Dirty Business vs Castle of Heart: Retold

• Perspective: 2.5D Side-Scroller
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Slavic Mythology
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 (TBA)
• Unique Feature: A unique curse mechanic that acts as a timer, where the player's health constantly depletes and must be replenished through aggressive combat, creating a timed-runner feel.

• Head of Security Guard: Patrols the underground bunker with a shotgun, automatically intercepting intruders and escorting delivery drivers.
  Human Henchman
• Chief Logistics Dispatcher: Automates customer order routing and assigns street dealers to optimal city corners to maximize daily profit.
  Human Employee

• Exotic Botanical Seed Strains: Found inside locked dead-drop containers across the city; unlocks high-THC cannabis strains commanding top market prices.
• Smuggled Gold Bullion Bars: Discovered in hidden floorboard safes inside rival gang hideouts; provides immediate high-value capital injections.
• Corrupt Police Evidence Files: Intercepted from vice squad vehicles; can be burned to instantly eliminate district police heat or used to blackmail officials.

• Crystals of Mokosh: Four hidden gems are scattered throughout each of the game's 20 levels. Collecting them extends Svaran's maximum health.
• Stone Hearts: Floating pickups found throughout levels and dropped by enemies. These are essential for replenishing Svaran's constantly draining life bar.

• Criminal Empire
• Underworld Management
• Illicit Production
• Black Market Logistics
• Underground Bunker
• Cartel Smuggling
• 4-Player Co-op

• Dark Fantasy
• Slavic Mythology
• Action Platformer
• 2.5D
• Indie
• Curse

• Fabricated 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol: Manufactured Handgun
  An unregistered, serialized firearm crafted in the underground workbench, used for personal defense or sold in bulk to street dealers.
• Black Market 12-Gauge Tactical Shotgun: Close-Quarters Defensive Firearm
  A heavy-duty pump shotgun assembled from stamped steel parts, delivering devastating stopping power against rival gang raiders.
• Compact Polymer Submachine Gun (SMG): Automatic Weaponry Contraband
  A high-capacity rapid-fire SMG manufactured in the gunsmith room to fulfill high-paying international cartel weapons contracts.
• Heavy Steel Crowbar: Melee Enforcer Tool
  A versatile manual tool used to pry open crates, dismantle old bunker infrastructure, and defend against close-range attackers.
• Industrial Currency Printing Press: Financial Contraband Machinery
  A high-precision mechanical press that stamps out stacks of realistic counterfeit banknotes to generate untraceable cash reserves.

• Sword: Primary Melee
  Svaran's main weapon for close-quarters hack-and-slash combat.
• Secondary Melee Weapons: Torches, Hatchets
  A variety of melee weapons that can be picked up and used for a limited time. Svaran drops his secondary weapon if his first health bar is depleted.
• Secondary Ranged Weapons: Javelins, Crossbows
  Ranged weapon options that can be found in the levels for engaging enemies from a distance.

• Concealable Kevlar Body Vest: Ballistic Protection +40%, Concealment Rating 95%; lightweight tactical vest worn beneath casual clothes during surface deliveries.
• Hazmat Chemical Respirator & Suit: Toxic Fume Immunity 100%, Acid Burn Resistance +80%; protective gear required when cooking chemical narcotics and synthetic opioids.
• Reinforced Tactical Raid Vest: Bullet Resistance +70%, Extra Ammo Slots +4; heavy plate armor donned when repelling hostile cartel invasions.

• Knight's Armor: Svaran wears a suit of armor, but there is no traditional armor system with defensive stats. His durability is determined by his health bar, which is extended by collecting Crystals of Mokosh.

• Underworld Kingpin Trench Coat: Stylish dark tailored coat bound with concealed interior pockets for stashing cash rolls and unregistered handguns.
• Industrial Mechanic Overalls: Durable grease-stained denim workwear worn when repairing delivery vans and tuning factory machinery.
• Street Hustler Hoodie & Mask: Inconspicuous dark hooded sweatshirt paired with a neoprene face mask to obscure identity on surface security cameras.

