Empire of Vice : Chicago (2026)

Developer: Artifex Parvus
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Indie, RPG, Simulation, Strategy, Early Access
Rating: 4.0 of 5, 10 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 2.3 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A strategic, narrative-driven simulation of building a criminal empire during Prohibition, focusing on management, corruption, and choices rather than action.

criminal simulationnarrative-drivenstrategicatmosphericmethodicalprohibition era

What players say

Players are intrigued by the prohibition-era setting and core loop, but many hit a wall around turn 100 when rival gangs become untouchable while police and health systems penalize only the player. The early access release feels content-starved, with limited ways to earn money and no sandbox mode, and long-time players say development updates have stalled.

Screenshots

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More by Artifex Parvus

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.