I survived two years as prime minister in a hit new game - then my cabinet deserted me
Mobile game No 10: Full Confidence recently ranked above Minecraft on the UK App Store paid games chart
A mobile game from Manchester, titled "No 10: Full Confidence," topped Apple's paid games chart, surprising many considering its subject matter - UK politics. Created by Benjamin Brewis, players assume the role of prime minister, navigating through various scenarios to maintain their position for as long as possible. The game features four factions - cabinet, backbenchers, media, and public - whose moods must be managed to stay in power.
Driven by real-life political events, the scenarios, penned by Brewis, range from mundane to absurd. Despite its comedic elements, the game draws from actual occurrences, such as MP threats with spiders and Boris Johnson walking into fridges. In the author's case, Verity Grimshaw's tenure lasted only one year and nine months, ending due to a lack of trust from the press and a cabinet minister's resignation.
Brewis believes the game's popularity stems from the frequent changes in UK prime ministers and the increasing presence of politics on social media. Other similar games include Fantasy Parliament, UK Politics Simulator, and Policy Tester. Despite his game's success, Brewis has not heard from any politicians who have played it and is unsure if politicians find the depiction of UK political life accurate, though his civil service friends say it's worse than the game suggests.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Technology's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
