Games Like NationStates: Nation Creator or Citizen Politics?

If you enjoy NationStates and want another political browser game, the important question is who you want to play. NationStates lets you create a country and steer it through policy decisions. In Leviathan War, you start as one citizen in a state shared with other players. You can work, join a party, build a company, fight, and eventually seek office, but you do not control a country when you sign up.

This guide is published by the Leviathan War team, not by NationStates or an independent reviewer. NationStates’ official FAQ describes its current rules; the linked Leviathan guides explain ours. Both games have their own communities and reasons to play.

If you want to…	NationStates	Leviathan War
Set a nation’s direction	Create a country, then answer recurring Issues that shape its laws and ideology.	Start as a citizen. Help change a shared state’s laws through its player government, party politics, and elections.
Participate with other people	Join a region, debate or roleplay in forums, vote in the World Assembly, and seek regional influence.	Work alongside citizens, organize a party, trade with player companies, or contest an election in your state.
Fight over territory	Nations cannot directly damage or destroy one another. Regional raiding and defending, plus roleplayed conflicts, do exist.	Players equip troops and fight in state wars, coups, or revolutions; a won state war can transfer a region.
Manage an economy	Make broad policy choices; the official FAQ says there is no detailed micromanagement.	Take factory shifts, trade resources, own companies, and contribute to a state treasury.

Where the political choices differ

NationStates is a good fit if you like inventing a country, answering political dilemmas, and writing its story. You own the premise from the start. The game does not force a single victory condition, and its regions and World Assembly give other players a role in your wider political life. Its regional invasion game is real, even though one nation cannot mechanically conquer another.

Leviathan War puts the political contest inside a shared state. You have to persuade real residents, meet residency rules, and earn the right to vote or run for office. Companies need workers and resources; armies need players to take action. You can influence the state without being its leader. That also means another player may win an election, refuse your business offer, or fight on the other side of a war.

These are different kinds of agency. If you want to make policy decisions for your own imagined nation immediately, NationStates is the closer match. If you want political power to depend on other people’s choices, Leviathan War may be worth trying.

What can a NationStates player do first in Leviathan War?

1. Create a free account and verify your email. You join as a citizen, not as the founder of a nation.
2. Follow Your First Steps: claim your daily reward, take a factory shift, and inspect your state.
3. Read the party guide and see who is organizing locally. You need 500 XP to vote and 1,000 XP to run in an election, as well as the relevant residency and party requirements.
4. Choose a direction: work toward a company, help a political group, or prepare military units for a conflict.

Activity varies by state. There might be no open election, busy employer, or active war when you arrive. Leviathan War is free to start in a browser; optional Emerald purchases and PRO provide gameplay benefits. Read the first-session guide or try the game.