Bootleg Steamer is a game that combines rogue-like elements with trading in the prohibition era. The game allows players to build a successful nautical business with its charming visuals and jazz music.
Players can hire crewmates, upgrade ships, and trade goods to make a profit on the open sea. They can choose to play it safe as a business simulator or embrace the thrill of illegal activities and risky encounters.
The game involves dealing with seafaring shenanigans, challenging encounters with the mafia, and unpredictable events on the open sea. The game offers a unique experience, allowing players to create their own narrative as they navigate through the game.
The game developers, Team Junkfish, created Bootleg Steamer as a result of a game jam, aiming to combine rogue-like and trading elements in a nautical game set in the prohibition era. The game’s historical backdrop involves incorporating certain events such as the Great Depression while prioritizing fun over historical accuracy.
Bootleg Steamer allows players to choose their captain and ship, trade goods to make a profit, hire crewmates with different perks, and upgrade their ships. The game also features shipwrecks to loot, missions to undertake, and the option to adopt pets, each with their own skill buffs.
Players can opt for a safe, relaxing business management sim experience or take a more adventurous route, making illegal trade and risky encounters part of their gameplay. Overall, Bootleg Steamer provides players with the flexibility to tailor their experience, whether as a relaxing sim game or an intense, high-stakes adventure.