Nikhil Murthy's Syphilisation

Nikhil Murthy's Syphilisation is a postcolonial parody of the 4X genre that reworks its familiar tropes around alternatives to imperialism. It presents human struggle as a shared effort to build a better world rather than competition between people. You play as a student preparing a group report on Gandhi, Churchill and colonization.

The group report

While working on the report, you research historical events and ideas, including the Dandi March, Appeasement and the history of Ahimsa. You also learn about the students in the group and their stories. The politics of nations are presented as the politics of student groups writ large.

Cooperation and choice

You can try empathy or play opportunistically; the game allows either approach. More than one player can win, and you can help others as well as hinder them.

Citizens and leadership

Your empire's citizens make requests and often act on their own rather than waiting for you. They research technologies, complete buildings and units, and deal with their own issues. You can become more popular by getting to their requests first, but the game frames leadership as depending on the people.

Systems without imperialism

The game's campaigns, technology and settling systems are designed to present alternatives to systems underpinned by imperialism.