Dirty Business Play Report: Crime Syndicate Sim Is Solid in Early Access
The play report's core take is that a game about running a criminal empire works as a plain management sim, with the production, hiring and shipping loop holding up in Early Access.
Reporting from 1 source: Game Spark.
Plan Dirty Games launched Dirty Business on Steam Early Access on July 22, 2026. The play report follows the loop from cannabis cultivation in an underground hangar to weapon manufacturing, evidence disposal and currency counterfeiting, with reputation ranks unlocking new work. Employees semi-automate production, and the game supports solo and four-player co-op. The current build's tutorials start at zero cost, though employees cannot handle trash or shipping.
The player character starts Dirty Business right after escaping incarceration, setting up in an underground hangar. The opening loop is straightforward: buy pots, soil, seeds, watering cans and lights, grow cannabis, pack it on a dedicated table, take orders from a tablet and ship. Reputation ranks unlock the rest. Rank 4 brings a 3D printer for shotguns, assembled through a parts puzzle. Rank 3 adds a trash can, rank 10 a storage rack.
Hired employees automate production but only for specific tasks. In the current build they will not clean up trash or manage shipping, so the player still organizes and ships products by hand. The game supports solo play and co-op with up to four friends.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.