[gamescom asia 2023] Bootleg Steamer Is A Relaxing Alcohol Smuggling Experience

We got to try out Bootleg Steamer ahead of its release during the Indie Wavemakers booth at gamescom asia 2023.

Bootleg Steamer is a simple, top down arcade game where you play as a captain of a ship and engage in tactical trading. Despite its casual nature and simplicity, the game has a lot going for it.

Players can choose from a multitude of ships, each with its own unique perks. You can also select your the captain, which able to provide different upgrade paths with their own advantages and disadvantages.

Being able to choose our ships and captains to suit our playstyles was a nice consideration, letting us freely choose our skills just as we can freely travel the seas.

The gameplay consists of players going to the nearest market, collecting as many goods as possible, and trading them for a profit.

Several obstacles such as currents and coast guards are also present in the game to spice up gameplay. Currents will slow down your ship or even throw goods overboard if the players are not careful when traversing the seas. Players will also have to be wary when transporting illegal goods such as alcohol, as coast guards will do routine checks on the players, and in the case they find illegal goods on your shop, you will have to serve time and lose out on potential profits.

Attempting to smuggle illegal goods through the currents of the seas and the coast guards was really cool, and had us feeling like members of a cartel.

There are also skills that you can use that allow you to throw a stack of random goods, use alcohol to boost your ship, or even lay a trap to slow down the coast guards. You can also hire people for additional perks, buy or salvage sunken ships for upgrades.

Overall, we the found the game to be really fun and relaxing, and is nice to pick up during a break.

Bootleg Steamer is available to try at the Indie Wavemakers booth at gamescom asia 2023.

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