This update focuses on gameplay improvements, stronger AI, and lots of bug fixes. Campaigns should now feel more dynamic, challenging, and realistic.

🎤 Rally Minigame Now Matters

Campaign rallies now directly affect state polling.

If you perform well in the rally minigame, the crowd response will translate into a real polling boost in that state. A great rally can now visibly shift the race.

🎮 Minigames Improved

All campaign minigames have been redesigned to be more strategic.

Your choices now show demographic impacts like:

• Urban

• Rural

• Suburban

• Youth

• Seniors

No answer is perfect — energising one group might cost you support with another.

🗳 More Realistic Electoral Map

The electoral vote projection system now works more like real TV election coverage.

• Early in the campaign, only very safe states are projected.

• Battleground states stay uncalled until later.

• Projections expand week by week as the race develops.

This means campaigns start with far fewer guaranteed electoral votes, making the race more suspenseful.

🤖 Stronger AI Opponents

The AI campaign has been improved across the board.

• Opponents run more aggressive campaigns

• Fundraising and attacks are stronger

• Hard difficulty is significantly more challenging

On higher difficulty, your opponent may even take extra campaign actions per turn.

⚖ Difficulty Now Has Bigger Effects

Difficulty settings now impact multiple systems:

Easy

• Weaker AI

• Lower scandal risk

• Stronger minigame bonuses

Hard

• Stronger AI

• More damaging attacks

• More frequent scandals

• Smaller minigame bonuses

Even Normal difficulty should now feel competitive.

🗺 Map Balance Changes

Some states that were flipping too easily have been adjusted, including:

• Florida

• Texas

• Ohio

• Iowa

• South Carolina

• Alaska

These states should now behave more realistically.

📺 Election Night Improvements

Election night now has several upgrades:

• Anchors now call control of Congress during the broadcast

• Close projections may be retracted later if new results come in

• The final results screen now appears more cleanly at the end of the night

📰 News & UI Fixes

The dynamic news system has been rewritten to prevent weird headlines or repeated names.

Other fixes include:

• Tutorial spotlight positioning

• Rally state-selection bug

• Improved intro newspaper variety

• Cleaner map colours

• Various UI adjustments

🔧 Behind the Scenes

The game’s codebase has been reorganised into multiple files to make future updates easier and faster to develop.

More updates are already in progress. Thanks to everyone who has been playing and giving feedback!

Thanks for the feedback, ill increase it in the next update

Playable Link:
https://dackers-studios.itch.io/potus-2024

Youtube gameplay link: https://youtu.be/AAJBMMshrWU?si=fMiqViCjCl8fCYWr

Platform:
Web (HTML5 / Browser)

POTUS has officially transitioned from Alpha into Beta, and this update is the biggest structural improvement the game has had so far.

This patch focuses on realism, transparency, and unpredictability — without making the game feel unfair.

🔧 What’s New in BETA

🗺 Primary Map Overhaul
State colours now scale properly with lead strength. Dominant leads look dominant. Tight races look tight. No more “everything looks the same” opacity bug.

🏛 Contested Conventions Fixed Delegate share, raw lead margins, and endorsements now actually matter. If you enter the convention with a commanding lead, you’ll almost always win. The result screen now explains why you won or lost.

📊 Polling Uncertainty System States now have hidden polling error based on volatility. A +3 lead might actually be -2 on election night. Battlegrounds show margins as +3 ±4, and true toss-ups are flagged properly.

You can run a perfect campaign and still lose Florida. That’s intentional.

📈 Win Probability Meter (Both Phases)
There’s now a Monte Carlo “Chance of Victory” meter during primaries and the general election.

• Primary odds simulate delegate outcomes
• General election runs 300 EV simulations using state volatility

It gives projection breakdowns without cluttering the UI.

🗳 Full Election Night Experience in the Simulator The Quick Election Simulator now launches the real Election Night broadcast screen with live state calls, EV counters, popups, and ticker.

There are now 8 preset electoral climates, including:

• Democratic Wave
• Republican Wave
• 2008-style Surge
• 2016-style Upset
• Economic Crisis
• Volatile Chaos

Each preset changes environment shift, volatility, and turnout.

🤖 Smarter AI & Dynamic Media

• AI archetypes (Populist, Progressive, Moderate, Law & Order)
• Scandal risk system
• Attack ads vary by ideology
• News headlines shift LEFT / NEUTRAL / RIGHT framing

This beta build makes the game feel significantly more alive and less deterministic. Outcomes are earned — but never guaranteed.

POTUS is still free to play, and I’m actively using player feedback for balancing and new systems.

Would love feedback on:

• Poll uncertainty balance
• Convention outcomes
• Election Night pacing
• AI aggression levels

Thanks to everyone who’s been testing so far, this update is largely built from your suggestions.

POTUS — Presidential Election Simulator puts you in the heart of American politics. Build your candidate’s backstory, battle through the primaries, survive the convention, choose your running mate, and fight for 270 electoral votes. Manage funds, momentum, media, and strategy week by week as scandals, debates, and breaking news shape the race. Every decision matters on the road to the White House.
The game is currently in an ALPHA state and if there is enough interest, I will continue to update it.

https://dackers-studios.itch.io/potus-2024