About CriminalZ

CriminalZ is a thrilling team-based rogue-lite gangster game where survival is the ultimate goal. Players take on the roles of criminals—such as Hackers, Burglars, Pickpockets, and Drug Dealers—and must work together to complete high-stakes missions while evading law enforcement.

The clock is always ticking, as your gang must earn enough money to satisfy your ruthless boss, or face deadly consequences. Explore dynamic urban environments, upgrade your equipment, and refine your skills to take on increasingly challenging tasks.

With procedurally generated maps, tense police chases, and a deep progression system, CriminalZ keeps you on edge every moment. Do you have what it takes to thrive in the underworld, or will you succumb to the pressure?


Discord: https://discord.gg/Xjun9ygV6h
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Why Play CriminalZ?

CriminalZ isn't just another game—it's a high-stakes rogue-lite experience that puts your strategy, teamwork, and adaptability to the ultimate test. Here’s what makes it a must-play:

• Unique Gameplay Loop: Juggle your roles as a hacker, burglar, pickpocket, or drug dealer, each with distinct abilities and playstyles. Every decision matters, and your survival depends on your ability to work together.
• Dynamic Challenges: With escalating police responses, rival criminals, and the constant pressure of satisfying your boss, every run offers a thrilling and unpredictable experience.
• Rogue-Lite Progression: Lose it all on failure, but gain powerful upgrades over time. Customize your character through talent trees, equipable items, and criminal stats to dominate the game.
• Immersive City Setting: Navigate a gritty urban environment, complete with a day-night cycle, unique loot, and dynamic events that make the world feel alive.
• Multiplayer Madness: Team up with friends to strategize and tackle challenges—or blame each other when it all falls apart. Your squad’s synergy is the key to surviving longer and making bigger scores.

Whether you're drawn to the challenge, the chaos, or the camaraderie, CriminalZ delivers an adrenaline-filled journey into the world of crime and survival. Dare to take the risk?

Roadmap for CriminalZ Development

Goals for December 2024 – Base Functionalities and Proof of Concept

By the end of 2024, my aim is to establish the foundational systems and demonstrate the core gameplay loop. Key objectives include:

• Classes: Implementation of the Woosh Dealer, Burglar, Pickpocket, and Hacker roles.
• Static City: Development of a static city environment as the initial playground.
• Day-Night Cycle: Introduction of a dynamic day-night system influencing spawns and gameplay.
• Unique Item Drops: Creation of diverse, impactful loot.
• Rogue-Lite Elements: Integration of a Talent Tree and a Criminal Progression System to reward players across runs.
• AI Systems: Basic functionality for Police AI, Citizen AI, and Enemy Criminal AI.
• Player Progression: Implementation of stats progression through equipable items.
• Boss System: A timer-driven reward and punishment system tied to player performance.
• Police Level System: Introducing escalating police responses based on player actions.
• Jail Mechanic: Players can face capture and imprisonment.
• Dynamic Interaction UI: A responsive user interface for in-game interactions.
• Closed Alpha 0.1: Launching the first test version of the game.

Goals for April 2025 – Multiplayer

The focus for early 2025 will shift toward enabling multiplayer functionality and expanding core systems. Key objectives include:

• Multiplayer Implementation: Allow players to collaborate or compete in teams.
• Telegraph Fighting System: Add a strategic combat system.
• Base Building: Introduce mechanics for creating and managing safehouses.
• Closed Alpha 0.2: Release the next version with multiplayer capabilities.
  

Goals for June 2025 – Expanding the City

Mid-2025 will emphasize expanding the game world and diversifying the gameplay experience. Key objectives include:

• Generic City Generation: Move from static to dynamic, procedurally generated cityscapes.
• Additional Currencies: Introduce more rogue-lite progression currencies.
• In-Game Events: Add dynamic, time-sensitive events for more varied gameplay.
• Closed Alpha 0.3: Unveiling these expanded features to testers.

