Romero Games

Romero Games is an independent game development studio founded in 2015 by John Romero and Brenda Romero. It is based in the Irish city of Galway and specialises in developing its own games for PC and consoles.

John Romero is one of the most famous figures in the history of video games. He was one of the founders of id Software and worked on the legendary titles DOOM, Wolfenstein 3D, Quake and Commander Keen. Brenda Romero also has a long career in the games industry and has worked on the Wizardry series, amongst other projects.

One of Romero Games’ most significant projects is Empire of Sin, a strategy game set in 1920s Chicago, a period marked by American Prohibition and the rise of organised crime.

The player takes on the role of one of several mafia bosses and attempts to build their own criminal empire. The available characters include both fictional and real historical figures associated with the Chicago underworld.

The core of the game revolves around controlling territory and running illegal businesses. The player can acquire and develop speakeasy bars, breweries, casinos and other businesses, which generate the money needed to further expand their organisation.

Diplomacy between gangs is also a key feature of Empire of Sin. Players can declare war on rival bosses, strike deals with them or utilise business relationships. The situation in the city can therefore change depending on the decisions made by individual criminal organisations.

When negotiations fail, it’s time for turn-based tactical combat. The player assembles a group of gangsters with various weapons, attributes and special abilities, and then commands them during firefights.

Individual gang members have their own personalities, relationships and traits. Their behaviour can therefore influence the functioning of the entire organisation, and certain events may create unexpected problems or opportunities.

Empire of Sin was published by Paradox Interactive and released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and macOS.

Romero Games has also created smaller projects, and John Romero has continued to work on classic FPS titles under the studio’s banner. For example, SIGIL, an unofficial spiritual sequel to the original DOOM consisting of new levels, attracted significant attention.

Romero Games thus combines the experience of veterans from the early days of the modern games industry with the development of new titles. Thanks to Empire of Sin, the studio is best known amongst fans of strategy, tactical and gangster games.