A political satire game app with an idle business at its heart

Star-Spangled Tycoon is a political satire game app, and it is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Underneath the jokes it is an idle tycoon. You play a parody candidate, tap to earn your first dollars and then let your businesses earn while you are away. You spend the money on upgrades and managers, and you work toward winning an election. The satire sits on top of a loop that is easy to pick up.

The humour is broad on purpose. The characters are a Cabinet of cartoon politicians, and the businesses carry patriotic joke names. The jokes are aimed at political systems, campaign habits and the absurdity of the whole process, not at real people or parties. Nothing in the game represents a real politician, party or election. The full game has 5 worlds and 50 businesses, and each world brings its own angle on the joke.

A satire app still has to be a good game, so the structure matters. When you hold an election you reset your progress in exchange for a lasting bonus, and the next run is faster. There are achievements to collect and a rotating calendar of 31 limited events, so there is a reason to open the app on different days. The game is available in English and Spanish, including the text of the events.

The app is free to download, and its in-app purchases are optional. Everything in the game can also be earned by playing. The iPhone and iPad app has no banner or full-screen ads, and watching a short rewarded video is optional and gives a bonus. Progress is saved on your device and also uses iCloud sync. If you want to look before you install, a browser version is available at the play page, but the App Store app is the main way to play.

Whether the jokes land is a matter of taste, and satire is never for everyone. Some jokes are obvious and others take a moment. The game pokes at the process rather than favouring any side. If you want a light game that does not take itself too seriously, a session or two will show you whether it is for you.