Frank Rooke, Creative Director at Aionic Labs on Political Party Frenzy – Interview Series

The ballot has been cast; Political Party Frenzy wants you in office, and it wants you to utilize the sheer power of social media and digital propaganda to shape, govern, and control the masses. That’s right, the mobile-based manipulation simulator has just launched across its chosen platforms, meaning, if you are fumbling for an excuse to pull the strings of a satirical America, then you’re in luck, folks.

To learn more about the latest game in Aionic Labs’ catalog, I recently caught up with Frank Rooke, who was kind enough to fill me in on all the details from a Creative Director’s perspective.

Well, it’s officially on the ballot: Political Party Frenzy, the free-to-play mobile game with a humorous twist and an unbreakable attachment to digital propaganda. I think I speak for everyone here when I say this: count us in on the forthcoming election! Before we open the floodgates, though, let’s talk about its origins. Tell us, what inspired the team to create Political Party Frenzy?

Frank: When we started experimenting with different prototype ideas, we quickly found something compelling in the gameplay that powers Political Party Frenzy. This happened to coincide with the early stages of the 2024 election, which of course was shaping up to be a real rollercoaster. Our idea wasn’t to exploit the moment, but to use the political scene as a playground to do some fun things with our gameplay. The humor came naturally, as we weren’t interested in creating a platform to push a political agenda – far from it, to be honest. The context, relatability, and natural battleground just felt fun and colorful. The patriotic theme gave us a strong visual opportunity to blend both nostalgia and modern elements. In the end, the idea came together quickly and in a positive way.

Could you tell us more about the general premise behind the game? Whose boots are we filling, and what exactly are we aiming to achieve as just one of many, many pawns in the political food chain?

Frank: Players step into the role of a political influencer, acting as a mercenary for either the liberal or conservative party. As a political influencer, you’re solving puzzles and trying to gain as many followers as possible. The more followers, the more influence you have, and the more you contribute to your party. You can keep it small and simply beat all 50 states or go big and battle for each one – it’s really up to how you want to engage the game. An example of this is that all 50 states are represented, and player successes can help ‘flip’ them, potentially changing traditional red or blue alignments. Our virtual battleground offers a fun way to directly participate in changing the political map that we’ve come to know.

Let’s talk tactics. How will we, as “social media pros”, be able to announce our political agenda, build a loyal following, and in turn, undercut the opposing parties through the lens of a social media campaign?

Frank: Like all good puzzles and challenges, there should be multiple solutions, with some producing better results than others. One of the most empowering moments for any gamer is choosing the best solution for a given challenge! In our game, there’s rarely just one solution, even on a per-turn basis, and when considering long-term strategies, careful tactics can play a huge role in the game. Maximize a moment for a quick win, or plan ahead for something bigger later. All of this builds the player as a political influencer and their ability to gain a massive following. Followers are key, and when you start amassing hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, you become a serious contender, capable of significantly influencing the political scene within the game.

You’ve mentioned that there’ll be 400 “scandalous” puzzles waiting for us. Please could you tell us a bit more about these puzzles, as well as how they’ll differ from each other?

Frank: A scandal has several components that make it fun. The puzzle part is certainly the meat and potatoes, but wrapped around each scandal is the narrative and the ‘poke’ of the scandal. ‘Poke’ refers to what the scandal is poking fun at. It’s equal opportunity here, covering a lot of ground – liberal, conservative – with some general social media antics tossed in for good measure. Nothing mean-spirited, as there’s already enough of that in the world today. Here, it’s good, clean fun and fictional, but with enough truth to be recognizable.

At the start, we give each player a chance to like or dislike the scandal, creating a unique window into how people feel about the topic or perhaps just the wording of the scandal. Beyond that is the puzzle itself, made up of our core gameplay, which is configured uniquely for each scandal. We have many variables to play around with, so each puzzle will feel familiar yet present a fresh challenge. On top of that, we have plenty of extra roadblocks and perks that come and go, keeping things interesting and unpredictable.

Governing a virtual campaign doesn’t sound like an easy task, I’ll say that much. Do you have any words of advice for those who are looking to develop their own social media presence in Political Party Frenzy? Is there a trick to it, or is it more the case of succumbing to trial and error?

Frank: Although the game relies heavily on luck, trial and error isn’t really a strategy. One of our goals from the beginning was to offer casual gameplay that allows players to be relatively successful while doing something else, like standing in line or working on something important at work… oops, did I say that out loud? However, that casual approach doesn’t mean making random choices. For example, players can be successful by simply identifying and matching color requirements. More advanced players can mitigate bad luck, play tactically for bigger wins, and pull off incredible point coups using different combos. Our advice to players is to use all the tools available, as there’s much more than meets the eye, then play the odds and start to ‘feel’ when to take big risks or when to play it safe.

Would you say that those with a greater understanding of how politics work will stand a higher chance of winning? Or, has it been made so that quite literally anyone can jump into the hot seat and pull the strings?

Frank: Understanding politics is definitely not a prerequisite to enjoy the game. It was intentionally designed to appeal to people who love overcoming challenges as a pastime while having a good laugh. The range of topics is quite broad and will likely be relatable to most people in one way or another. That said, if you do have a deeper appreciation of the political scene or social media, especially over the past decade, the nuances of the humor might pack a bit more punch. I believe it’s accessible to everyone, though – both Americans and players around the globe.

Thanks for your time, Frank! We’ll see you in the polls!

You can check in with Aionic Labs for more information on Political Party Frenzy by visiting the official website here.