Dirty Business vs MENACE

• Perspective: Isometric / Top-Down
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Sci-Fi (Wayback System)
• Platforms: PC, Xbox
• Release Window: 2026
• Unique Feature: A deep turn-based tactical game featuring a high-stakes, persistent campaign with permanent losses, drawing inspiration from Battle Brothers and XCOM.

• 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

• Squads: The player commands multiple squads, each consisting of a leader and up to nine 'squatties'. Squads act as a single unit in combat, relying on synergy and discipline.
  Marines, Mercenaries, Criminals

• 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.

• Promotion Points: Earned by completing missions and used to customize Squad Leader perk trees.
• Strategic Assets: Temporary benefits gained during operations (e.g., mortar base, intelligence network) that provide tactical advantages on the battlefield.

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

• Sci-Fi
• Tactical RPG
• Turn-Based Strategy
• Squad Management
• Permanent Loss
• Military Simulation

• 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.

• Infantry Weapon (Primary): Assault Rifles, etc.
  The main weapon used by all squatties. Weapon selection is crucial as damage, penetration, and suppression capacity vary. The R14 A2 ARC Assault Rifle is an example.
• Infantry Special Weapon: Heavy Weapons
  Specialist weapons like RPGs, Sniper Rifles, Flamethrowers, and EMP Cannons. They can only be used when the squad is Deployed (crouched).
• Vehicle Weapons: Modular Weapons
  Heavy weapons like MMGs, light flamethrowers, or plasma rifles that are mounted on vehicles and chosen via modular weapon slots.

• 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.

• Infantry Armor: Armor determines the squad's Armor Value. Different classes have different armor ratings (Class 2 for shrapnel, Class 3 for SMG calibers, Class 6 for heavy protection). Armor has durability and can be repaired during missions.

• 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.

• Uniforms and Armor Variants: Customization is functional and aesthetic, with various armor types and accessories that can be equipped, influencing tactical performance (e.g., reducing suppression intake or increasing mobility).

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 persistent and tied to the campaign's strategic layer. Players upgrade the mobile HQ (TCRN Impetus) to gain benefits like Intel Components (for seeing enemy positions). Squad Leaders gain promotion points from missions to customize their unique perk trees. The entire strike force benefits from acquired equipment (spoils of war, black market buys) and temporary 'Strategic Assets' (e.g., mortar base, auxiliary infantry) gained during Operations.

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 features multiple planets with different biomes, each containing complex 'Operations'. Operations are mini-campaigns with 3–5 procedural missions and branching paths on a single planet. The maps are detailed, tactical, and feature environmental factors like varying terrain, dynamic weather, and night cycles that limit visibility and line of sight.

• 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.

• TCRN Impetus: Mobile Headquarters
  The player's central base of operations, used for managing budgets, recruiting troops, upgrading components, and providing orbital support to ground troops.
• AATV / Troop Carriers / MLRS: Ground Vehicles
  Various vehicles used by squad leaders, including All-Terrain Attack Vehicles and Troop Carriers. They are immune to suppression and provide transport and heavy fire support.

• 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.

• The Commander: Player Character
  The player, who commands the TCRN Impetus strike cruiser and all ground operations.
• Squad Leaders: Squad Commander
  Unique, handwritten characters (e.g., Edwin Pike, Jean Sai) who lead the infantry, vehicles, and mechs. They have unique perks and promotion paths.
• Squatties: Infantry
  The un-named, standard squad members. They are a finite resource, and their permanent loss in combat significantly reduces squad effectiveness.

• 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.

• Operations (Mini-Campaigns)
  A series of 3–5 procedural missions on a single planet with branching paths. The goal is to complete all objectives to earn high rewards. Losses carry over between missions.
• Mission Prep
  The phase before deployment. Players review intel, position squads, and adjust loadouts based on the mission's logistics limit.

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 MENACE?
  A: MENACE is a deep, single-player turn-based tactical RPG with permanent losses, drawing inspiration from Battle Brothers and XCOM. Players command a strike cruiser and lead squads in tactical sci-fi battles.
• Q: Does it have permadeath?
  A: Yes. If a Squad Leader or any of their infantry members ('squatties') dies in combat, they are permanently removed from the manpower pool, emphasizing the high stakes of every mission.
• Q: What is the 'Per-Faction Turn Order'?
  A: It is a unique turn structure where every faction on the map (including enemies) takes a turn to move one unit. If the enemy outnumbers the player, they may move several units in a row, creating massive pressure and forcing careful positioning.
• Q: Is there a multiplayer mode?
  A: No, the game is a strictly single-player experience with a focus on a deep campaign and strategic management.

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. The game is highly accessible and supports a wide range of hardware.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will be excellent on all modern gaming hardware. Good cooling is essential for long sessions.
• 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: MENACE

• 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.