Hello everyone,
It’s been a while since I last gave you an update, and I wanted to take a moment to speak openly with you.
The project is not abandoned. It’s still in development. These past years have been a long road, sometimes complicated, but the game is moving forward—slowly, but surely.
I understand that such a long silence might have looked like an abandonment, and I sincerely thank you if you’re still here reading this. Your patience and interest mean a lot, and it’s for you that I want to see this through to the end.
The game has changed a lot since its demo at Steam NextFest back in… October 2021. Yeah, time flies. I’m a solo developer and Gangs of Rikton is my very first game, and like most first times, I made plenty of mistakes. I’ve changed my mind a lot on gameplay elements, and since 2022 I haven’t had as much time to work on the project as I wanted. So, what will the game look like?
Inspirations and Expected Gameplay
As you might guess, the game is partly inspired by Drug Dealer Simulator and Schedule I, but also (and most of all) by Scarface: The World Is Yours. On the story side, the main inspiration is the Breaking Bad series. Therefore, only synthetic drugs will be present in the game (ecstasy, methamphetamine, fentanyl), with the player primarily taking on the role of a cook.
Just like in Breaking Bad, the real challenge will be selling your product. You’ll have several options: direct sales to clients downtown, bulk deals with crazy gang leaders (think Tuco Salamanca), or using a prostitution network. But the most lucrative option will also be the most violent: taking control of fixed selling points, then entire neighborhoods, to dominate the market. This path will lead you straight into gang wars, where you’ll face ambushes in the city, assaults on your property, and the need to defend your dealers (yourself, or with hired henchmen). Rival gangs won’t sit idle; they’ll fight among themselves or even unite against you if you become too powerful (making for an intense endgame).
So, the core of the gameplay is: chemistry, logistics, managing your crew, and gang warfare (with the police, of course). As for the map size, Rikton City is slightly larger than Los Santos in GTA San Andreas.
Release Date?
Unfortunately, I can’t give one yet, as there’s still a lot of work to do. But I think early access will happen in less than a year (at least, that’s my hope). In the coming months, I’ll be updating the Steam page description and visuals (which are completely outdated). I’ll also be posting a few devlogs to showcase the major features. And when a new trailer drops, that will mean release is very close.
Thank you again for your support and trust.
Trijis Games