Soapbox
Soapbox is a simple game that runs over an
indeterminate number of turns - anyone can join in at any time.
Players stand for election as Prime Minister by answering questions as if being interviewed on TV (for example "What are your views on the Death Penalty?"). Each turn, 3 questions are posed to which players may answer.
The answers may be serious or flippant, or a bit of both.
All readers of the zine can vote for the new prime minister, according to how they rate the candidate's answers to the questions posted. Each voter has three votes, one per question - if a voter simply nominates one candidate then they get all three. Candidates may vote for themselves.
Entrants may use their own name, but far better to come up with a nom de plume and a joke party name.
Examples:
| Candidate | Question 1 | Question 2 | Question 3 | Total |
| Maximum Bob (Allnight Party) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Lik Mearse (Independent) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Biggus Dickus (Welease Woderwick) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Johnny Killer (National Overreacting Party) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Gordon the Great (Really Great Party) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eddie Hitler (Voice of Reason) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
This continues ad nauseum until people get bored of the game, i.e.
TURN 1 - First set of questions printed.
TURN 2 - Answers for turn 1's questions are printed along with a new set of questions for turn 2.
TURN 3 - Votes for turn 1 counted and the new PM is announced. Answers for turn 2's questions are printed along with a new set of questions for turn 3.
Readers of the zine are welcome to suggest controversial questions for use in future rounds.
When the GM decides to end the game it gets "run down" - no further questions posted.
By Richard Smith 1998