Cyber Pizzaiolo is a real-time tactical strategy game set in the cyberpunk city of Neo-Naples in 2099. Players manage a criminal empire through a pizzeria front while competing against rival families for control of protection rackets, illegal operations, and territory. The core loop blends street-level gang management with long-term financial decisions, where every expansion carries risks from rivals or law enforcement.
Gameplay
The game centers on organizing Soldati into gangs of up to five members, each assigned a vehicle and driver. Recruits come from six specialties: Gunmen, Drivers, Netrunners, Deckers, Demolition experts, and Assassins. Players evaluate skills, traits, equipment, and experience before dispatching groups across the city map. Gangs handle collections, business takeovers, and enforcement on foot after arriving by car. Vehicle upgrades range from basic sedans to armored options and hover models, while individual Soldati receive better weapons, cyber armor, and training.
Income management requires balancing protection money collection with laundering through legal fronts. Players expand into drone-race betting, back-room casinos, chrome smuggling, and data dens. Hiring specialists boosts profits from specific rackets, and family-specific research unlocks signature operations such as the Lombardi Pizza Syndicate or Synth Neuro Lab. Expenses include wages, weapons, repairs, and expansions, so rapid growth can lead to bankruptcy just as easily as a failed operation.
Control of territory demands ongoing patrols to maintain respect from businesses. Neglected rackets stop paying, and installed illegal operations shut down. Players set routes that send gangs between neighborhoods on foot and by vehicle. Securing blocks and connecting streets creates stable income zones, while contested areas require decisions on expansion, defense, or reinforcement.
Combat options extend beyond direct firefights. Players can hack targets to disable them, sabotage rival vehicles, plant mines, start fires, or demolish structures. Buildings can be barricaded for defense, with options to reinforce or evacuate. Assaults involve reaching entry points and clearing defenders inside. Violence triggers vendettas that temporarily strengthen rivals. Movement uses queued orders and visible routes, with pause and speed controls available in single-player sessions.
Game Modes
The Lombardi story campaign follows a nine-chapter narrative with dialogue, objectives, and events. A separate interactive tutorial introduces core systems before the main story begins. Sandbox mode allows play as any of the four families on classic Neo-Naples or procedurally generated maps including islands, harbors, river cities, or urban sprawl. Goals include controlling enough businesses to dominate or eliminating rival Dons while keeping the family solvent and protecting the Don.
Multiplayer supports up to six players via Steam or LAN/direct IP connections. Matches can be free-for-all or team-based, including 2v2, 3v3, and asymmetric setups. Players may control separate families or share leadership of one family, with co-leaders managing the same crew and finances. Customization covers rivalry rules, starting funds, territory targets, AI involvement, city layout, and permissions for pausing or speed changes. Lobbies include chat, scoreboards, and the ability to save and resume sessions.
Families and Progression
Four playable families offer distinct advantages. Lombardi serves as versatile generalists focused on economics with exclusive access to the Pizza Syndicate. Moretti emphasizes old-school muscle with tougher Soldati and a Fight Pit operation. Sindicato Synth provides skilled Netrunners and Deckers along with technical edges and Neuro Labs. Falcone delivers accurate shooters and strong building defense through a Gun Club racket.
Research spans four shared branches in Economy, Muscle, Streets, and Shadows, plus family-specific technology. Upgrades improve fighters, travel safety, business profits, or stealth methods. Rivals pursue their own developments and respond to player actions. Heat from violence and illegal activity draws escalating police attention, from patrols to raids and headquarters sieges. Bribes, hospitals for wounded recruits, and fire stations for damaged properties help mitigate consequences. A weekly newspaper highlights top earners and violent operators, increasing visibility and pressure.
Is It Worth Playing?
Cyber Pizzaiolo suits players who enjoy combining real-time tactics with resource and empire management in a single session. The systems for gang organization, patrol routes, and money laundering create interconnected decisions that reward planning over pure aggression. Single-player options provide structured progression through the campaign or flexible sandbox challenges, while multiplayer adds direct competition or cooperation with shared leadership mechanics.
The game remains in Early Access as a solo-developed project. Its current state includes the full set of families, modes, and core mechanics described, with procedural city options and day-night cycles adding variety to repeated play. Those drawn to criminal underworld strategy games with vehicle-based movement and building assaults will find the depth in gang composition and territory control particularly engaging. Players seeking lighter experiences or polished multiplayer balance may prefer waiting for further updates.
