ABSTRACT
In classic world-builder games like Civilization, Tropico, SimCity, and Age of Empires, players direct the evolution of an entire culture through technological and scientific breakthroughs as well as military and cultural expansion. Usually, the player takes on the persona of some small-scale dictator (e.g., the inhabitant of the “throne room” in Civilization II or “El Presidente” in Tropico) whose status increases as her civilization expands. But, in fact, the player’s power over the diegetic realm she directs is vastly greater than that of any real-life dictator. Unlike real-world leaders, the player is not surrounded by toadies telling her what she wants to hear. Instead, the interface provides her infallibly accurate information about much of the diegetic realm she rules. In addition, the player of world-builder games can maintain her authority without the internal power struggles that plague real-world dictators.1
