How to lose friends and influence power in Terrible Influence (Preview)
In the current state of the world, leadership can be obtained from the strangest of origins. Sometimes, it’s not always the best candidates who get positions of power but those with the most public appearances or whose names are mentioned in the most conversations. Even being hated is not bad if it’s spun the right way. One board game dares to take all the worst ways someone can climb into the highest commanding position in America and make it a hilarious time for entertainment in Terrible Influence.
Terrible Influence is a game designed and written by Mark Cope, illustrated by Jake Kazakos, and graphic designs by Biaise Sewell. Forever Stoked Creative worked on development with Matt Fantastic and Andrea Pincumbe and product managed by Logan Dean. The executive producers are Ashkan Karbasfrooshan and Rosie Komadina. The game is also published by WatchMojo and Next Big Project. Terrible Influence is a party game where players compete as a rising influencer persona and collect fame and fortune, ultimately running to become the President of the United States. Podcasters, reality TV show stars, and models can go from internet sensations to political figures with some work and questionable PR moves. Promotions, scandals, and shady deals affect public opinion, but if you play the right cards, have some affluent perks, and don’t mind being terrible to your fellow humans, seizing power is a fun game.
We first saw Terrible Influence at Pax Unplugged 2024, where it was revealed to the public and a station that would demo the game. Mark Cope gave a walk-through of the satirical art and mechanics. He explained how his passion for pop culture, quirky humor, and eccentric human behavior inspired the creation of Terrible Influence. The game combines a variety of tabletop mechanics, blending the strategic depth of an engine-building game with the narrative-driven elements of an RPG and the social intrigue of bluffing.
Players start by picking an influencer class (Vlogger, Podcaster, Reality TV Star, Game Streamer, Model) and optimizing their unique build. Each class has special perks that give them certain advantages that all affect how they gain resources. Players will collect and equip skills, advantages, and revenue cards to generate money and fans, building up a social ranking. But other players can be your ally or enemy at any turn. There are event cards that can allow two players to collaborate on a project to gain resources or ruin another player’s progress. Viral cards can help players quickly gain fans or money, and spite cards take away or redirect a resource. If someone wants to be a ruthless podcaster, they can pick the wealthiest player to suffer a blow to their revenue stream by issuing copyright infringement and getting a nice payout.
As players climb the social ladder, the game adjusts from gaining resources to being a political candidate. The last phase of the game is a showdown of fame and fortune to be the next American president. Sure, it skips many important steps to be considered an American leader, but why does that matter if you have enough cash and fans?
When we saw the game, we instantly became fans of the concept and later received an early prototype to test out. Fortunately, Magfest was about to happen, and it was the perfect place to see which of our friends had what it takes to be the best or worst influencer. Between nerdy concerts, loud arcade games, and adult beverages, we set up the board and let our intrusive personalities as terrible influencers.
Once we laid out the board, everyone commented on how neat the presentation was. The character cards indicated where everything goes and had a reminder of the basic actions players can perform on their turn. While the typical questions were asked about the gameplay, everyone gets the game’s main loop after a few turns. And that’s about when everyone stops being polite and starts getting terrible to each other.
In a play session with Len Stuart, the creative director of SWDTech Games, we built up the lore of two rival models, amassing as many fans with our natural charms. But like two top models sharing a catwalk, we were backstabbing and trying to steal attention from one another at every turn. In a head-to-head mode, the game moves faster, but you have to be careful of what your opponent triggers. Since you are always the target of sprite attacks, you must rely on defensive cards to help or save up cash for an emergency. Len enjoyed the humor and the interesting RPG mechanics that let you customize the influencer, and he knows a thing or two about RPGs (check out his team’s game, Pixel Noir)
In another play session, Noah Houlihan & Laura Prince from Plus Two Comedy. Terrible Influence is already filled with satirical humor, so playing with comedians amplifies the gameplay to another experience. There is a lot of material for people to add their own improv and colorful personality. We played a four-player game, and with everyone determined to be the next president, it would be a free-for-all for making product pitches, marketing slogans, and denouncing the actions of the other players.
With four people, the game time is longer. Social ranks rise and fall by multiple people, triggering spite and cancel cards, and this is where collaborations come into play. Teaming up with another player or rival for quick resources can help cross into higher social tiers. But like any good party game, being the lead isn’t always the easiest, as everyone will aim to take you down a peg.
In our session, Noah and Laura egged on each other as Noah’s Game Streamer and Laura’s Reality TV Star were rivals for the lead. Laura had a great social ranking lead at the start of the game, as the Reality TV Star begins with extra social points at the beginning but has to grind for money just like the rest of the players. No one could fully cut off her two revenue streams simultaneously, so Laura bided her time while we scrambled after her.
Terrible Influence is a dynamic and engaging tabletop game that blends cheeky humor and a poignant message about the current affairs of America. Everyone flipped over cards, laughed, and recalled something they saw or heard of that Terrible Influence references. Even as a working prototype, Terrible Influence has a solid mix of tactics, chance, and wit. Players try to outmaneuver each other and shape a fictional character they will embrace. If you love games like Cards Against Humanity, Munchkin, Exploding Kittens, or Red Dragon Inn, Terrible Influence is the next game you should check out.
Terrible Influence‘s Kickstarter campaign is launching soon. Early backers will have access to discounts, news, and more. Visit the Kickstarter page to get notified about updates today!