Goals for November 2025 – Fine-Tuning Multiplayer

The final stretch of the roadmap will polish and prepare the game for a broader release. Key objectives include:

• Balancing: Refine game mechanics, classes, and systems for optimal gameplay.
• Feedback Integration: Utilize community insights to improve the experience.
• Steam Release: Officially launch the game on Steam.

About the dev

CriminalZ is a passion-driven indie game development project, crafted entirely by me as a solo developer. From designing the gameplay systems to building the city environments, every element of this game has been brought to life through dedication and countless hours of work. I am doing this next to my full time job as a software engineer.

As a one-person project, CriminalZ is a true labor of love, blending creativity, technical challenges, and community feedback to create an engaging rogue-lite multiplayer experience. Your support means the world to me, as it helps turn this ambitious vision into reality. Thank you for being part of this journey!

Contact me through discord:  https://discord.gg/Xjun9ygV6h

My Personal Goal for CriminalZ 🎯

My ultimate goal is to create the best and most fun game possible. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but I truly believe in this idea. CriminalZ brings together everything that I, and many of my friends, have loved about games over the years. Let me break it down for you.

Looting & Leveling: The Core of Progression

I think most players love feeling a sense of progress in a game. That’s why I chose a rogue-lite design—players start each run with a fresh perspective, but over time, they’ll notice how their journey has evolved. Different gear, different skill sets, and new strategies make every playthrough unique. Looting items and farming upgrades are always fun, especially when you’re excited about what might drop next to improve your character.

Movement Challenges & Telegraphs

Multiplayer games become even more engaging when player movement and positioning matter. CriminalZ will feature dynamic movement challenges where your skills are tested—and where watching your friends hilariously fail (or succeed) can add to the fun. In addition, telegraphs will require players to carefully consider where to stand and where to move, adding a layer of strategy to every encounter.

Base Building: Your Criminal Hideout

Every criminal needs a home base. In CriminalZ, players will have a base they can upgrade and customize to suit their needs. Deciding what to prioritize—whether it’s better defenses, improved storage, or faster resource generation—adds another layer of strategy and personalization.

A Dynamic Playground: The City

Repetition kills excitement, which is why the world of CriminalZ is designed to be dynamic. The playground is a sprawling city that evolves with each playthrough. Generic layouts? Not here. Instead, expect dynamic events, randomized layouts, and different challenges every time you start. The city should feel alive and unpredictable, keeping players on their toes.

Purpose: Why Farm the Best Gear?

Progression needs a purpose. Why farm for the best gear? Because there will be challenges that demand it. Boss fights, tougher enemies, and new cities will push players to their limits. My first goal is to create three unique cities, each more challenging than the last. Players will need to gear up and strategize to succeed.

Future Growth

CriminalZ won’t stop at launch. My vision for the game is to continue expanding it over time. Thanks to the dynamic and generic design of the codebase, adding new cities, enemies, or mechanics is straightforward. It’s all about crafting thoughtful concepts and balancing them well. For example, adding three new cities in the future could significantly expand the endgame experience.

The Inspiration

CriminalZ is inspired by some of my favorite games:

• MMO elements like World of Warcraft: Progression and loot systems.
• Survival aspects like Lethal Company: Thrills and unpredictability.
• A criminal vibe like GTA: Living life on the edge.
• A hint of 7 Days to Die: Looting items in trash or houses.

If this mix resonates with you, then CriminalZ might just be the perfect game for you.

Building for the Right Audience

Of course, not every aspect of the game will appeal to everyone, and that’s okay. My goal isn’t to please everyone—it’s to create the perfect game for those who love these elements, myself included. To that audience, I want this to be the game they can’t put down.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Let’s make something incredible together. 💥

How to support me

If you want to support me, join the discord server, provide feedback and react with some fire emojis:  https://discord.gg/Xjun9ygV6h 🔥