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Bernie Sanders Is Starring In His Own Video Game

by Cate Carrejo

Senator, presidential candidate, video game hero? It looks like Bernie Sanders' next moment in the limelight will be a starring role in a new video game, Bernie's Journey. Bernie fan and amateur video game designer Gerald Smith launched the project on June 3 and has already received over $1800 towards his goal of designing a video game based on Sanders' presidential campaign. Players will become Bernie as he fights through treacherous debates, defeats biased media outlets, and battles against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump with the help of some of his favorite allies, like Jane Sanders, Killa Mike, and Jill Stein.

Believe it or not, this is not the first time that Sanders has taken on the role of video game star. In 2006, Sanders released Bernie Arcade , a browser-based game that helped promote his bid for the Vermont Senate seat. Bernie flies around in a environmentally-friendly hydrogen fueled plane, dodging fat cats and collecting facts sheets to defeat them. The allegory doesn't stop there — players also have to watch out for the mudslingers and the extreme right wing, or they'll crash and burn. Thankfully, you can still play the game and get your shot at taking down the establishment too.

Smith's game will be a lot different. As a role playing game, Bernie's Journey will be much more immersive and story-centric. The world of the game will be the entire United States as Sanders travels around trying to win the presidency, and Smith said that he is designing over 50 cities that will play a role in the game, which means the game will probably be long, difficult, and super fun. Also, based on the stills from the game that Smith posted on the Kickstarter page, the characters will be adorable too.

Technically, Smith has reached his fundraising goal, but you can still donate if you want him to expand the game even further. Smith's about $200 away from the $2000 mark, at which point he will design a level of the game where Bernie flies to the Vatican and travels with Pope Francis to Hell so they can defeat Satan. The game isn't set to come out until late 2017, and if it becomes profitable once it's widely available, Smith pledged to donate a portion of the proceeds to Sanders. The game will be available for PC and mobile devices, so keep your eye out for Bernie's Journey coming soon.