You don’t build an empire overnight. You build it system by system, screen by screen, choice by choice.
Welcome to the very first development log for Project Kingpin, a criminal empire strategy game set in a gritty, stylized version of early-2000s America.
This one’s for the early crew — the people here before the trailers, before the polish, before the hype. We wanted to pull back the curtain and show where we’re at, what we’ve built so far, and where we’re going next.
From Concept to Concrete
Everything began with two fundamental questions:
What makes a great crime strategy game actually fun? & What were other games in the genre missing?
We started by playing other games in the genre…from empire-builders to turn-based tactics, breaking down what worked and what didn’t. What systems felt meaningful? What dragged? What gave players that satisfying feeling of control, tension, and power?
Then we took off our gamer hats and put on our dev ones.
We dug into reviews, community threads, and feedback posts. What were players actually saying? What made them stick with a game…or bounce off it? A few trends kept repeating. And that shaped how we wrote the first draft of our Game Design Document (GDD).
From there, our dev team translated vision into execution with a full Technical Design Document — a breakdown of all the core systems under the hood. That entire pre-production process took about four months.
“Analyzing other games in the crime simulation genre has been a fascinating journey through the history of this category. It was incredibly valuable to learn from some of the most influential titles in this segment, while also discovering fresh and innovative approaches emerging more recently. Our goal isn’t just to replicate the mechanics that made these games popular, but to identify and fill the gaps they left behind—or areas where execution could have been stronger. And I can confidently say we’re genuinely excited about what we’ve been able to bring to our own project!”
-Breno Rodrigues, Game Designer and Producer
What We’ve Built So Far
We’re in deep in the prototype phase. Here’s what’s already functional:
Gang Management
Recruit members, promote, dismiss, and level up your crew.
Criminal Operations
Form squads, execute robberies, and build your criminal network.
Economy & Logistics
Set up production chains, create logistics routes, and upgrade your operations.
Territory & Rival Gangs
Attack rival gangs and defend your own turf from them.
Heat & Crackdown
Manage rising police attention and face consequences as law enforcement cracks down.
Influence & Respect
Gain reputation in the neighborhood through choices, actions, and presence.
Dialogue System
Talk to NPCs, make decisions, and shape your story through conversation.
Every mechanic is still early, but the foundation is there. We very excited to share more in the upcoming months !!
What’s Next?
We’re focused on:
- Improving the core loop and flow between criminal, economic, and social systems
- Adding UI/UX polish and refining player onboarding
- Expanding territory control and dynamic NPC systems
- Integrating early sound design
- Opening up for closed playtesting
Stay Connected
We’re just getting started — and the best way to get in early is to stay in the loop. If you’re into deep strategy, gritty criminal underworlds, and building something from the ground up — this is your moment.
And when it’s time for closed playtesting, you’ll want to be ready !!
Join our Discord server for to have your voice heard, chat with the Devs and so much more !
