Political strategy game Democracy 3 will receive a "standalone re-imagining" in the form of Democracy 3: Africa next year.

The new title puts players in charge of Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, Senegal, Tunisia, Botswana, or Mauritius, and asks them to balance the various social, economic, and political struggles affecting those countries.

Designed by Jeff Sheen of Stargazy Studios, it features new artwork, music, and in-game events designed around issues affecting African nations today, including poor infrastructure, low literacy, and government corruption.

Original Democracy 3 designer Cliff Harris, who has personally funded a school in Cameroon, explained the decision to model African politics in a blog post.

"In the west, we tend to think of Africa as either the target of charity fund-raising concerts, or somewhere to go on a safari," writes Harris. "We never think about the African economies, or African industry or exports. Lets not forget Africa is home to a billion people."

"The problems, opportunities and characteristics of many African countries make for a fascinating experiment in political strategy."

Harris bemoans the "distorted view of Africa" that gaming tends to have, describing its depiction thus far as "a destination where pirate bases or criminal gangs roam."

His blog post concludes with remarkable self-awareness, saying "we expect to learn a lot, and to be in full-on listening mode. We are two white guys in the UK making a game about Africa. I’ve never even been there. I get that. I know we will make mistakes, but they won’t be intentional. "

"If we have any ‘agenda’ here at all, its just to develop a game with an unusual and interesting setting, and to learn a little about Africa in the process."

Democracy 3: Africa is targeted for a Q1 2016 release on Mac and PC.