Designer's Note

Dear Reader,

At the time of writing, Global Nexus has been in development for over six years. It has grown through countless redesigns, experiments, tests, failures, and stubborn persistance. What began as a thought experiment about political agency has evolved into a sprawling simulation of geopolitics, economics, war, diplomacy, and human behaviour - one that now spans over 40 planned rulebooks, manuals, guides, and governing documents - and counting.

This is not a small game. It is probably not a balanced game. It is certainly not a fair game. But that's exactly the point.

Global Nexus is a sandbox of power - how it is gained, used, abused, constrained, negotiated, or simply lost. It asks players to navigate a world of asymmetary, scarcity, uncertainty, and consequences. Some nations will start in stronger positions than others. Some policies will be easier to implement than others. Some systems will collapse under pressure, and some will flourish. This is not a flaw. This is the simulation.

Our world is not balanced. So why should this game be?

Success in Global Nexus rarely comes from perfect plans. It comes from adaptation, diplomacy, resilience, and sometimes, sheer dumb luck. The game's complexity isn't there to confuse (though, I see how it can and does) - it's there to reflect a deeper reality: that systems are interconnected, messy, and most importantly, shaped by people. Your role isn't just to play within the rules, but to challenge them, bend them, influence them, or even rewrite them.

When asked whether Global Nexus is balanced, I can offer only this:

I don't know. Frankly, I don't care. It would take literally years to play. If you actually finish a game and think it's unbalanced, try playing again and then get back to me.

At this point, you're probably wondering: "Well, if the game isn't balanced or fair, why bother playing at all?"

Because Global Nexus isn't about crafting a fairytale. It's about grappling with the world as it is - or at least, how it might be. It's a space to explore hard decisions, to test ideas against reality, to experience the weight of leadership, and to ask: what would you do, if it were up to you?

The value isn't in symmetry. The value is in the story you build, the conflicts you navigate, and the systems you learn to shape - or survive.

Thank you for stepping into this world with us. Whether you lead a superpower, a struggling state, or something in between, I hope that Global Nexus offers you a space to question, explore, and imagine what power really means.

Jacob Wilson

Global Nexus Developer

(Certifiably Insane)