City of Crime: Gang Wars

Review by eFreeware

City of Crime: Gang Wars is a free strategy game from CrushGameTechnologyLimited, set in a lawless city where the goal is to build a criminal empire and a personal fortune. It has been on Google Play since February 2022 and has passed 10 million installs with a 4.4 average from more than 294,000 ratings. The pitch is a familiar one for the genre, but the combination of real-time gang combat and business management is what makes it worth a closer look.

The game is rated Mature 17+, which fits the subject matter: plunder, looting and gang violence are the everyday business of the city. There are no ads, but there are in-app purchases. If you have played a build-and-battle strategy game before, the shape of this one will feel recognizable, though the emphasis on running casinos, bars and black markets gives it a slightly different rhythm from the usual base-building loop.

What appeals to me most is that the game does not separate fighting from earning. You are not just winning battles for their own sake; the money you make from your operations feeds your crew, and your crew is what lets you take more of the city. That loop is the reason to consider it.

A city that runs on turf and money

The setting is a city with no law, and the game leans into that. You are meant to live above the rules, take what you want and defend it when someone else wants it too. The developer describes a limitless world where you make the rules, and the structure of the game supports that idea by giving you several ways to make money and several ways to lose it.

The city is divided into turf, and turf is worth fighting over. You fight for it during the day and spend your nights in bars and clubs, according to the developer. That day-and-night split is not just decoration; it shapes how you plan your time. If you enjoy games where the map is a resource to be contested rather than a backdrop, this is the part that will hold your attention.

There is also a simulation layer: the developer says the game uses live AI calculations to keep the city feeling like a real place. I would treat that as a promise rather than a guarantee, but the intent is clear. The city is supposed to react to what you do, not just wait for you to press a button.

Real-time gang combat

Combat is real-time, which means fights are not resolved by a single tap and a wait. Streetside Shootout and Turf Wars are two of the ways you take on rival gangs. You lead a crew of gangsters, and the goal is to become the top dog in the city.

Because the fights happen in real time, the pace is quicker than in turn-based strategy games. You are not just picking a target and watching a progress bar; you are in the fight while it happens. That suits players who want a bit of urgency in their strategy, and it makes the turf wars feel like events rather than chores.

The combat is tied directly to the rest of the game. Winning fights expands what you control, and what you control determines what you earn. That connection is what keeps the fighting from feeling like a separate minigame.

Businesses, contraband and the money engine

The other half of the game is the economy. You run casinos, bars and black markets, and you produce gold bars, weapons and contraband. Those goods bring in the fortune you need to grow, and the whole thing plays out as a race to become a billionaire.

This is where the strategy gets interesting. You have to decide what to invest in and what to produce, and those decisions affect how quickly you can afford the next step. Income buys power, and power brings more income, which is the basic progression.

I like that the businesses are not just a background number. They are named and specific, and they fit the setting. Running a casino in a city of sin is a more evocative idea than running a generic factory, and it gives the economy a personality.

Syndicates and playing with others

The social side of the game comes through Syndicates. You establish one with other players, and together you take on the toughest enemies. The developer talks about building relations and assisting allies to further your own goals, which suggests that cooperation is not purely altruistic.

That framing is honest about how these games usually work. You help your Syndicate because it helps you, and the alliances you build are part of your strategy rather than a separate social layer. If you enjoy the politics of group play, where who you side with matters, this is likely to be a significant part of the experience.

The game expects you to play with others, not just alongside them.

Building a crew and a reputation

You hire criminals from around the world and build teams. The goal is to build up your influence until you hold all the power in the city. Taking what you want, even by force, is presented as the natural end point.

This gives the game a long-term arc. You are not just winning individual fights; you are building a reputation and a roster. The criminals you recruit are the tools you use to take more turf, run more businesses and defend what you have.

The Mature 17+ rating is worth keeping in mind here. The game does not soften its subject matter, and the fantasy it sells is one of lawlessness and accumulation. If that is the kind of setting you enjoy in a strategy game, it is presented without apology.

Who this city is built for

This is a game for players who like strategy with a criminal flavor and are comfortable with real-time combat rather than turn-based planning. If you enjoy managing an economy and a crew at the same time, and you like the idea of fighting for territory that actually produces income, the loop here is likely to keep you engaged.

It is also a good fit for players who want a social component. Syndicates mean that playing with others is part of the design, and the game rewards cooperation that serves your own interests. If you prefer to play alone and ignore other players entirely, you would be leaving part of it unused.

The free download with in-app purchases means you can try the city without committing money up front. There are no ads, so the interruptions you might expect from a free strategy game are not part of this one. The Mature 17+ rating and the subject matter are the main things to weigh before installing.

A city worth running

City of Crime: Gang Wars takes a well-worn premise and gives it a solid structure. The real-time combat, the turf wars, the businesses and the Syndicates all feed into one another, and the result is a game where your decisions about money and violence are connected. The 4.4 average from a large number of ratings suggests that the approach has found an audience.

The caveats are the ones that come with the genre. It is a free game with in-app purchases, and the developer's promises about live AI calculations are exactly that: promises. The Mature 17+ rating means the tone is not for everyone.

I would recommend it to players who enjoy gangland settings, real-time combat and the social politics of a Syndicate. This one suits players who want real-time gang combat and empire building rather than slow, peaceful city planning. For everyone else, the city is open.