WithGamescom Asiabeing held in Singapore, it serves as a bit of a hub for independent Southeast Asian developers to show off their games to people thatreally get them. As a Singaporean myself, it’s all too common that I see really interesting games that speak to common history shared by players in the region.Common Wealthis one of those games.
As you might grasp from the name, Common Wealth alludes to the British Commonwealth of Nations, comprising territories formerly colonised by the British. Singapore is one of those 56 countries, but unlike many formerly colonised countries, my home state is weirdly adoring of its colonisers. We have streets, hospitals, hotels, schools, even flowers named after Stamford Raffles, who is largely espoused as the “father of modern Singapore” by the establishment.
I’m explaining all this context because Common Wealth takes a surrealist lens to something highly specific and yet broadly relatable to much of the world – post-colonial Singapore. The Steam page says Southeast Asia, but there are many things in the game that point specifically to Singapore, which is also where the developers are from.
The game reflects the real life Land Acquisition Act of 1967 that allowed the government to take land from citizens at market price so it could be redeveloped. This was the price my grandparents’ generation of Singaporeans paid so the country could be the “global economic powerhouse” itso often calls itselftoday.
Common Wealth deliberately uses the very familiar format of Lucas Pope’s iconicPapers, Please, a dystopian simulation game with heavy political commentary about being complicit in oppression by being an obedient cog in the machine. Much like in Papers, Please, Common Wealth puts you in the shoes of a bureaucrat, checking documents against each other and approving or rejecting appeals on a case-by-case basis, while listening to the stories of the people you’re directly impacting with your actions.
You’re a new member of the Ministry of Urban Development, and your role is to, essentially, vibe check people. It’s up to you whether these people get paid for their land, or if they’re too troublesome or rude to deserve compensation. If somebody’s hostile to you, you can just wrench their lives away as punishment. Don’t worry about if it’s fair or not, you’re ushering in a new era for the country, so it’s all for the greater good… right?
It’s rare to see a game so brazenly critical of Singapore’s political past, or really, any media at all that focuses this much on the history of Southeast Asia’s colonisation. What surprised me most, though, was that even though Common Wealth uses anthropomorphised animals as characters, I still saw glimpses of myself and people like me in it, in their personalities and even their names – it’s rare to see my last name, which is tied to my ethnic group, represented in Singaporean media, let alone in video games more widely.
Common Wealth’s Steam description says that it will follow the story of the nation’s growth throughout the decades, which means there’s much more to the game than my brief demo at Gamescom Asia revealed. While there isn’t a confirmed release window yet, you canwishlist it on Steamnow.
Common Wealth
WHERE TO PLAY
Get people to give up their land for the only ones who know how to use it right - The government!Explore a seldom told story of post-colonial Southeast Asia, interpreted through a surrealist lens. Find out what sacrifices were made, so that former backwater outposts could transform into global powerhouses!The Ministry of Urban Development needs to acquire land from the citizens so that it can be put to better use.To do your part in the great transformation of our island nation, all you have to do is meet citizens who own the land.Check their ownership documents, listen to their interesting backstories, and learn about their circumstances.Then decide if they are people who genuinely deserve some compensation for their troubles, or are less ‘civic minded’ individuals who should simply make the noble sacrifice for the greater good.However you decide to take over their land, you will be playing a key role in ushering in a new age of prosperity and happiness for all!
