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Top 10 Games for Liberals

Top 10 Games for Liberals

From a time-management sim about fast food production practices to a gaming protest against British police tactics, these are the games every self-respecting liberal simply has to play.

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Published by Alex Kearns on 21st January 2011

Can games be political? Do conservatives/Republicans and their ilk prefer some types of game - Deer Hunter, for example - and liberals/Democrats others? To be honest, I don't know the answer. But I thought it would be fun to compile a list of free online games with a political edge. We have started with this collection of games we thought would appeal to liberals but over the coming weeks we will also be publishing lists of games for conservatives and socialists.

We should point out, before our inbox is deluged with angry messages, that this is a very tongue in cheek article. We have purposely painted liberals in the most extreme way we could, hopefully for comedic effect, and will treat conservatives and socialists similarly harshly when we come to them. Anyway, regardless of your political affiliations, these games are great fun, so go enjoy.

1 McDonald's Videogame

There is nothing liberals hate more than fast food. If it is not organic, ethically sourced and at least twice the price of what the plebs eat, then it is not worthy of ingestion. And any company that flogs cheap industrially-made food to the masses is particularly deserving of liberal ire, especially when it is McDonald's.

For some reason that I can't quite fathom, McDonald's enrages liberals like no other company. I think it might have something to do with their favourite journalist feeling a tad peaky after over-indulging on McDonald's fare and then making a film about it.

This interesting time-management game by Molle Industria - which highlights some of McDonald's odd production practices - will strengthen liberals' hatred of the fast food giant still further. Play it here.

2 Hemp Tycoon

Liberals tend to be much more relaxed about drug use than conservatives. Their hero - American president Barack Obama - even admitted that he once inhaled on a joint (now he prefers high office to getting high, thankfully).

So while liberals might disapprove of some of the more overtly commercial practices pursued by the protagonist in this fun game, they certainly would not be adverse to trying out some of his ware. Get your fix of Hemp Tycoon here.

3 Third World Farmer

When they are not worrying about which over-priced brand of organic breakfast cereal to eat, liberals are suffering fits of guilt over the plight of impoverished Africans.

Not that they would actually buy any food from African subsistence farmers, of course - “think of the air miles, my dear, and anyway they're all corrupt over there so the money would probably be spent on arms and female circumcision".

Instead, liberals like to donate a few pennies each month to a charity that sponsors an African goat. I am sure the goat would come in very handy for the protagonists in Third World Farmer, a strategy game where you have to help lift a third world farming family out of poverty. The game can be played here.

4 Faith Fighter

Although liberals will always espouse religious tolerance in public (except when it comes to Zionism and the religious right in the US), they secretly hate all religions, yearning for a world in which silly mystical stories about bearded men are replaced with the comforting logic of science.

Their dislike of religions stems to a great extent from their belief that religions foment wars and strife. And, it has to said, they have a certain amount of evidence to back up this view.

This game - another brilliancy from Molle Industria - succinctly sums up the liberal stance on religion: you play the boss of one of the six great religions and, in Street Fighter-style game-play, beat the living daylights out of rival religious figureheads. Play Faith Fighter here.

5 Sock and Awe

Don't, whatever you do, mention the name of former US president George W Bush (whoops, I've just ignored my own warning) in the presence of liberals. They will fly into an irrational and dangerous rage and probably never talk to you again.

Instead, simply direct them to the web address of this game. Here, they can release all their pent-up Bush hatred in a secure environment where no-one can get hurt, except the effigy of Bush in the game, of course.

The aim of the game - inspired by the antics of Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi - is to hit bush in the face with a shoe. A nice touch is the cowering figure of Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki. Sock and Awe can be played here.

6 Kettle

Nothing is more likely to arouse a liberal's indignation than police brutality against nice middle class people. Just witness the huge support for the Iranian protesters a few months back and the sympathy recently lavished on the student activists in the UK.

The latter protest brought to liberals' attention a new public control technique used by the British police. Nicknamed ‘kettle', it involves surrounding a group of protesters with a wall of armed police and preventing them from moving anywhere.

Kettling - which is the theme of this innovative game by Increpare (play here) - is undoubtedly an unfair and immoral practice but one can't help but wonder if liberals would be so condemnatory of it if those being kettled were right wingers calling for tougher immigration laws, rather than nice middle class kids whinging about having to pay for their education.