Progression combines facility expansion, automation technology, and personal crime syndicate perks. As players earn revenue from completed orders, money is reinvested to purchase new bunker wings, industrial ventilation systems, and specialized equipment: commercial hydro-grow pots with automated irrigation, advanced chemical centrifuges and pill presses, industrial laser engravers for weapon serial scrubbing, and multi-plate currency printing presses. Kingpins also unlock syndicate perks that decrease police heat buildup, increase dealer sale margins, reduce raw material costs, and boost worker production efficiency.

Progression is based on in-level pickups and collectibles. Players can find dozens of different melee and ranged secondary weapons throughout the levels. Collecting the four 'Crystals of Mokosh' hidden in each level will extend Svaran's maximum life bar. There is no traditional skill tree; progression is tied to player skill and health upgrades.

The game's environment is split between an expansive underground facility and the surface urban open world. Key areas include: The Subterranean Hangar (your customizable headquarters, featuring expandable grow rooms, chemistry labs, printing workshops, weapon foundries, employee break areas, and a massive vehicle garage), The Industrial District (a gritty manufacturing borough filled with abandoned warehouses and scrap yards), The Downtown Core (a bustling commercial district ideal for discreet street dealers and high-end buyers), The Docks & Canal Basin (maritime shipping yards used for waterborne smuggling), and The Secret Cartel Airstrip (a remote desert dirt runway used to land twin-engine cargo planes for bulk international shipments).

The game is a linear 2.5D platformer. Players will travel across 20 levels set within four distinct, Slavic-inspired landscapes. Most levels have been completely rebuilt for the Retold version, featuring new animations and more detailed environments.

• Disguised Plumbing Delivery Van: Front-Company Cargo Van
  An inconspicuous commercial van with plumbing logos used to transport large shipments of drugs and weapons past surface police patrols.
• Twin-Engine Cartel Cargo Plane: Smuggling Transport Aircraft
  A rugged propeller airplane stationed at the secret desert airstrip used to deliver massive international contraband orders for millions in profit.

• Hangar Guard Dog: Canine (Canis lupus familiaris)
  Trained security dog stationed at the bunker entrance to detect undercover informants and alert to approaching police cruisers.
• Subterranean Tunnel Rat: Urban Rodent
  Scuttling pests inhabiting unrenovated bunker corridors that must be cleared out before installing sterile chemical labs.
• Desert Buzzard / Vulture: Scavenger Bird
  Circling wildlife soaring over the remote desert cartel airstrip, signaling hot weather and isolated terrain.
• Alleyway Feral Cat: Urban Feline
  Ambient wildlife roaming outside back-alley delivery doors in the downtown core.

• The Boss (Protagonist): Criminal Mastermind / Player Character
  A resourceful and ruthless entrepreneur who designs, automates, and expands a massive underground syndicate beneath the city.
• Marco (The Broker): Black Market Supplier & Client
  An elusive underworld coordinator who provides encrypted supply orders, advanced machinery blueprints, and wholesale cartel buyers.
• Detective Vance: Corrupt Police Investigator
  A compromised vice detective who offers advance warnings regarding police raids in exchange for steady weekly bribe payouts.
• Hired Bunker Chemist: Automated Laboratory Worker
  Skilled personnel hired on payroll to oversee mixing vats, pill presses, and distillation tubes in the underground lab.

• Svaran: Playable Protagonist
  A noble Slavic warrior who is cursed and turned to stone. He must fight against time to defeat the evil sorcerer and save his beloved.
• Mira: Key NPC
  A priestess and Svaran's betrothed. Her tear brings Svaran back to life, and her rescue is his primary goal.
• The Sorcerer: Antagonist
  The main villain of the game. A servant of the evil god Chernobog who cursed Svaran and rules the land with dark magic.

• Breaking Ground in the Bunker: Prologue & Base Foundation
  Clear industrial debris from the abandoned hangar, hook up electrical generators, and harvest your first batch of hydroponic weed.
• The Counterfeit Currency Ring: Financial Expansion Heist
  Purchase and install an offset printing press, secure chemical ink, and print $100,000 in fake bills without raising municipal bank alerts.
• Operation Desert Runway: High-Stakes Cartel Export
  Load a fleet of disguised delivery vans, transport bulk contraband to the secret desert airstrip, and fuel the cargo plane before federal agents intercept.

