Omerta: City of Gangsters Review — A Great Setting, a Thin Execution

Omerta: City of Gangsters asks players to build a criminal empire in 1920s Atlantic City, and it mostly delivers on that promise — but only mostly. The 2013 game from Haemimont Games, published by Kalypso Media, mixes turn-based strategy fights with a city-building layer that wants to be deep but often feels thin. It’s a game about running an underground business, and it knows it.

Trailer, via Kalypso Media.

Building Atlantic City

The core loop is simple: buy a shop, fill it with a bar, a brewery or a distillery, then collect the profits. Players start as a low-level bootlegger and work their way up through buying property, recruiting companions and fighting rival gangs. The game recreates Atlantic City with six district maps, each packed with shops, warehouses and apartments. It’s a sandbox full of places to buy and build, and that freedom is the game’s best trick.

The problem is that the systems underneath don’t always justify the depth they advertise. Rents from apartments are a legitimate income stream, but the game doesn’t spend much time explaining why one building performs better than another. Storage upgrades help manage inventory, but the math behind them stays opaque. Players are left guessing rather than strategizing.

D’Angelo’s Story

The protagonist is “Boss” D’Angelo, an Italian immigrant who arrives in Atlantic City fresh from a small village in Sicily. He’s chasing the American Dream through crime, and the story follows him as he rises from small-time crook to boss of the underworld. It’s a familiar arc for this kind of game, but the writing leans on stereotypes rather than character development. D’Angelo is a figurehead, not a person.

That’s a shame, because the setting is strong. Prohibition-era Atlantic City is a rich backdrop, full of speakeasies, gambling dens and the mob families that run them. The game’s bird-view isisometric perspective gives it a distinct look, and the recreation of the city feels detailed. It’s a world worth exploring, even when the systems inside it feel thin.

Turn-Based Combat

Combat is where Omerta: City of Gangsters shows its ambition most clearly. Players recruit a gang of companions, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and send them into turn-based battles against rival gangs. These fights matter for territory control and reputation, and winning them opens new opportunities for expansion.

The combat itself is competent but not memorable. It follows a standard turn-based formula, with players choosing actions and positioning for each round. The variety comes from companion skills and enemy tactics, not from any major innovation in the genre. It works, but it doesn’t surprise.

Multiplayer modes add some replay value. Players can compete against each other online or play together cooperatively, which extends the life of the campaign. The global leaderboards keep players engaged, even if the core loop starts to wear thin over time.

Where It Falls Short

The biggest weakness is pacing. Early hours are slow, and the game asks players to grind through repetitive tasks before the rewards pay off. That grind is the game’s biggest hurdle, and it’s one that keeps players from enjoying the systems they’re meant to love.

There are also technical issues that have persisted since launch. Load times can be long, and the interface sometimes struggles to keep up with player actions. None of these problems sink the game, but they add friction to an experience that should feel smooth.

Here’s how the game’s strengths stack up:

1. A rich, detailed setting that captures 1920s Atlantic City.
2. A solid turn-based combat system with meaningful stakes.
3. A sandbox mode that offers real freedom to explore and build.
4. A multiplayer layer that extends the campaign’s value.
5. Weak systems that leave players guessing rather than planning.
6. A protagonist who is a stereotype rather than a character.

That list sums up the tension at the heart of Omerta: City of Gangsters. It’s a game with a great idea and a weak execution, and the difference shows in almost every session.

The Verdict

Omerta: City of Gangsters is a game that understands its setting far better than its systems. The 1920s Atlantic City is rendered with care, and the turn-based combat holds up well. But the city-building layer is thin, the early hours are slow, and the protagonist never becomes a real person. It’s a game that’s fun in short bursts and frustrating in long ones.

We score it 5.5 of 10.

city builder · game review · Kalypso Media · Omerta · turn-based strategy