7 Climate Challenge

Although global warming is ultimately a non-partisan issue (it will effect both liberals and conservatives alike, and even anarchists won't be entirely immune to its consequences), there is little doubt that liberals have taken up the global warming flag with much more enthusiasm than other political groups.

Indeed, if the amount of coverage given to the issue in liberal-leaning newspapers like The Guardian and The New York Times is anything to go by, it has become something of an obsession. Barely a day passes without yet another strident article demanding that we accept lower living standards in the name of saving the planet.

Liberals will therefore likely enjoy this little gaming number, Climate Challenge, where they get to play the president of the United Nations and tell countries what they should be doing to stave off catastrophic climate change. Oh and the game is from that famously liberal institution, the BBC. What fun. Climate Challenge can be played here.

8 Airport Security

To their credit, liberals have been among the first to condemn the draconian laws that were rushed through in western countries following the 9/11 attacks in the US. Ostensibly created to protect against terrorism, these laws have turned into a major attack on individual freedom.

Liberals however have been noticeably quieter on the ludicrously intrusive measures people have to go through in order to fly to another country. One can't help but think that this is because liberals secretly wish that the dirty masses flew a little less. “Think of the carbon emissions we are saving by putting people off flying, and anyway they're probably only on a stag do to Prague, so the harder we make it for them to fly, the better".

In this game, Airport Security, you play an airport security guard and are tasked with confiscating banned items from passengers. The catch is that - just like in real life - the items that are banned are constantly changing. Play Airport Security here.

9 Queer Power

One thing all liberals (and, to be fair, many conservatives too) agree on these days is that sexuality does not matter. If you fancy people of a different sex, that is cool. If you desire people of the same sex, that is great also. And if you used to lust after people of a different sex, but now have the hots for people of the same sex, that is fine as well (probably best to keep quiet about your ardour for goats, mind you - liberal sexual tolerance does have its limits).

Given their relaxed views on sexuality, this game - which explores a world where people's proclivities are ever changing - should be right up liberals' street. Warning: if you are easily offended or below the age of 18, do not play this game. Play Queer Power here.

10 Oligarchy

If the oil industry's reputation among liberals was not already at rock bottom, it certainly was after the recent Deepwater oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The disaster caused huge environmental damage and seemed to prove what liberals had been saying for years: oil companies do not care about people or the environment and are only interested in extracting the maximum return.

One might argue that if it wasn't for the oil industry, and the great economic and technological advances it has spawned, we probably would not live in a modern world able to support oil-hating liberals.

But liberals are not interested in such arguments: they simply want to feel very upset and angry. This game - which paints the oil industry in a very dark light - will help them feel that way. Play Oligarchy here.


Can you think of any other games that liberals might like? And while we're at it, are there any games you know that would appeal to conservatives or socialists?