Dirty Business features seamless 4-player online cooperative multiplayer. Up to four friends can collaborate in a single shared criminal empire, dividing responsibilities in real time: one player can oversee botany and harvest in the grow rooms, another can manage chemical synthesis and pill pressing, a third can run counterfeit printing presses, while the fourth loads delivery vans to handle surface drop-offs and evade police patrols.

Dirty Business launched into Steam Early Access on July 22, 2026, for PC via Steam at an accessible entry price of $14.99 USD. A free standalone prologue demo titled 'Dirty Business: Free of Charge' was released prior to launch, allowing players to sample the opening bunker setup and initial cannabis cultivation mechanics. Players can also purchase the game in bundled collections with other simulation titles such as the 'Low-Budget Repairs and Dirty Business Bundle'.

Plan Dirty Games has established an active Early Access development roadmap driven by community feedback. Recent updates introduced the 'Elevator Order Delivery System' (Update 0.2.0) and 'Repeating Worker Tasks' for streamlined automation. Planned upcoming milestones include expanded chemical drug synthesis chains (such as heroin and synthetic opioids), new craftable military assault rifles, evidence-disposal and body-incineration contracts, rival cartel territory wars, and an interactive streamer integration mode allowing Twitch/YouTube viewers to join games as hired laborers.

• Q: What is Dirty Business?
  A: Dirty Business is a first-person criminal empire management simulator developed by Plan Dirty Games, where players build, automate, and expand an illegal underground production and distribution network.
• Q: What can you produce in Dirty Business?
  A: Players can cultivate multiple cannabis strains, synthesize chemical drugs like LSD and meth, print counterfeit currency, and manufacture unregistered firearms.
• Q: Does Dirty Business support multiplayer?
  A: Yes, Dirty Business features full 4-player online cooperative multiplayer, allowing friends to manage different production departments and coordinate deliveries together.
• Q: What is the cartel airstrip?
  A: The cartel airstrip is an unlocked remote desert runway where players can load cargo planes with massive bulk orders to fulfill lucrative international smuggling contracts.
• Q: Is there a free demo available?
  A: Yes, 'Dirty Business: Free of Charge' is available as a free standalone demo on Steam, allowing players to experience the early game mechanics.

• Q: What is Castle of Heart: Retold?
  A: It is a complete remake and definitive version of the 2018 Nintendo Switch exclusive action platformer, Castle of Heart. It features massively improved graphics, rebalanced combat, and a reimagined story.
• Q: What is the 'curse' mechanic?
  A: The protagonist, Svaran, is cursed to turn to stone. This translates into a unique gameplay mechanic where his health constantly drains like a timer. He must stay aggressive, killing enemies or finding pickups to replenish his health and survive.
• Q: Is it a hard game?
  A: Yes, it is designed to be a challenging 2.5D action platformer, similar in feel to classic games like Super Ghouls and Ghosts. Precision platforming and strategic combat are required.
• Q: What's new in the 'Retold' version?
  A: Almost everything has been enhanced. Most levels are rebuilt, graphics and lighting are overhauled, controls are more responsive, combat is rebalanced to be more tactical, and every line of dialogue and every cutscene has been remade.

Developed in Unity, Dirty Business features a gritty, realistic 3D aesthetic characterized by atmospheric subterranean lighting. Neon grow lights bathe hydroponic rooms in deep magenta and violet glows, while sparks fly from welding torches in the weapon fabrication shop. Real-time shadow casting, volumetric dust motes in abandoned warehouse basements, and detailed physical product models (such as vacuum-sealed cannabis bags and stacked money bricks) enhance immersion.

The sound design emphasizes tactile industrial immersion: the steady hum of high-powered hydroponic fan systems, the rhythmic clatter of currency printing presses stamping bills, bubbling beakers on chemical burners, and the mechanical rumble of surface elevator lifts. The background soundtrack features low-key urban hip-hop beats, gritty dark synthwave, and tension-building percussive rhythms that ramp up when police sirens echo outside.

