Positech
Positech Games is a UK-based independent game developer founded in 1997, operating as a one-person studio producing strategy and simulation games — most notably the Democracy political-simulation franchise and the Gratuitous Space Battles series — sold directly online and through Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, and Apple.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Positech does
Positech Games is a UK-based independent video game developer, founded in 1997 and operated as a one-person studio by Cliff Harris ("cliffski"). The company's product portfolio spans 12+ titles across four core franchises: political strategy (Democracy 3, Democracy 4, Democracy 3: Africa, plus DLC expansions Social Engineering, Extremism, Electioneering); space strategy (Gratuitous Space Battles, Gratuitous Space Battles 2, Gratuitous Tank Battles, Gratuitous Space Shooty Game); life and social simulation (Kudos 2, Redshirt); and industrial/card-based simulation (Production Line, Shadowhand, Big Pharma, and the forthcoming Ridiculous Space Battles announced in June 2025).
The studio's most differentiated technology is a custom neural network engine underpinning the Democracy series, which models individual voters with varying group memberships, income levels, complacency, and cynicism to produce complex political and economic simulations. Gratuitous Space Battles pairs a modular ship design system (over 100 components) with a built-in map editor and online challenge system that anchors a longstanding modding community active since 2009.
Positech operates a bootstrapped, direct-to-consumer model with diversified distribution: direct sales via positech.co.uk (the highest-revenue channel), Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, and the Apple App Store, supplemented by a separate B2B educational site-licensing program targeting schools and universities, with over 70 institutions adopting the Democracy titles for teaching politics and economics. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company has no external funding, parent entity, or institutional investors.
Positech firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Positech
- Legal name
- Positech Games
- Website
- https://positech.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Positech Games is a UK-based independent game developer founded in 1997, operating as a one-person studio producing strategy and simulation games — most notably the Democracy political-simulation franchise and the Gratuitous Space Battles series — sold directly online and through Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, and Apple.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Positech industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indie Strategy & Simulation Video Games
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise) (MPAFAAAH)
Keywords
Where Positech is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Positech business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Game Sales: Positech sells games directly through their website (positech.co.uk), allowing them to retain the full sale price without platform fees. This is the preferred channel for maximum developer revenue. Games are available as digital downloads.
- Digital Distribution Platform Sales: Games are also sold through Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, and Apple platforms. While these platforms take a commission, they provide broader market reach. The company notes GOG earns the most for them among third-party platforms.
- Educational Site Licenses: Democracy 3 and Democracy 3 Africa are sold to educational institutions through site licenses allowing installation across multiple devices. These are perpetual licenses (one-time purchase) with tiered pricing based on student count. Over 70 schools and universities use these games to teach politics and economics.
- Downloadable Content (DLC): Expansions and DLC packs are sold for base games, adding new policies, dilemmas, and gameplay scenarios. Examples include Democracy 3: Social Engineering, Extremism, and Electioneering expansions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Democracy 3 Site License - 40 students |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Democracy 3 Site License - 100 students |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Democracy 3 Site License - 250 students |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Democracy 3 Site License - 1,000 students |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Democracy 3 Africa Site License - 250 students |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels4 records
Positech product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Positech Games develops and self-publishes a portfolio of strategy and simulation PC video games, headlined by the Democracy political-simulation series (Democracy 3, Democracy 3: Africa, Democracy 4) and the Gratuitous series (Gratuitous Space Battles, Gratuitous Space Battles 2, Gratuitous Tank Battles). It also sells life/industrial/social simulations including Kudos 2, Redshirt, Production Line, and Shadowhand, distributed via Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, and the Apple App Store, with direct sales through positech.co.uk and a tiered educational site-licensing program for schools and universities.
Product overview
Positech Games is an independent UK-based game developer offering a portfolio of strategy and simulation games. The core products include the 'Gratuitous' series (Gratuitous Space Battles, Gratuitous Space Battles 2, Gratuitous Tank Battles, and Gratuitous Space Shooty Game) featuring space and tank warfare strategy with extensive ship/unit customization and modding support; the 'Democracy' series (Democracy 3, Democracy 4, and regional variant Democracy 3: Africa) providing political strategy simulations using neural network voter modeling; Kudos 2 as a life-simulation strategy game; Redshirt as a sci-fi social simulation; Production Line as an industrial simulation; and Shadowhand as a card-based strategy game. The company also offers DLC expansions for Democracy 3 including Social Engineering, Extremism, and Electioneering. Games are available through multiple distribution platforms including Steam, GOG, and Humble Bundle. Over 70 schools and universities use Democracy 3 for teaching politics and economics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Gratuitous Space Battles A space strategy and management simulation game where players design spaceships from modular components (over 100 parts across hulls, weapons, defenses, and propulsion), arrange them into fleets, position them in formations, and issue engagement orders for large-scale space battles. Targeted at PC strategy game players.
- Gratuitous Space Battles 2 Sequel to the original Gratuitous Space Battles, continuing the modular ship building, fleet management, and large-scale space battle gameplay. Targeted at PC strategy game players.
- Democracy 4 The latest installment in the Democracy series. A turn-based political strategy game where players serve as president or prime minister, managing a country through complex political and economic simulations using an icon-driven interface and neural network-based voter modeling. Targeted at strategy game players and educational institutions.
