Key facts
- A mobile game titled 'No 10: Full Confidence' has topped Apple's paid games chart.
- The game, developed by Benjamin Brewis, allows players to simulate being the UK prime minister.
- Players must balance the moods of factions including their cabinet, backbenchers, the media, and the public.
- The game features over 300 fictional political scenarios, some mundane and some absurd.
- Inspiration for the game came from the frequent changes in UK prime ministers since 2016.
- Other UK politics-themed games, like 'Fantasy Parliament', also exist.
A mobile game developed by Manchester-based Sleepy Boy Games, titled 'No 10: Full Confidence', has achieved significant success by topping Apple's paid games chart, even surpassing global phenomenon Minecraft. The game, created by Benjamin Brewis, puts players in the role of the UK prime minister, requiring them to navigate over 300 fictional political scenarios and balance the demands of various factions including their cabinet, backbenchers, the media, and the public.
Brewis, who handwritten the scenarios, noted that they range from the mundane, such as dealing with GP appointment waiting times, to the absurd, like a dog being let loose in the House of Lords. Player decisions in each scenario have consequences, and if any faction turns completely against the prime minister, the game ends. Brewis stated that the inspiration for the game stemmed from the frequent changes in UK prime ministers since 2016, remarking that "someone should just start taking the mick out of this."
One player's experience detailed in the article saw their character, Verity Grimshaw, last for one year and nine months before being ousted due to media distrust, triggered by a resigning cabinet minister's letter. Brewis mentioned that some users have managed to stay in power for significantly longer, with one player surviving for 157 years. Dr Russell Foster, a lecturer at King's College London, suggested that the high turnover of prime ministers and the increased visibility of politics on social media could contribute to the popularity of such games.
'No 10: Full Confidence' is not the only game exploring UK politics; 'Fantasy Parliament' by Evan Roberts allows players to draft fantasy leagues of real MPs and use a ChatGPT-style AI to test policy reactions. Another game, 'UK Politics Simulator', is reportedly set for PC release. Despite his game's success, Brewis is unsure if any politicians have played it, but friends in the civil service have reportedly commented on its accuracy, stating it is "exactly like this, but worse."