar unleashes a barrage of laser fire. You'll face relentless, yet predictably patterned, waves of alien adversaries. Success hinges entirely on your piloting prowess and strategic upgrades, as you'll need to master dodging, weaving, and precise targeting to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Keep an eye out for valuable bonuses, and be mindful of stray alien craft – they'll cost you dearly in end-of-level reparations! This game absolutely belongs on a list of Positech Games' best for several key reasons. Firstly, it exemplifies Positech's unique development philosophy: a focus on player engagement, accessible mechanics, and a distinct artistic identity, even when re-purposing assets. Secondly, it showcases the developer's playful and experimental spirit, offering a pure, unadulterated shooty experience without the complex strategic layers of their more involved titles. The satisfaction of mastering a simple, yet challenging, arcade loop, combined with the familiar Positech charm and a budget-friendly price point (given its hobbyist nature and reused art), makes it a perfect fit for fans who appreciate the developer's characteristic blend of depth and delightful simplicity.
Submit to make your vote count.