This game holds a major place in my heart, and I look back very fondly on the HOURS I put into this game in the past. It's been a very long time since I played it, however, so this will truly be a trip down memory lane. In fact, initially, I wasn't even sure I could include it in the Game Awards, because I had no idea whether I could find a copy that I could make work on modern machines - especially since there was, ultimately, a sequel to overshadow the genius of the first one (the second one wasn't as fun, in my opinion). Luckily, I discovered that GOG has a version that does just that... which was quite a shock to me. I doubt most of you have even heard of this game, it's that obscure. The game is set in a fictional Chicago during Prohibition, and really does a great job of making you feel like most of your gang activities must be carefully hidden by having an elaborate system of "front" businesses for each of your venues. In fact, one of my memories of this game is literally printing off page after page of the game manual and carefully cutting and gluing it together to make a real manual so I could have a better reference to figure out what can go where. (In fact, I think I still have that little booklet somewhere in one of my storage boxes... LOL..)
This game was initially released for Windows in 1998, and re-released on GOG in 2012. As I mentioned, it did have a sequel, entitled Gangsters 2: Vendetta, released in 2001, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. The game alternates between turn-based and real-time strategy. First, you give orders to the gangsters and plan for the week to come, then you hit a button, and watch the whole thing play out in real-time. You must expand your gang and your territory, or face losing the game to the AI gangs, who will take over your territory and cause you to fail. Each gangster under your command (called "hoods") has their own attributes and skills, and consequently must be carefully managed to be used to their best potential.
I look forward to Monday and seeing how much I actually remember about the game and how to play it. Whether or not I end up playing both Monday and Tuesday is up in the air, however, and I have my next honorable mention ready in case this game doesn't live up to the rose-colored glasses I look back on it with.
(Will be posted after the final "play" day for this game.)
