Bootleg Steamer

I like boat. Very fun trading and chase mechanic prohibition game.

I've played only a few hours so far however it's pretty addictive! Narrowly evading capture by the police while trying to balance the smuggling of legitimate vs prohibited goods across the sea makes for a really fun experience. Being able to craft the perfect loadout of crew and upgrades to achieve this which is different in every run allows for a good amount of replayability. Visual wise it looks fantastic (especially when you see whales swimming below you!). Audio is also top notch. It definitely makes me want to play more of this developer's games!

Refunded due to technical issues, which is a shame because the game seems like a great time. Terrible lag even on low settings, and the map is unusable due to random scrolling.

[b] Overall: Fun Game! Recommended[/b] [b]Pros:[/b] + The theme is unique & the execution of it is on point + Amazing art style + Boat physics are fun + Depth and variety of game mechanics + The writing is great + Price + No tutorials for some gameplay mechanics makes exploring the game more fun [b]Cons:[/b] - Please, please, allow me to use my Escape button to exit menus & pause the game - Can't use keyboard shortcuts to trigger some abilities - Map is buggy - UI/UX: [*] The walls of text explaining game mechanics don't have any kind of colored/bold text and can not be accessed during the pause menu (in a glossary or help section or something). This makes trying to understand new mechanics while the game is unpaused (and you are being chased) quite challenging. [*] Having a smaller, secondary, icon-only menu bar in the pause menu is sometimes confusing [*] The "Quit" button is hard to find [*] While I appreciate not having explicit tutorials for some parts of the core gameplay loop, some UI elements should be introduced to the player (for example, the option to drop cargo, which is practically hidden)

Having seen this game at WASD I was looking forward to buying it and playing it in the comfort of my home. It's been a great way to spend time and I've really enjoyed my purchase so far, and I'm sure I will spend more time in this game in the future. Positives - really good fun, from working out what to buy and sell, to navigating the channels the map to avoid the traps - The whirlpools offer a great challenge - The way the coastguard works is great - Graphics are great and really fit the game - Range of boats is great, especially as they do seem to have different characteristics and visual appeal Negatives - Could do with a tutorial to help guide you through the early parts of the game - The ability to use a controller would enhance the enjoyment of the game, especially if you wanted to play on the sofa and use the TV as a monitor rather than sitting at your computer

Lacking a bit in the UX department, but a very fun gameplay loop. Really enjoyable to plan a route round the map and deal with the chaos that ensues from trying to load/offload cargo without the coast guard catching up to you Visuals and music are very charming, and controlling the ship is fun. There are fast currents, whirlpools, and other boats that you need to avoid or exploit, which adds a bit of depth to traversal (but it's still simple fun) Unfortunately there are no keyboard shortcuts and the UI is quite basic, which can dampen the experience a bit. There's also not much in the way of tutorial, so you need to work out most of the mechanics yourself

Not sure how but I suddenly got sucked into an hour's worth of gameplay in a blink of an eye! Extremely addictive, this game throws you into the life of a true blue bootlegger as you struggle to evade the coppers while trying to figure out the most in-demand alcohols, and finishing up the other quests that pop up. Fair warning, it does take a little getting used to in the first year, but after which the potential never stops growing. Loving this game, and looking forward to becoming an expert at the game in probably a week's time after neglecting my work, friends, and social life.

It's got some balance problems and lacks long-term depth, but it's well themed, well produced, and worth checking out.

The game is too hectic. It's much more of a racing game with trading options than a smuggling game. All the boats move incredibly fast, flipping around and bouncing off obstacles. On top of that, there's a tight timer. So you only spend a couple of minutes on fairly small maps with just a few smuggel/trade goods. Just when you've gotten your bearings, you have to move on. The whole thing would be more suited to a space setting. I was hoping to sail down the Mississippi in a cozy 1920s trawler. I would like a trading game spiced up with corrupt coast guards, prohibition, the mafia, and so on.

Boats + Booze = Good times, this is math. Math will prevail, delay no more and set sail. Its a bit like overboard the PS1 game...but with strategy, BUT if you click instead of sail around manually....then its nothing like overboard the PS1 game.