About the Game
The World
Welcome to the land of Estrago, a country whose government is defined by corruption, greed, and apathy towards its people’s issues, and at the center of it all are… mushrooms. These are no ordinary mushrooms, as they can cure any illness, and increase the “worldliness” of anyone who consumes them. These mushrooms, however, only grow deep in the Forest of Waldgreen. The woods have been under the control of an ancient cult of Druids – The Order of the Shroom – since the founding of Estrago. These Druids have a special relationship with the mushrooms, as they give the Druids magical, runic powers. Rather than removing all illness and malady from the world, the Druids used their stockpile of magic mushrooms to make political maneuvers and grow their power and influence. Royal councilors are easily bought, and recent political strife has made the kingdom vulnerable to the influence of the Druids. Shroomopoly’s story takes place in this period of turmoil, and it the players must decide the fate of the people.
The Issue
While not too many Americans – except for Oregonians – are familiar with magic mushrooms, these issues of corruption and political turmoil will sound eerily familiar to the American electorate. The greatest failure of the government of the United States is the power wielded by economically dominant individuals and corporations. By adeptly handling the most powerful tool in this country, the U.S. dollar, these special interest groups control policy decisions for all citizens, and they maintain a stranglehold on the democratic process by utilizing several domineering strategies: funding lobbyists, indebting political candidates, controlling the disbursement of information, and mobilizing voters. Through these tactics, a handful of parties hold greater sway over the course of politics decisions than the rest of the country could ever hope to achieve individually. Necessary advancements for the betterment of the country are cast aside for self-serving laws, yet these choices are largely ignored by the American populous. Be it from ignorance or apathy, much of the electorate remains unconcerned by this trend, yet it is one that drives all people towards destruction.
At the core of this imagined world, stripped bare of its ornaments, American citizens should find something intimately familiar. The façades that form the first impression of Estrago should feel outlandish, different, and hyperbolic, masking its similarities with the United States. And with the introduction of satirical humor, players’ expectations are misdirected at the onset of the introduction to this fiction. The hope is that players will more readily critique Estrago, but as one gets more immersed within the world and the initial shock over the differences melts away, the realization that this fictional world is not so different in substance should begin to dawn.
Become Involved
​The actions that are available to the citizens of Estrago are also readily available to the citizens of the United States of America. As lobbyists strong-arm government officials into benefiting corporate bottom lines in the nation of Estrago, they perform the same political machinations in the United States. By observing the initial political stagnation and eventual growth present within Estrago, Americans will also see the steps toward a resolution that the people Estrago are taking. The primary goal is to spur political activism against corporate lobbying and special interests in those who witness Estrago’s plight; however, this is not likely, so in the short term we hope that Estrago will inspire tepid voters to go out to their polls and vote like their mushrooms are on the line, for they may as well be.