Set between 1992 and 2004 in a fictional post-Soviet European republic, Collapse: A Political Simulator casts the player as the leader of a political party amid devastation and instability. Its premise is not simply to occupy government: power must first be won in a fragile political arena, where opposition is also a possible place to remain and challenge those in office.
The game’s grand-strategy framework centers on seven parties competing for power, with internal conflicts to resolve along the way. If a party takes control, its leader directs the young republic through a turbulent period; from opposition, the player can instead criticize the government. Governing also means choosing domestic and foreign policy, balancing competing groups and world leaders, and confronting economic and political crises without losing support among either the population or state elites.
That combination of party rivalry, coalition-like balancing pressures and national decision-making gives the game a political rather than purely military focus.
