The first incarnation of Supreme Ruler (2010) was a bold attempt at encompassing the political turmoil of conquering the world. What made this game different is that it didn’t simply assume the player would be achieving this through military power. Diplomacy, import/export, agriculture – all aspects of governmental duty were brought into play when attempting to unite the fractured states of a futuristic world in chaos.

A cursory glance around the net shows that BattleGoat Studios, developers of the Supreme Ruler series, were ultimately unhappy the interface system, which made it difficult for all but the most experienced and stalwart strategist to fully get to grips with the game’s complexities. Supreme Ruler 2020 appears to be all about correcting those mistakes, and giving players the game BattleGoat always intended them to have. This isn’t to say that 2020 has been dumbed down at all – quite the opposite. If anything, the scope of the sequel appears to be far greater.

The premise continues the plot line of a world in political breakdown; built of chaotic, fractured states scrambling to regain their dominance on the global map. Your task is to take control of this broken world, which is really nothing new when it comes to strategy games, but the methods available here are really quite unique. While most games of this ilk will rely almost entirely on global dominion being achieved through military might, Supreme Ruler demands all aspects of the modern, complex political system are put to use in attaining grand authority; the military is just one aspect of that system.

From the highly detailed map of the world, your government isn’t so much ‘run’ by you, as it is established. Quite frankly, unless you’re strategy is to reduce Supreme Ruler to a war simulator, there’s just too much for one person to manage – even with BattleGoat’s beautifully refined control system. This isn’t a criticism, however, but an integral and deliberate part of the intricate gameplay. An efficient and ergonomic ruler must make full and proper use of their Cabinet Ministers, whom they can then rely upon to administrate the aspects of government you simply don’t have the time (or, indeed, the inclination) to govern yourself.

To someone who can’t easily be described as an experienced strategist, this is a highly intriguing feature and the lifelikeness of the ministers is quite awe-inspiring. These feel like real people, with their own agendas, working in parallel to you as the country gradually regains its feet. Their presence isn’t diluted by any superficial plot points, such as out-and-out betrayal or evil machinations, but they are governed by their own sense of conscience. A huge part of the founding premise is in creating a cabinet whose opinions and objectives match your own - then you can rely on them to run their aspect of government within your personal interests, and not take action that could conflict with your overall plan.

The formation of this elite cadre of political administrators was as vital as it was stimulating, and time spent on these close-to-home matters made a huge impact on the purpose of the gameplay. If agriculture (which is massively important to the well-being of your economy) isn’t something you have any real interest in governing closely, finding the right minister for the job frees you up to concentrate on the areas of politics that grab your attention.