Seat 326

SEAT 326

650 constituencies. One majority. Can you hold it?

Seat 326 is a British political strategy game. Lead a party through elections, Parliament and government, from the Winter of Discontent to today’s broken two-party system. Win a majority in the House of Commons, keep your MPs in line and survive whatever history throws at you.

How it plays

• First past the post, for real. All 650 constituencies are on a hex map, and each one is won or lost on its own. Tactical voting, incumbency and regional strongholds all count. A third of the vote can win you a landslide, and a quarter can win you almost nothing.
• Two starting points.
  • 1979, Winter of Discontent: strikes, double-digit inflation and a government that just lost a confidence vote by one.
  • 2024, Britain today: a landslide on a third of the vote, five parties above 5 %, a populist right on the rise and Britain outside the EU.
• A living party system. Parties split, merge, radicalise and collapse. New forces appear: a centrist breakaway, a merger of the centre, a Eurosceptic insurgency, a populist right. Leaders age, plot, resign and are replaced.
• Govern or oppose. Pass laws, set budgets and appoint ministers. Bargain for confidence and supply, face rebellions and leadership coups, or harass the government from the opposition benches.
• The Union. Devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, independence referendums, the Troubles and the road to peace. Pull the country together or watch it come apart.
• Europe. Budget rebates, the ERM, Maastricht, an in/out referendum, Brexit, and perhaps one day rejoining.
• History that may or may not happen. The Falklands, the miners’ strike, privatisation, the poll tax, Black Wednesday, the financial crisis, Grenfell, partygate, small boats and more. Your decisions change what comes next.
• A working economy. Unemployment, inflation, growth, deficit, debt and a housing bubble, plus unions, business and interest groups that push back.

Notes

• All parties and politicians are fictional, inspired by Britain’s real political traditions. Institutions, constituencies and the electoral system are real.
• Runs in your browser, on desktop or mobile. Your progress is saved locally in your browser.
• Seat 326 runs on the same engine as Escaño 176, its Spanish sister game.

Credits

Constituency hex map: Open Innovations (ODI Leeds). Constituency profile data: Centre for Cities.