Dirty Business vs Pax Autocratica

• 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

• Drafted Conscripts: Citizens pulled from their daily labor to fight alongside you in the FPS raids. They deal suppressive fire and can be ruthlessly utilized as expendable meat-shields.
  Human Soldiers
• Automated Defense Drones: Deployed during intense skirmishes via specialized Cores; they automatically lock onto flanking enemies and provide localized covering fire while the Leader reloads.
  Mechanized Support

• 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.

• Roguelite Cores: Found exclusively within the dangerous expedition zones. These are the primary method of upgrading weapons, shields, and allied troop synergies for the duration of a run.
• Raw Ore and Scavenged Steel: Mined and hauled by your citizens back at the base. These essential resources are required to upgrade fragile shelters into fortified manufacturing plants.
• Propaganda Broadcasts / Maxims: Philosophical and satirical quotes from the State that appear on loading screens and can be manually browsed, fleshing out the game's dark political lore.

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

• Totalitarianism
• Sci-Fi Dystopia
• Political Satire
• Propaganda
• Base Building
• Mechanized Warfare
• Roguelite Expeditions

• 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.

• Standard Assault Rifle (Core Modified): Primary Firearm
  The baseline weapon of the State. It is highly modular, intended to be completely transformed during a run by collecting Weapon Cores that alter its fire rate, damage type, and spread.
• Capture Rounds: Non-Lethal Ammunition
  Specialized ammunition used to subdue rather than kill. Weakened foes hit with these can be dragged back to your colony's prisons to be broken and converted.
• Void Detonation Modifier: Explosive Synergy Core
  A powerful roguelite upgrade that transforms standard ballistic shots into localized explosions, dealing massive Area-of-Effect damage to grouped enemies.

• 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.

• Officer's Exosuit: The player's baseline armor, providing essential HUD elements and a regenerating energy shield capable of absorbing minor bullet-hell projectiles.
• Sacrificial Vanguard Plating: A twisted combat Core upgrade that redirects fatal damage meant for the Leader directly into the health pools of your accompanying AI soldiers.
• Shield Grenade Emitter: A tactical deployable device rather than worn armor; when thrown, it creates a massive localized energy dome that blocks incoming artillery barrages.

• 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.

• Leader's Ceremonial Uniform: An immaculate, intimidating military uniform adorned with medals, establishing absolute authority when walking amongst the ragged civilian population.
• Citizen Jumpsuits: Standardized, drab industrial clothing issued to all colony members, erasing individuality and enforcing the visual machinery of the State.
• Mechanized Combat Shells: Heavy, bulky metallic armor worn by your elite robotic soldiers, heavily scarred from continuous deployment into the hostile expedition zones.

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 relies heavily on collecting 'Roguelite Cores' during combat expeditions. Weapon Cores drastically alter the handling, damage, and projectile patterns of your primary firearms. Combination Cores allow players to create devastating synergies between different upgrade sets. Beyond personal firepower, other upgrades specifically strengthen the AI soldiers fighting beside you, or sadistically allow you to use them as expendable sacrificial shields. On the base-building side, players unlock social 'Directives' and tech-tree policies that alter the efficiency, fear levels, and loyalty of the colony's citizens.

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).

Pax Autocratica operates on a dual-layer map system. The macro-level features the 'Star Map' or base sector, where players design, build, and expand their intricate, tightly run colony layout. This area involves assigning citizens to mining, gathering, hauling, and manufacturing zones. The micro-level involves distinct 'Expedition Zones' (such as Elysia, Auryto, and Serina). These are instanced, hostile roguelite battlefields controlled by rival factions, filled with mechanized enemy soldiers, Overlord bosses, and bullet-hell mechanics that the player must personally conquer.

• 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.

• Troop Transport Dropship: Military Aircraft
  The heavy, utilitarian spacecraft used to deploy the Leader and their expendable squads of soldiers directly into the heart of hostile expedition zones.
• Mechanized Walker Artillery: Heavy Enemy Armor
  Massive, heavily armored enemy vehicles encountered during late-game combat runs that require concentrated fire and explosive Cores to dismantle.

