In Anomaly President, the second game from Turkish developer Phew Phew Games, players take on the role of a presidential candidate. By day, they try to win over the hearts of the people; by night, they become a fast-paced, hack-and-slash vigilante warrior.
In Anomaly President, players take on the role of a presidential candidate trying to win votes and gain support during the day, and a vigilante warrior using weapons to take down criminal gangs controlled by the current president at night. The game is set in a cyberpunk metropolis with a '90s vibe.
Let's start with the night-time battles consisting of action-packed, 2D, roguelike combat reminiscent of a hack-and-slash platformer, with a fluid combo system — also reminiscent of Anomaly Agent, Phew Phew Games' predecessor. Here, the President fights his way through levels in a side-scrolling action game. The combat system is fast and flexible and the kill animations are sometimes downright over-the-top. Players can shape their playstyle by earning upgrades (perks) after clearing areas during runs — for example, they can become a parrying swordmaster or a cyber-mage who deals area-of-effect damage with anomaly powers. Once again, strong synergies between buffs and skills are key. Hybrid playstyles are also possible. Boss battles pit players against 'vice presidents' and ministers of the corrupt regime, each of whom possesses an anomaly power that can be stolen. If the presidential candidate dies during a run, all weapon upgrades and temporary powers collected are lost, but the anomaly cores are retained. These can be used to upgrade the campaign bus and improve its permanent passive stats.
Anomaly President © Phew Phew Games, Gamedev.ist and Gamersky Games.
Of course, the presidential candidate travels to these locations in the campaign bus, a mobile base of operations that can be upgraded in all sorts of absurd ways. In this part of the game, players win votes by giving speeches, handing out gifts, and completing mini-games such as dancing with citizens. The higher your Charisma stat rises, the more rooms can be built. These rooms form part of the progression system, strengthening the presidential candidate. But the Fluffies also come into play here. These small anomalous creatures can be freed during night-time missions or join the player during the day following certain actions. Fluffies can operate various rooms on the bus, but they also need to be looked after and given time to rest. Players can assign them to different departments: some campaign for the player during elections, some upgrade their equipment and some assist them in battles. For instance, Fluffies can be used to print their own newspaper or run a TV channel to influence public opinion. When they assist in battle, they appear when you attack, dodge, or use Anomaly powers.
Anomaly President © Phew Phew Games, Gamedev.ist and Gamersky Games.
Anomaly President is the second game from Phew Phew Games, an independent game development studio based in Turkey that is dedicated to creating action games. The studio is supported in its publishing efforts by Gamedev.ist (also based in Turkey) and Gamersky Games. The game entered Early Access on Steam on 3 August 2026 and can be played from start to finish. It costs €15.49. However, some regions of the world map and the final story ending are still missing in its current state, and will be added during the one-year Early Access phase.
Phew Phew Games writes about the next steps: "The upcoming month will bring more damage to the Support Fluffies to make them more impactful in the battle. We’ll also be shipping the new Exchange Room for your campaign bus to allow you to trade your upgrade currencies between each other for a better sense of progression. Alongside a new room, Merchant Fluffy is ready to enlist for your revolution, allowing you to buy extra upgrade during the run. Finally, the first month will bring visual improvements to the base building, as we know that the campaign bus is the heart of your revolution. (...) September will be big for Anomaly President as we want to expand your arsenal and also show you the real scale of the tyranny you’re facing. Both the enemy roster and the number of weapons you can wield will increase."
It's a mix that's as bizarre as it is off-the-wall: Anomaly President is a wild and fun genre-bender that is currently available on Early Access.
