The Boss Gangsters: Nightlife Review: Part Nightclub Sim, Part Mafia Tycoon, All Early Access Jank

I've always wanted to run a nightclub as a front for a criminal empire. This game lets me do it, provided I'm willing to fight the bugs, the balancing, and the brain-dead pedestrians.

I had no idea what to expect when I booted up The Boss Gangsters: Nightlife. On paper, it's my dream game: a wild mix of GTA Vice City aesthetics, Empire of Sin's criminal-empire strategy, and a full-blown nightclub management sim.

You start with a run-down building and a few bucks. The game just throws you in. No long-winded tutorial, just "here's your empty club, good luck."

This dual-loop is the hook. By day, you're a manager. By night, you're a gangster. It sounds stressful as hell, and it is, but in a chaotic, addictive way.

The Day/Night Hustle

This is the core gameplay, and it's split right down the middle.

During the day, I'm a legitimate businessman. I'm in the menus, ordering booze, hiring bartenders and bouncers, setting drink prices, and planning events.

At night, the real work begins. I'm out in the city, making shady deals, collecting protection money, and trying to expand my territory without getting a cement manicure.

The two sides feed each other perfectly. A booming club gives me the cash and influence to fund my street operations. And my street operations? They "protect" my club and make sure the competition doesn't get too... competitive. It's a fantastic foundation for a game.

A Nightclub Full of Eurojank

This is where the "Early Access" part hits you in the face with a brick. This game is rough.

Let's start with the city. It is completely lifeless. Pedestrians are just walking obstacles. I've had them just... walk into the side of my car and instantly die. No physics, no ragdoll, just... poof, dead. The traffic is just as braindead.

The optimization is a mess. The game runs fine when I'm out on the empty streets, but the second I walk into my own fully-staffed club, my framerate tanks. I'm running high-end hardware, and the game just chokes on itself while my system is barely breaking a sweat.

The UI is clunky as all hell. Placing furniture is a nightmare of bad hitboxes. Trying to click on an employee to check their stats is a pixel-hunting adventure. I can't even move UI windows, so I'm trying to check a customer's bill while the window itself is covering their mood.

And the bugs. Oh, the bugs. I've had soft-locks that forced a restart. I've had missions just... break and more.

The 'Gangster' Part Needs More... Gangster

This was my biggest letdown. The "club management" part is there, but the "gangster" part feels like a cheap mobile game.

The combat is... auto. You just click on an enemy, and your little guys run up and start smacking each other. It all just happens on-screen. There are no tactics, no Gangland-style brawls, no real control. It's just... a DPS race.

This extends to the whole crime system. It feels underdeveloped. Right now, this is 80% Club Manager and 20% Gangster-Themed-Clicker. I'm really hoping this is just an Early Access placeholder.

But the Vibe... The Vibe Is Perfect

So why am I still playing? Why am I cautiously recommending this?

Because the atmosphere is fantastic.

The devs absolutely nailed the Miami Vice / Mafia 2 look. Neon lights, slick cars, thumping electronic music. It's a whole mood.

Your club feels real. You see the guests dancing, the bartenders working, and your bouncers... well, bouncing. It's not just a spreadsheet. When you're standing in your back office, hearing the muffled beat from the dance floor while you're on the phone with a rival boss, the game clicks. It's magic.

The Verdict (For Now)

This is the definition of an Early Access coin flip. The potential here is massive. This is a gap in the market I've been dying for someone to fill.

But right now? It's a buggy, unbalanced, and shallow experience. The economy is a disaster. It takes forever to earn money, but you're constantly getting attacked by thugs who smash your tables and kill your staff. And replacing your bouncers and gangsters costs a fortune. It's a frustrating grind.

The devs say the game is only about one-third done, and boy does it feel it.

I'm recommending it, but with a huge asterisk. You are not buying a finished game. You are buying a concept. You are buying a gamble that the devs will actually finish it and not abandon it.

If you love this idea and have the patience of a saint for jank, jump in. If not, wishlist this, and let's all pray it becomes the game it deserves to be.

Score: 6/10 - The potential is a 8. The execution is a 4. Let's meet in the middle and hope for the best.

We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn't impact our review in any way.

You might also like

• Species: Unknown Review: This Is the Co-op ‘Alien: Isolation’ I’ve Been Begging

• Sunken Engine Review: Fixing Boats and Fighting Eldritch Bullshit

• Escape From Duckov Review – A Mess of Contradictions I Can’t Stop Playing

• Town to City Review: The Cozy Builder That Finally Let Me Stop Hating City Builders

• Hollywood Animal Review: My Descent from Studio Mogul to Depraved Monster