The interface combines a diegetic first-person management approach with crisp digital overlays. Players manage business operations through an in-game desktop PC and portable smartphone terminal, checking market commodity prices, ordering seeds and chemicals, assigning worker shifts, and monitoring police heat meters across individual city districts. Interactive production machines feature clear visual gauges displaying temperature, ingredient ratios, and batch progress.

Plan Dirty Games implemented thoughtful accessibility settings: customizable difficulty sliders (adjusting police aggression, delivery timers, and raw material costs), camera comfort controls to mitigate motion sickness, adjustable field-of-view (FOV), full controller remapping, dedicated volume sliders for individual machine sound effects, and save-anytime functionality.

• Built in the Unity engine utilizing multi-threaded worker pathfinding, dynamic lighting, real-time chemical fluid shaders, and networked cooperative physics. While optimized for modern quad-core configurations, an SSD is recommended to accelerate asset loading when transitioning between the subterranean hangar, surface delivery elevators, and the remote cartel airstrip.
• Laptop Performance Note: Managing multi-room underground production facilities with dozens of automated workers, conveyor belts, printing presses, and street traffic places steady multi-core load on mobile CPUs and discrete GPUs. Gaming laptops should sustain at least 60W to 85W GPU TGP and operate on a flat, well-ventilated surface to prevent thermal throttling during high-density co-op sessions.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Ensure dedicated mobile GeForce GTX/RTX or Radeon RX GPUs sustain at least 60W-75W+ TGP to maintain a fluid 60+ FPS when rendering complex indoor hangar machinery and dynamic warehouse lighting.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Continuous simulation of automated worker schedules and chemical processing cycles maintains steady CPU thermals; keeping laptop intake vents unobstructed is recommended.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Set Windows power settings to High Performance to ensure consistent clock speeds during rapid logistics delivery cycles and 4-player multiplayer synchronizations.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Engage discrete GPU mode via internal MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus to bypass integrated graphics bottlenecks and ensure responsive first-person controls.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Native resolution scaling and temporal anti-aliasing.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Shadow Quality, Texture Resolution, Ambient Occlusion, and Worker AI Simulation Tick Rate have the largest impact on frame rates.
• Game Name: Dirty Business

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS from the game's Steam page. These specifications are for the rebuilt 'Retold' version and are relatively modest.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will be excellent on modern hardware. Most gaming laptops from the last few years will run the game at high settings without issue.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Not a critical factor for this title, as it is not graphically intensive.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game is not demanding enough to stress modern cooling systems.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Any modern mobile CPU will handle the game with ease.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Not a critical feature, but beneficial for reducing latency in any game.
• Game Name: Castle of Heart: Retold

• Upscaling Tech: Native resolution scaling and temporal anti-aliasing.
• Key Settings Impact: Shadow Quality, Texture Resolution, Ambient Occlusion, and Worker AI Simulation Tick Rate have the largest impact on frame rates.

• G P U T G P: Ensure dedicated mobile GeForce GTX/RTX or Radeon RX GPUs sustain at least 60W-75W+ TGP to maintain a fluid 60+ FPS when rendering complex indoor hangar machinery and dynamic warehouse lighting.
• Cooling Thermals: Continuous simulation of automated worker schedules and chemical processing cycles maintains steady CPU thermals; keeping laptop intake vents unobstructed is recommended.
• C P U Power Limits: Set Windows power settings to High Performance to ensure consistent clock speeds during rapid logistics delivery cycles and 4-player multiplayer synchronizations.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Engage discrete GPU mode via internal MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus to bypass integrated graphics bottlenecks and ensure responsive first-person controls.

• G P U T G P: Not a critical factor for this title, as it is not graphically intensive.
• Cooling Thermals: The game is not demanding enough to stress modern cooling systems.
• C P U Power Limits: Any modern mobile CPU will handle the game with ease.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Not a critical feature, but beneficial for reducing latency in any game.