Deported: Drain the Swamp

Deported: Drain the Swamp is a satirical action game developed by Crankage Games, released in 2018. Players control Ronald J. Grump, a caricatured secret agent on a mission to deport extraterrestrial aliens invading Earth while using politically charged humor and parody. Set in a comedic, arcade-style environment with fixed-screen perspectives, the game blends direct combat mechanics and absurd narrative themes centered around ‘draining the swamp’ and reclaiming the planet.

Deported: Drain the Swamp: Review

Introduction

In the crowded landscape of indie satire, Deported: Drain the Swamp (2018) stands as a provocative, low-budget oddity—a game unafraid to weaponize political caricature for laughs. Developed by Crankage Games, a studio known for irreverent humor and niche RPGs like Metal as Phuk and The Chronicles of Quiver Dick, this title wraps its brash comedy in arcade-style gameplay. While far from a masterpiece, Deported offers a fascinating case study in how indie devs leverage controversy and absurdity to carve out a dedicated audience. This review argues that the game’s strengths (its audacious satire and fan-centric ethos) are undermined by shallow mechanics, yet its cultural footprint as a polarizing artifact of late-2010s political gaming cannot be ignored.

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Development History & Context

Studio Vision & Constraints
Crankage Games, a one-to-two-person operation led by Michael Salisbury, built its reputation on crude humor and self-aware jank. Deported: Drain the Swamp fits squarely within the studio’s portfolio of rapid-fire, bargain-bin comedies. Developed in an era when politically charged games like Hatred (2015) and The Church in the Darkness (2019) pushed boundaries, Deported aimed to capitalize on the divisive rhetoric of its time—specifically, the “drain the swamp” mantra of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

The game’s $0.79 price tag and minimalist design reflect its origins as a bite-sized, profit-driven project. Built using rudimentary 2D grid-based mechanics, Deported sidestepped technical ambition in favor of quick development and low-risk experimentation. Its Steam description openly admits its brevity: a 30-minute runtime designed for “comedy gaming fans” seeking laughs over depth.

The 2018 Gaming Landscape
Released on November 5, 2018—days before the U.S. midterm elections—Deported thrived in a climate where indie devs increasingly used games as political satire. Titles like Not For Broadcast (2020) and Tropico 6 (2019) would later refine this approach, but Deported’s unsubtle parody lacked their polish. Its timing and tone positioned it as a “meme game,” leveraging Steam’s algorithm and microtransaction-friendly pricing to attract curiosity-driven buyers.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Plot & Characters
Players control Ronald J. Grump (a thinly veiled Trump parody), a “secret agent” tasked with deporting extraterrestrial “illegal aliens” to “make Earth great again.” The narrative is a linear, absurdist romp filled with groan-worthy puns (“Spy vs. Spy”-style bureaucratic adversaries named “Billary Clanton”) and sci-fi nonsense. Grump’s mission to “drain the swamp” literalizes the political metaphor, framing corruption as a UFO invasion.

Satire or Shock Value?
The game’s humor leans heavily on hyperbole and fourth-wall breaks, mocking both politicians and gamers’ expectations. One Steam reviewer praised the “spoof characters” for their over-the-top silliness, while others dismissed the jokes as “fell flat” (Steam Community). The satire lacks nuance, relying on recognizable caricatures rather than insightful commentary. Yet, Crankage Games’ sincerity shines through in their developer note: “We will do our damnedest to make you smile.” It’s less a polemic than a playground for juvenile humor.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Loop: Grid-Based Alien Hunting
Deported’s gameplay is its weakest link. A fixed-screen, grid-based arcade game, it tasks players with navigating Grump through maze-like levels to deport aliens. Movement is clunky, with diagonal-down perspective controls feeling unintuitive. Power-ups are scant, and combat lacks variety, reducing the experience to a repetitive slog. One critic lamented, “The grid-based gameplay is really boring… [I] got pretty far, and the music helped with that” (Steam Community).

UI & Progression
The interface is functional but barebones, with minimal HUD elements and no skill tree or customization. Achievements and trading cards were promised post-launch but never implemented, per Steam forums. The 30-minute runtime prevents fatigue but also limits investment, positioning Deported as a novelty rather than a fulfilling experience.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

Visual Design: Cheap Charm
The art style embraces its low-budget roots with exaggerated, cartoonish sprites and garish color palettes. Grump’s character design—a bulbous orange silhouette with a comically oversized tie—exudes slapstick energy. Environments are static and uninspired, though the UFO-centric “swamp” levels feature amusingly absurd backdrops (e.g., floating MAGA hats).

Soundtrack: Unexpectedly Chill
The game’s music is its standout aesthetic feature. Lo-fi, synth-heavy tracks create an oddly relaxed contrast to the chaotic premise. Multiple Steam users praised the “chill” soundtrack, with one noting it “helped” endure the gameplay (Steam Community). Sound effects are minimal but serviceable, emphasizing exaggerated “zaps” and alien gibberish.

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Reception & Legacy

Commercial & Critical Response
Deported earned a “Very Positive” rating on Steam (85% of 55 reviews), buoyed by its price and self-aware humor. Critics largely ignored it—no professional reviews exist on Metacritic or MobyGames—but fans praised its “constant laughs” and devotion to absurdity. Detractors criticized its “dull” mechanics and one-note jokes.

Cultural Impact
While not influential, Deported exemplifies a niche trend of politically charged “quickie games” designed for viral appeal. Its sequel, Deported 2: Build That Wall (2018), doubled down on the formula but faded faster. Crankage Games’ emphasis on fan interaction—offering to include players’ names in future titles—cultivated a small but loyal community.

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Conclusion

Deported: Drain the Swamp is a flawed yet fascinating artifact of its era. Its deliberate crudeness and shameless satire won’t appeal to everyone, but as a microcosm of indie devs leveraging politics for profit, it’s a compelling case study. For $0.79, it delivers fleeting laughs and a bizarre aesthetic experience—but little else. While hardly a classic, it deserves recognition as a histrionic footnote in gaming’s broader culture wars.

Final Verdict: A janky, laugh-out-loud oddity for satire enthusiasts, but a missed opportunity for deeper gameplay innovation.