Crisis Theory

Although it doesn’t look like it today, capitalism is a pretty new concept, probably because it wouldn’t really work that well in a more primitive world. However, some people doubt that it works today as well, given the fact that we are always heading toward some kind of crisis. Moreover, some say that the system is rigged against the population, even if it doesn’t feel like it.

Crisis Theory is a simulation game in which your goal is to keep capitalism afloat while increasing profits and making sure that none of the vital system components are going to crash. It’s pretty simple in the beginning when the numbers are small, but once goods and money start moving around the circuit things become a lot more difficult to manage and keep in check.

As such, the ideal is a high profit and a happy labor force, while everything else works within parameters. Nature needs to be able to keep up with consumption, and sometimes the economy needs a boost from the state in order to stay afloat. All of these things are represented in the game using buttons, which increase or decrease a value whenever you press them.

There are multiple game over screens you can stumble upon along the way, depending on what kind of mistakes you make. A natural crisis occurs when you keep everything in check except for the natural resources consumption, while a profit squeeze crisis is when the labor is too strong and demands too much of the profit. In fact, everything you do breaks the system somehow, which is why it’s so fun.

The interface is nothing out of the ordinary, and there is actually just one schematic to look at the entire game. Everything is actually quite well presented, since it’s easy to keep track of everything without having to shift your gaze too much. On the other hand, there are only so many things that can happen, so it’s bound to get boring sooner or later.

When it’s all said and done, Crisis Theory is a unique video game, even if there are a few other similar concepts. However, this one allows you to truly grasp the mechanism of capitalism, at least in broad terms everyone can understand.