Of the genres that would best convey the drama of Texas politics, video games seem like the least equipped. That hasn’t stopped one man from trying anyway.
Enter: Biblical Grounds — A Texas Political RPG, released this week. Biblical Grounds is a browser-based game that sees you play as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton through four different levels. Paxton dodges lawsuits, fights his ex-wife and an anthropomorphic marijuana leaf, and debates U.S. Senate rivals. Biblical Grounds is best described, perhaps, as if Pokemon Emeraldfor the Gameboy Advance also functioned as political satire and had a libertarian streak.
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The game is the brainchild of Austin-based musician and programmer Mark Sean, who told Chron he was inspired by a Paxton press conference last month where the attorney general was heckled over his impending divorce.
“It felt like my own little silly way to add what I believe may be a fresh perspective to Texas politics, but particularly in this race,” Sean told Chron by email.
Sean developed Biblical Grounds in a month from conception to development by himself. He said that he did use artificial intelligence to assist in some areas, though said he “learned to code way before AI could do it.” While he could have posted his political opinions on social media, Sean said he felt that a game was more engaging.
“It’s hard to make an impact,” Sean said.
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Biblical Grounds is filled to the brim with lore that even seasoned Paxton-ologists may have forgotten. The game’s first level sees the player battle a process server, a nod to the time Paxton actually absconded in his wife’s truck to avoid a subpoena being delivered to his home in 2022. Talking to NPCs throughout the game and interacting with scenery awards the players with “receipts,” which can be read on the title screen. Each of these receipts cites various news articles and legal filings to back up its skewering of Paxton.
The boss battles, which comprise most of the gameplay, similarly play on an intimate knowledge of Paxton’s deal. Paxton’s signature move, “Declare Victory” does nothing but brings up a message that Paxton has scored a “historic victory.” Every move consumes “taxpayer dollars” and fills Paxton’s “Hypocrisy Meter.” For a short, political satire, the battle sections are surprisingly well thought out. Paxton’s moveset is versatile and battles can be won through a variety of strategies; In true Paxton fashion using a move to freeze opponents for a turn and spamming them with lawsuit filings is the most effective in this reporter’s experience.
Biblical Grounds saves the most ire for Paxton’s weed policy and his impending divorce. The game repeatedly references Paxton’s decision to sue the City of Dallas after voters passed a city ordinance decriminalizing marijuana. In the game’s third level, Paxton battles an anthropomorphized, sunglasses-wearing marijuana leaf who represents the state’s hemp industry. Players can talk to a beer and liquor industry lobbyist who praises Paxton. In another level, Paxton battles his soon-to-be-ex-wife, State Sen. Angela Paxton. NPCs remark that Paxton is getting divorced on “biblical grounds” despite vowing to defy the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling legalizing gay marriage.
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Smart, funny and sometimes unhinged look at the week that was.
Sean told Chron that no political parties or PACs were involved in the making of the game. The game’s final boss is not Democratic candidate James Talarico, but Libertarian Senate candidate Ted Brown, who repeatedly tells Paxton to mind his own business. Sean said he has a “soft spot” for third-party candidates, and that if most Texans read the libertarian platform, “they would vote for Brown.”
“I believe responsible adults should be able to consume what they want, and generally do what they want as long as they aren’t hurting other people,” Sean said.
This is far from the first game about politics. Earlier this year, an arcade game called Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell about the Iran War took Washington by storm. While Biblical Grounds has smaller ambitions, it’s hard not to imagine what a bigger game might entail, what other video games could do with Texas politics. Imagine a bullet-hell style minigame where Paxton has to dodge FOIA requests from now-New York Times reporter and public records guru Lauren McGaughy. A Metal Gear-style game where Paxton has to sneak around to steal a pen from the Collin County courthouse.
“If there’s interest, I’d certainly be happy to expand upon it,” Sean told Chron.
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