There are a lot of video games that come with political messaging and while some choose to portray it in the form of satire, others don't mind making it the whole plotline of their game and are extremely vocal with their messages. The past decade has seen a further increase in these types of games, with developers not being scared to voice their anti-capitalist views in their creations.
This article will list some of the best anti-capitalist games that you can try out right now, as well as how they portray their messages. Not only do these games point out the flaws and their issues with the capitalist system, but they are also fun to play, disregarding that.
10 The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds
Platform(s) Switch , Xbox One , PS4 , PC Released October 25, 2019 Developer(s) Obsidian Entertainment
The Outer Wilds is a perfect commentary on capitalism and its adverse effects on society. The game portrays a society within late-stage capitalism where there is a combination of corporations owning almost everything in the world, from the rights of the solar system to the people themselves, who are provided citizenship in the form of employment.
There are plenty of moments throughout the game that show the suffering of the workers in this system as well as how little these corporations care for their well-being.
9 Grand Theft Auto 5
Grand Theft Auto 5
Platform(s) PS5 , PS4 , PS3 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , PC Released September 17, 2013 Developer(s) Rockstar North
Although it's definitely not the game's main focus, there is a lot of anti-capitalistic messaging in GTA that you might have missed. Everything seems to be a satirical critique of American consumerism and its culture that promotes capitalistic ideas, from the games' radio stations to the posters of TV shows and movies.
Michael, one of the game's main characters, is a prime embodiment of an individual constantly searching for the American dream as he believes it can save his life and his marriage. Yet he is still unsatisfied no matter how much money he earns and always wants to keep going for more.
8 Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas
Platform(s) PS3 , Xbox 360 , PC Released October 19, 2010 Developer(s) Obsidian Entertainment
The Fallout series isn't subtle in its criticism of political systems and their failures. The original Fallout games, New Vegas, in particular, is a great depiction of people rising up against the evil NCR, which is a capitalist nation that has pretty much destroyed California and its natural resources, which has led to extreme poverty among the people.
The Strip in New Vegas is also a perfect depiction of capitalism and how it leads to extreme corruption, while also showing the wealth disparity among the citizens.
7 Tonight We Riot
- Developer: Pixel Pushers Union 512
- Released: 2020
- Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
Unlike the many other games on this list that slyly depict their anti-capitalist ideas, there is nothing subtle about Tonight We Riot. This game takes place in a dystopian world where capitalism has taken over everything and people have lost their fundamental rights to wealthy corporations.
You get to lead a revolution against these capitalists by controlling a whole movement of people and using any means possible to overthrow them. The political humor and writing of this game are impeccable, and it's worth checking out for anyone who wants to have a lot of fun while taking down the rich.
6 Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Platform(s) Released Developer(s)
Final Fantasy 7 has always been a political game and its remake, released in 2022, focused on issues such as capitalism, its effect on the environment, and overall corporate greed even further. The game manages to brilliantly depict the helplessness felt by poor people in a capitalist system, run by the evil Shinra.
You get to play the role of Cloud and the rest of the members of Avalanche, which is an eco-terrorist organization that wants to fight back against Shinra, through violent means, as it is the only way they believe to save the world.
5 Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium
Platform(s) PC , PS5 , PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Stadia Released October 15, 2019 Developer(s) ZA/UM
Although it's unfair to call Disco Elysium a strictly anti-capitalist game, as it is much more than that, its humorous critiques of capitalism are where it truly shines. The game focuses on the story of the city of Revachol, which has been taken over by a union of parties, solely focused on their capitalist interests.
This system has led to an influx of poverty, a decline in literacy rates, and a presence of oppression on the people. Through its humor and its gameplay, Disco Elysium points out the hypocrisies of capitalism and the historical problems associated with this system.
4 Oddworld: Soulstorm
Oddworld: Soulstorm
Platform(s) PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S Released April 6, 2021 Developer(s) Oddworld Inhabitants
The Oddworld creators have never shied away from voicing their political opinions in the form of their games, and Oddworld Soulstorm is the perfect example of that, which also comes with fun gameplay. The Glukkons are the main antagonists of the game, and they consist of an industrial race that judges everyone based on their social status and wealth.
The main goal of Oddworld Soulstorm is to free your fellow Mudokons from exploitation by Glukkons,who use them for slave labor and treat them unfairly. This revolutionary storyline is perhaps as anti-capitalistic as it gets, and the game does a great job of representing its ideas in the form of different creatures rather than humans.
3 Bioshock
BioShock
Platform(s) PC , PS3 , Xbox 360 Released August 21, 2007 Developer(s) Irrational Games
The Bioshock games are brilliant at spreading their political views through their clever storylines and settings, even if they may not just be limited to anti-capitalism. The original Bioshock, released in 2007, follows the story of the city of Rapture, which is an underground town built by a rich businessman where everything is privatized, from food to healthcare.
The game goes on to show the terrible working conditions that the working class has to endure in a system like this and perfectly portrays the division of classes and how it eventually leads to anarchism.
2 Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077
Platform(s) PC , Xbox One , Stadia , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X Released December 10, 2020 Developer(s) CD Projekt Red
The Cyberpunk genre has always been associated with anti-capitalistic ideas and the dystopian world of Cyberpunk 2077 sets a perfect example of it. There are no governments in this world and everything is controlled by the command of a few corporations. The wealth disparity is clearly visible on the streets of the city, with a lot of people struggling to survive, and the top 1% being extremely rich.
Even the campaign mode puts emphasis on this, with Johnny Silverhands, one of the main characters, constantly speaking out against capitalism in many of his voice lines and taking up a revolutionary stance against the corporations.
1 Ghostwire: Tokyo
- Developer: Tango Gameworks
- Released: 2022
- Platforms: PS5, Xbox X|S and PC
Ghostwire: Tokyo is not only an amazing game, but it's also extremely critical of capitalism. The game is set in a world where the spirits of the exploited working class are roaming through the streets of Japan, unable to move on due to the problems they face due to privatization.
There are plenty of examples of the burdens of capitalism on people and one of the best ones involves the spirits of office workers who have committed suicide, yet are unable to move on to the afterlife until they can convince others to kill themselves as well.
