If you’ve ever watched an episode of Breaking Bad and decided that you wanted to start your own drug empire, well, you’re probably watching that show the wrong way. That being said, Weedcraft Inc, the newest title from developer Vile Monarch, allows players to do just that.
Published by Devolver Digital, Weedcraft Inc is a simulation, resource-management game in the vein of RollerCoaster Tycoon. Of course, instead of overseeing the day-to-day business of an amusement park (or a dinosaur theme park for that matter), players will have to carefully micromanage their budding marijuana businesses. In order to successfully grow their businesses, players must create new strains of marijuana, hire staff members, and navigate the erratic fluctuations of the drug market.
Announcing @VileMonarch‘s Weedcraft Inc, the burgeoning legal pot industry’s first fully fledged tycoon game!
Coming to PC in 2019: https://t.co/mWysS74aZV pic.twitter.com/SfPoIAvmGK
— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) October 1, 2018
Below the surface of Weedcraft Inc‘s colorful, seemingly light-hearted simulation gameplay is the promise of an in-depth look at the socio-economic function of marijuana in American society. Building a drug empire in Weedcraft Inc is fraught with the same obstacles one would face in real life; rival competitors, corrupt politicians, and police officers looking for a cut. Behind the smoky exterior of Weedcraft Inc‘s metaphorical Bob Marley t-shirt is a long overdue cultural conversation– a social commentary discussing who benefits and who suffers from marijuana and the war on drugs at large.
Weedcraft Inc’s promise to explore the “financial, political and cultural aspects” of marijuana is echoed in the game’s trailer. In-game images of cancer patients, fathers of oxycodone addicts, and corrupt politicians are spliced together between clips of Bernie Sanders, Elon Musk, Reefer Madness, and other cultural milestones.
You can watch the announcement trailer for Weedcraft Inc below. The game will be available on PC sometime in 2019.