All Games > Simulation Games > Bootleg Buddies
Community Hub
Bootleg Buddies
Run a moonshine still with up to three friends, then haul the crates down dusty backroads before the law catches up. Grow it, stir it, distill it, drive it by hand. Co-op for 1-4 players, or run the whole county alone. Early Access.

Sign in to add this item to your wishlist, follow it, or mark it as ignored

Features
Languages:
Interface Full Audio Subtitles
English ✔

Coming Soon To Early Access

The developers of this game intend to release as a work in progress, developing with the feedback of players.

Note: Games in Early Access are not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“Bootleg Buddies is a co-op game, and co-op games get better when real crews play them. The loop is playable from the start: grow, mash, distill, haul, launder and expand, alone or with up to three friends. Early Access lets us tune the economy and the chaos against how crews actually play, and build the next systems with you.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We plan around 12 months, with an update every 6-8 weeks. We would rather leave Early Access late than unfinished.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The full version builds on the same loop. We plan to add:
- Making the cuts at the still: swap jars for foreshots, hearts and tails, and chase a cleaner run
- A fermentation airlock you can read at a glance, and sealing barrels with bung and hammer
- Picky buyers: dealers and restaurants that want specific kinds of moonshine
- Barrel damage: drive rough and your cargo pays for it
- A tow strap, so a buddy's truck can pull yours out
- Fruit trees
- First-person upper-body animation for your buddies
- More languages, in the order players ask for them”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The core loop is playable start to finish: hands-on farming (corn, wheat, potatoes), the well, mash tun, fermenting, distilling with a stocked fire, and barrelling. Driving with passengers and a cargo bed, police patrols, checkpoints and a heat meter, off-road mud, a truck winch, fuel and four truck upgrades. Orders and deliveries, Cash and laundered Bank money, shared crew XP and a 12-node skill tree, five properties, machine upgrades and two businesses to buy. 1-4 players online, full single-player, partial gamepad support. Expect rough edges, balance changes and the occasional runaway barrel.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“The price may rise when Bootleg Buddies leaves Early Access. Buying during Early Access gets you the full game, and every update along the way, at the Early Access price.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Bootleg Buddies is made by one developer, so the Steam forums and the Discord are read every day. Bug reports and balance feedback go into the next patch, devlogs explain what is coming and why, and the community helps choose the order of the planned features.”
Read more
This game is not yet available on Steam

Coming soon

Interested?
Add to your wishlist and get notified when it becomes available.
 

Report bugs and leave feedback for this game on the discussion boards

See all discussions

About This Game

Stills, trucks and a crew of friends

Run a moonshine still with up to three friends, then haul the crates down dusty backroads before the law catches up.

Bootleg Buddies is a co-op Prohibition game for 1-4 players, or one, if you like working alone. Everything is done by hand: plant it, water it, pick it, stir it, load it, drive it. Every crate that reaches the buyer pays. Every crate that doesn't becomes a story.

A still needs a crew

  • Grow it. Sow, water and pick corn, wheat and potatoes by hand. Neglect a row and it withers.

  • Mash it. Toss, shake, tip and stir your ingredients into the tun, then let it ferment.

  • Stoke it. Carry logs to the firebox. A well-fed fire makes better moonshine.

  • Barrel it. Fill the barrels and set them on the truck.

The road is not your friend

Police patrol the backroads, set up roadblocks and chase what they find. Your heat meter climbs with every wrong move. Leave the road and the mud takes your speed, and the bumps throw barrels out of the bed. Stuck? Hook the winch to a tree and haul yourself out.

  • Driving with passengers and a cargo bed

  • Police patrols, checkpoints and a heat meter

  • Fuel, jerry cans and four truck upgrades: 4x4, suspension, brakes, engine

  • Off-road mud, a gully and a forest belt with tracks the law never uses

From backwoods still to county business

  • Dirty Cash, clean Bank. Whoever delivers keeps the Cash. Wash it through a front to fill the crew's shared Bank.

  • Five properties. Buy your way from a roadside shack to the Big Farm, each with its own machines.

  • Upgrade the machines. Three machines, three levels each, bought with the Bank.

  • Own the business. Buy the gas station and the restaurant for passive income.

  • Level up together. Shared crew XP and a 12-node skill tree: Farming, Distilling, Driving and Business.

Built for game night

  • Online co-op for 1-4 players: host, invite friends, run it together

  • Single-player works with the same loop

  • Partial gamepad support

  • Three save slots

  • English at launch

Early Access

Bootleg Buddies is in Early Access. The core loop is playable start to finish, and we are tuning it with real crews. Planned: making the cuts at the still, buyer preferences, barrel damage, a tow strap and more. See the Early Access section below for the full list.

Press the Wishlist button, and we will tell you when the speakeasy opens.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

As a solo developer, I use generative AI tools to assist in creating certain visual assets (such as UI icons and 3D Models). All AI-generated content has been personally reviewed, edited, and curated before being included in the game.

Mature Content Description

The developers describe the content like this:

This Game may contain content not appropriate for all ages, or may not be appropriate for viewing at work: General Mature Content

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 10 64-bit
    • Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 / AMD FX-6300
    • Memory: 8 GB RAM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 960 (2GB) / AMD Radeon R9 280
    • DirectX: Version 11
    • Network: Broadband Internet connection
    • Storage: 8 GB available space
    • Sound Card: Integrated
    Recommended:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit
    • Processor: Intel Core i5-9400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
    • Memory: 16 GB RAM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1660 (6GB) / AMD RX 580
    • DirectX: Version 12
    • Network: Broadband Internet connection
    • Storage: 8 GB available space
    • Sound Card: Integrated
Review Filters