- Democracy 3 A political strategy game simulating voter motivations, loyalties, and desires using a custom neural network to model individual voters with varying memberships of voting groups, political parties, and pressure groups. Each voter's income is modelled along with levels of complacency and cynicism. Targeted at strategy game players and educational institutions.
- Democracy 3: Africa A standalone re-imagining of Democracy 3 set in African countries (Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, Senegal, Tunisia, Botswana, Mauritius). Features new artwork, music, events and dilemmas tuned to African political and economic situations, built on the same proprietary neural network architecture. Targeted at strategy game players and educational institutions.
- Gratuitous Tank Battles An RTS/tower defense hybrid set in an alternate WWI reality where the 'central powers' never surrender and the 'great war' continues for two hundred years. Features customisable units combining hulls with weapons, defenses and propulsion, online challenges, player-designed challenges, and a built-in map editor. Targeted at PC strategy game players.
- Gratuitous Space Shooty Game A light-hearted vertical space shooter game inspired by classic arcade titles like Space Invaders, Galaxian and Phoenix. Players control a ship with left/right arrow keys and fire with the spacebar against wave-based alien attacks, earning cash bonuses to upgrade shields, lasers, thrusters, and rate of fire. Targeted at casual PC gamers.
- Kudos 2 A turn-based life-simulation strategy game from Positech Games where players manage a single character from age 20 to 30. Players make daily choices about friends, jobs, and free time, with the constraint that only one activity can be chosen per day (two on weekends). Features artwork by legendary comic artist Jamie McKelvie. Targeted at life simulation game enthusiasts who prefer thoughtful turn-based gameplay over arcade-style alternatives like The Sims.
- Redshirt A comedy sci-fi social simulation about social networking aboard a space station. Players navigate professional and interpersonal politics through a 'Spacebook' interface to curry favor and climb the career ladder. Targeted at PC strategy/simulation game players.
- Production Line A factory/industrial simulation game where players design and optimize production lines for manufacturing. Targeted at PC strategy/simulation game players.
- Shadowhand A card-based strategy/adventure game published by Positech Games. Targeted at PC strategy game players.
- Democracy 3 / Democracy 3: Africa Educational Site Licenses Tiered perpetual site licenses sold directly to educational institutions for classroom use of Democracy 3 and Democracy 3: Africa. Pricing tiers include $99.95 for up to 40 students, $149.00 for up to 100 students, $250.00 for up to 250 students, and $900.00 for up to 1,000 students, with contact available for larger quantities. Over 70 schools and universities use these licenses to teach politics and economics. Targeted at schools, colleges, and universities.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 70 schools and universities use Democracy 3 for teaching politics and economics
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Positech
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Positech technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Positech partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Positech competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Paradox Interactive: Swedish publisher-developer of grand strategy games (Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron). Operates in the same deep strategy/simulation niche but as a much larger public company with a portfolio of studios.
- 2K Games / Firaxis Games:
Direct peers
- Amplitude Studios: French indie developer of strategy games (Humankind, Endless Legend, Dungeon of the Endless). Comparable as a focused strategy/simulation developer with deep simulation mechanics, though now owned by Sega.
- Harebrained Schemes: Independent strategy game developer (Shadowrun Returns, BattleTech, Necropolis). Comparable mid-sized indie studio focused on tactical and strategy titles, including modding-friendly releases.
- Introversion Software: UK-based independent game studio developing simulation and strategy titles (Prison Architect, DEFCON, Uplink). Directly comparable as a fellow small-team British indie developer focused on complex simulation gameplay and direct-to-consumer sales.
- Stardock: Independent developer of strategy and simulation titles (Galactic Civilizations, The Corporate Machine, Object Desktop). Highly comparable as a long-running indie studio specializing in 4X strategy and simulation games sold direct and via Steam.
Emerging players
- Mohawk Games: Indie studio founded by Soren Johnson (Civilization IV lead designer) developing Old World, a historical strategy game. Directly comparable as a small-team strategy developer competing in the historical/political simulation space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Positech social profiles
Digital presencePositech financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Positech leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Positech funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Positech M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Positech
What does Positech do?
Positech Games develops and self-publishes a portfolio of strategy and simulation PC video games, headlined by the Democracy political-simulation series (Democracy 3, Democracy 3: Africa, Democracy 4) and the Gratuitous series (Gratuitous Space Battles, Gratuitous Space Battles 2, Gratuitous Tank Battles). It also sells life/industrial/social simulations including Kudos 2, Redshirt, Production Line, and Shadowhand, distributed via Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, and the Apple App Store, with direct sales through positech.co.uk and a tiered educational site-licensing program for schools and universities.
Is Positech a public or private company?
Positech is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Positech founded?
Positech was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Positech based?
Positech is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Positech make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Distribution Platform Sales, educational Site Licenses and downloadable Content (DLC).
Who are Positech's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Paradox Interactive and 2K Games / Firaxis Games. Direct peers are Amplitude Studios, Harebrained Schemes, Introversion Software and Stardock. Mohawk Games is listed as an emerging player.
Does Positech have an API?
No public API is recorded for Positech.
What industry is Positech in?
Positech's product category is Indie Strategy & Simulation Video Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAH, Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.