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Published by John on 19th May 2013
I'm on the other side to @notasmused. I thought this piece was fantastically humorous ... and a bit true.
Published by notamused on 9th March 2012
Not only was your commentary rude and not particularly funny the list is lazy, most of the games are from the same website.
Published by John on 3rd February 2012
I couldnt agree more Kristen, I found this very rude and fully unfunny as most of it is false and is just poking fun at liberals for their ideals. Aslex how did she say you werent allowed to?? Just as a liberal I found this very rude. As many many many tea baggers found 'tea party zombies must die' rude. Do what you please I could really careless, but Im just saying this is rude, and ignorant especially the first one about McDonnalds if you dont know why we hate McDonnalds then your ignorant period.
Published by Alex Kearns on 18th April 2011
Kristen. Why, out of all the groups of people in the world, are we not allowed to take the mickey out of liberals (especially when many so-called liberal comics have made a career out of mocking prominent conservatives). With regards, removing and editing controversial stuff, each to their own - I prefer to give people the opportunity to judge it for themselves rather than censor it. Btw, I am actually a liberal in that I believe in the classic liberal values of freedom of expression and liberty, rather than calling for any idea or expression I disagree with to be removed from the web. Seriously, what ever happened to the liberal love of a good open-minded debate.
Published by Kristen on 14th April 2011
This was just pretty rude and unfunny. Make fun of a political party that is extreme; most liberals aren't. I'm not crying intolerance, I just find it very rude. Also, the way you responded to people saying it was rude or whatever was just in poor taste. Apologize, and edit it. Don't say you were trying to be entertaining; obviously it didn't work and you saying that it did will not help it. I run a blog on pop culture, and when my readers find something offensive enough to comment about, I remove or edit it, I don't leave it up with a devil may care attitude. Poor job. I'll be finding casual games on my own now, of course, after I go donate five cents to African goats and rant about how atheism is the best way and how Obama is Jesus. Good day.
Published by Alex Kearns on 9th April 2011
Kay. I repeat the question I asked of a previous poster. What part of the article is intolerant? If you want to see true intolerance, turn on your TV and see what is going on in Syria or Bahrain. I think a lot of people nowadays make a habit of feeling offended because it gives them a false sense of moral superiority. Behind this heightened sensitivity lies a censorious desire to shut up any opinions with which they disagree, even if those opinions are nothing more than flippant, ironic remarks in a piece of satire about gaming. It is the same "how dare you publish that - it offends me" logic that islamic extremists use to justify attacks on political cartoonists.
Published by Kay on 21st March 2011
"middle class kids whinging about having to pay for their education." That seriously offends me. I come from a working class background so capped fees and student loans were my only chance to fulfil my dreams and really go somewhere with my life. I don't care if this was intented to be funny, it came off as rude and intolerant.
Published by Alex Kearns on 17th February 2011
@John What part of the article is intolerant? Poking fun at something is not the same as being intolerant of it, surely. @Martha - the article may have annoyed some but others enjoyed it - see the 33 likes. Just because you didn't like it, does not mean that others should not have the opportunity to enjoy or hate it.
Published by John on 17th February 2011
This did seem to piss off a lot of people. Whether or not it was intended in a derogatory way or not is not the issue, why piss off some of your fans? Also freedom of speech dosn't mean freedom to be intolerant of others views, which this article comes across as...
Published by martha on 16th February 2011
Actually I would not call myself a liberal. I just thought that seeing as this article has upset some of your readers you would have the decency to edit it or take it down.
Published by Alex Kearns on 15th February 2011
Martha. I presume you consider yourself a liberal. So you probably believe in key liberal tenets such as freedom of expression. So why I ask are you calling for this article to be taken down, to be censored? Does not sound very liberal to me. But, then, a lot of people who call themselves liberals nowadays are not actually very liberal.
Published by martha on 13th February 2011
why has this article not been removed yet?
Published by Annonymous on 2nd February 2011
Uh, this could have been done in a funny way, but this just comes off as hateful and ignorant.
Published by Him on 1st February 2011
I am liberal. I thought this was pretty hilarious. Though some of the commentary was just a bit dry.
Published by molleindustria on 28th January 2011
Note: we are not liberals.
Published by Angel on 25th January 2011
WEAK WEAK WEAK commentary. Yup, you got us good just now. Looks like we're just a bunch of Bill Maher drones who waste our time worrying about people who are starving in Africa, about the negative effects of eating fast food, and arguing against theocracy instead of the all time "realistic" and "common sense" goal of making lots of money. If this was tongue in cheek, it was bad. It just came off as bitter and unfunny.
Published by Casual Girl Gamer on 24th January 2011
I leave you in charge of the blog for a couple of days and what happens? You go and upset all our readers. We'll be having words.
Published by Alex Kearns on 24th January 2011
My little experiment in mixing gaming and political satire seems to have gone down, err... disappointingly badly (Please don't tell Tasha. She'll be awfully angry). But before you rush away, insulted and committed never to return, bear this in mind: us bloggers have a duty to experiment with subjects and formats. Sometimes our experiments are loved (as in our lists of games that make you think about life, the only such lists you will find on the web). Other times, perhaps as in this case, they miss the mark but that is a risk we run attempting something new. Whatever your views on this article, don't doubt our motives: we just want to amuse and entertain you. Oh, and bring you the best games that we can find.
Published by martha on 24th January 2011
i realise the article was intended as tongue in cheek, however this desired comedic effect only works with the extreme stereotyping and not with the mockery and devaluing of political issues and values. This article went too far and although it may not have been intended maliciously that is how it came across.
Published by PFL on 24th January 2011
Woww, not cool.... looks like you bitched out in the post. I am following suit and not coming back. Ciao
Published by Annonymous on 24th January 2011
"rather than nice middle class kids whinging about having to pay for their education" This comment is unecessary and derogatory of students fighting for their right for higher education for the poor as well as the rich. Choose your words better next time. After these comments I will not be returning to this site.
Published by martha on 24th January 2011
why put up a list of liberal games just to insult their idealogy and stereotype them in a negative way?

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