What if you were also the President of the United States?

In “President Simulator,” you play as an American president facing multiple situations: making decisions, holding press conferences, signing decrees, managing popularity…. A first chaotic and parodic game from the very young studio 14b, led by two Frenchmen embarking on an adventure as crazy as their game.

“We spent more than 30 hours on the phone before getting started, because we needed to know if we shared the same values,” explains Pierre Grimault about his first contacts with Guillaume Cazelles, his partner and co-founder of 14b, the independent studio behind the game President Simulator.

To hear them both joke like that, you would never guess that they are jointly refining their simulation game hundreds of kilometers apart. And they have never even met in person! This sets the tone for a title with strong chaotic and parodic potential.

Their very first game has been buzzing on social networks with a proposal that is not so far from a certain reality across the Atlantic. “A week after the trailer was released, we had over 10,000 additional wishlists (added to Steam wishlists, Editor’s note), and now we have over 14,000,” enthuses Guillaume Cazelles.

Germany, the United States, England, and even China have been receptive to this first-person simulation game that takes players into the heart of the Oval Office. “It’s a game made by two Frenchmen, but for now, France is not very interested in the game. We only have 650 wishlists from French players,” he regrets.

The fear of review bombing MAGA

Confident in their product that is slowly gaining attention, the two founders of 14b also feel a slight stress as they hope to deliver a playable demo in May, before a slightly later release. It’s an excitement tinged with great vigilance, especially in the face of the trend of review bombing, which involves destroying a game with a catastrophic rating, often unjustified.

“Our biggest fear is that politicized people will rate the game poorly without even playing it, just because they think we are attacking their camp. We have to be very clear about our neutrality,” declares Guillaume Cazelles. “We put all our savings into it. The success of President Simulator is what will allow us to launch our second project and maybe even expand the team. But I think there is a way to make this game profitable, at least in production, and to make a second one afterward,” he muses, hoping. For now, as a duo, they must keep their business running, and also learn how to put together a marketing strategy to promote the game.

Both of them know that the subject is sensitive, especially with recent international events or even just American ones. A bad buzz, the slightest misstep, and the viral success could turn into unnecessary controversy. Between lines of code, they are on their way to the White House on Instagram, X, and TikTok with several videos posted each week to explain their concept. Will this be enough for the public to see a game and not a scathing critique? The future will tell. But President Simulator certainly checks all the boxes to attract the attention of streamers, always ready to share unexpected games with their community that rely on humor. They hope that these streamers will be their first supporters to lead them to success. As for us, we have already joined their fan club.