• 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.

• Sattleri Warrior: Alien Mutant
  A highly dangerous, aggressive alien adversary encountered in the expedition zones, utilizing unique 'blink strike' mechanics to ambush the player.
• Overlord Venom Bug: Giant Insectoid Boss
  A massive, terrifying creature that spews toxic fog and controls swarms of smaller insects, acting as a major roadblock in the roguelite sectors.
• Lethal Venomfly: Hostile Fauna
  Small, aggressive swarming enemies that inflict a blinding poison HUD effect on the player, forcing rapid tactical retreats to clear lines of sight.

• 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 Loyalist: Model Citizen
  A colonist who has completely bought into the State's propaganda. They are highly productive, salute the Leader on sight, and eagerly report suspicious behavior.
• The Dissident: Rebel Element
  A citizen whose fear or hunger has turned to quiet rebellion. Left unchecked by surveillance or execution, they will incite others and launch full-scale revolts.
• Sector Overlord: Expedition Boss
  Massive, heavily armed faction leaders that control the roguelite battlefields, utilizing devastating bullet-hell attacks and requiring concentrated army fire to defeat.

• 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.

• Establish the State: Colony Management
  Build initial fragile shelters, assign hauling and mining tasks, and establish a basic food supply before the fragile morale of your starting survivors completely collapses.
• Crush the Dissent: Internal Security
  Identify subversive elements within your populace and utilize surveillance, execution, or targeted propaganda to re-educate them and prevent a full-scale revolt.
• Conquer Elysia: Roguelite FPS Expedition
  Lead a squad of conscripts into the hostile Elysia sector, collect synergistic combat Cores, and survive the bullet-hell mechanics of the Sector Overlord to claim victory.

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.

Pax Autocratica is strictly a single-player experience. The game is designed to make the player feel like an isolated, absolute dictator managing a complex web of AI citizens and executing solo (or AI-accompanied) roguelite raids. There are no co-op or competitive PvP modes, keeping the focus entirely on the personal narrative of power and corruption.

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'.

Pax Autocratica released into Steam Early Access on August 10, 2026. The developer, Multiverse, offers a single standard edition priced at $29.99 (frequently discounted to $23.99). The Early Access launch features the core colony simulation, several expedition biomes, and a complete suite of FPS mechanics. The studio boasts a 'State Guarantee' to prioritize player feedback and fix major bugs within 24 to 48 hours of discovery, heavily engaging with their community via Discord and Steam forums.

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.

The Early Access roadmap includes a continuous stream of free updates governed by community feedback. Recent post-launch patches have drastically improved ragdoll physics on explosion kills, added new visual combat effects like the 'Lethal Venomfly', and implemented highly requested community features like mechanical soldier recharging animations and the ability to cancel citizen 'Paid Time Off'. The developers actively poll the community for new 'cruel, bureaucratic, and unhinged' State policies to implement in future patches.

• 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: How do the two gameplay styles mix?
  A: The game is cleanly divided. You manage your colony from a top-down, macro perspective (assigning jobs, building structures, managing citizen happiness/fear). When you need resources or want to expand, you transition directly into a first-person shooter to complete roguelite combat runs.
• Q: Can my own citizens attack me?
  A: Yes. If you fail to manage their basic needs like hunger, or push them too hard without instilling enough fear or loyalty through propaganda, quiet dissent will eventually boil over into an active, violent revolt within your base.
• Q: Do I lose everything if I die in a raid?
  A: As a roguelite, dying during a first-person expedition will cause you to lose the temporary combat Cores gathered during that specific run, but the permanent infrastructure and progression of your overarching colony remains intact.
• Q: Is the game multiplayer?
  A: No, Pax Autocratica is a strictly single-player experience focused on your personal reign as a dictator.

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.

