A solo developer has launched a satirical mobile game about role-playing as the prime minister of the UK, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced he will be stepping down, less than two years after Labour’s landslide victory in the last general election. Although former Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is the current favourite to take over, a successor hasn’t been formally decided. With six prime ministers in the last decade, many may feel they could do a better job.
Gameplay and mechanics
Now, a newly released mobile game titled No. 10: Full Confidence lets players test that theory. Billed as a ‘satirical political survival game,’ it is the work of solo developer Benjamin Brewis. As PM, you must keep your approval ratings up by appeasing four factions: your Cabinet, backbenchers, the media, and the general public. Much like in real life, you cannot please everybody. Decisions you make will curry support from some and disapproval from others. For example, you might be asked to respond to three MPs missing a crucial vote because they were playing cards with a trade delegation.
Survival and record
The goal is to last as long as possible before being ousted, which happens when approval with any faction hits zero. The current record is 370 in-game weeks, just over seven years. That is longer than any prime minister since Tony Blair, who lasted 10 years from 1997 to 2007. David Cameron lasted six years from 2010 to 2016, but all subsequent PMs managed three years at most. Liz Truss was famously PM for only 50 days before being replaced by Rishi Sunak, who remained in charge for less than two years until Labour won in 2024.
Development and reception
According to Brewis, the game took six months to build and launched on the Apple store this May, excellent if accidental timing. At the time of writing, Full Confidence sits ninth in the Apple store’s top paid games chart, above titles like Stardew Valley and Balatro. Although there are only a handful of player reviews, they are unanimously positive. The game costs £2.99, with an optional ‘special adviser pack’ as an in-game purchase. It remains to be seen whether playing the game will make people more sympathetic to former PMs, but based on recent form, it seems unlikely the new incumbent will beat the game’s high score in real life.