Visually, the game utilizes a stylized, darkly satirical aesthetic. The colony features fragile, grimy industrial shelters that eventually evolve into imposing, brutalist State machinery. The combat zones contrast this with bright, vibrant sci-fi laser effects, sprawling explosions, and chaotic bullet-hell projectile patterns. Characters range from human dissidents in rugged attire to advanced, heavily armored mechanical soldiers and terrifying 'Scourgeborn' and 'Sattleri Warrior' alien mutants.

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 auditory experience heavily leans into its dystopian themes. The game features satisfying, punchy weapon sound effects, visceral explosion acoustics, and atmospheric base audio. Notable sound design elements include citizens automatically saluting the Leader as they walk past, blaring alarms during colony emergencies, and the unsettling hum of surveillance equipment. The game also features robust audio accessibility, including custom volume controls and stereo/surround sound support.

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.

The UI successfully bridges two vastly different genres. During colony management, the interface provides deep metric overlays, allowing players to instantly check the 'Fear', 'Happiness', 'Hunger', and 'Loyalty' levels of individual citizens, alongside comprehensive resource tracking for hauling and manufacturing. In combat, the UI switches to a sleek 'Command Mode', providing a tactical map zoom scale to judge enemy positions and clear, legible readouts for health, shields, and active Core synergies.

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.

Recognizing the high learning curve of hybrid genres, Pax Autocratica includes several excellent accessibility options. Players can freely utilize an 'Adjustable Difficulty' slider at any time to tailor the challenge of the FPS combat or the strictness of the colony economy. It also features a 'Save Anytime' system, custom volume sliders, and warning screens for players with photosensitive epilepsy due to the flashing lights of the chaotic roguelite combat.

• 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

• Pax Autocratica features complex background simulation for its colony management elements while simultaneously demanding high framerates for its first-person roguelite shooting mechanics. Balancing CPU overhead for AI routines and GPU demands for combat effects is critical.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptops will face heavy, simultaneous loads on the CPU (calculating citizen loyalties, feuds, and base logistics) and GPU (rendering chaotic battlefield projectiles and explosions). Adequate thermal dissipation is required to prevent stuttering during intense FPS raids.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A minimum 85W TGP is highly recommended for 1080p rendering (RTX 3060 Mobile or equivalent), ensuring smooth frame delivery when overlapping projectile patterns flood the screen.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Because the game shifts between wide macro-management and fast-paced micro-combat, thermal throttling can instantly ruin a delicate firefight. Cooling pads are highly advised.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Set power profiles to Maximum/Turbo. The background simulation of a massive, self-sustaining colony requires high continuous thread performance.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Bypassing Optimus via a MUX switch is crucial to reduce input latency during the FPS roguelite segments where dodging bullet-hell mechanics is necessary.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Standard resolution scaling is supported, which is highly beneficial when enemy overlords flood the screen with overlapping bullet-hell laser patterns.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Shadow Quality and Particle Effects have the largest impact on GPU overhead, while the number of active colonists heavily dictates CPU frame pacing.
• Game Name: Pax Autocratica

• 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.

• Upscaling Tech: Standard resolution scaling is supported, which is highly beneficial when enemy overlords flood the screen with overlapping bullet-hell laser patterns.
• Key Settings Impact: Shadow Quality and Particle Effects have the largest impact on GPU overhead, while the number of active colonists heavily dictates CPU frame pacing.

• 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: A minimum 85W TGP is highly recommended for 1080p rendering (RTX 3060 Mobile or equivalent), ensuring smooth frame delivery when overlapping projectile patterns flood the screen.
• Cooling Thermals: Because the game shifts between wide macro-management and fast-paced micro-combat, thermal throttling can instantly ruin a delicate firefight. Cooling pads are highly advised.
• C P U Power Limits: Set power profiles to Maximum/Turbo. The background simulation of a massive, self-sustaining colony requires high continuous thread performance.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Bypassing Optimus via a MUX switch is crucial to reduce input latency during the FPS roguelite segments where dodging bullet-hell mechanics is necessary.