HOW TO PLAY DOPE WARS
The complete guide to surviving the streets and building your empire.
THE BASICS
Dope Wars is a classic drug trading game originally created by John E. Dell in 1984. You play as a dealer on the streets of New York City. Your goal is simple: buy drugs at low prices, sell them at high prices, and make as much money as possible before time runs out.
You start with $2,000 in cash and $5,000 in debt to a loan shark. Your debt grows by 10% every day, so paying it off quickly is critical. After 30 days, your final score is your net worth — cash plus bank savings minus any remaining debt.
DISTRICTS OF NEW YORK
Travel between 6 districts across New York City. Each trip to a new district advances the clock by one day. Each district has its own danger level that affects how likely you are to encounter cops or muggers.
Safe Zones
- Manhattan — Safest area, lower prices on upscale goods
- Central Park — Relatively safe, balanced market
Danger Zones
- Brooklyn — Moderate danger, good deals on street drugs
- Bronx — Dangerous, higher risk but better prices
- Coney Island — Dangerous, volatile drug market
- Ghetto — Most dangerous, biggest risks and rewards
THE DRUG MARKET
Drug prices fluctuate daily based on supply and demand. The key to winning Dope Wars is recognizing when prices are abnormally low (buy!) or high (sell!). Random market events can cause prices to spike or crash dramatically.
Available drugs (cheapest to most expensive):
Expensive drugs like Cocaine and Heroin offer the highest profit margins but require more capital. Cheap drugs like Weed and Shrooms are low-risk and good for building your starting cash.
RANDOM EVENTS
When traveling between districts, you may encounter random events that can help or hurt your game:
Threats
- Cop encounters — Police may catch you carrying drugs. Fight or run.
- Muggers — Thugs may try to steal your cash.
Opportunities
- Coat finds — Find a larger trenchcoat, increasing your inventory space.
- Drug finds — Discover free drugs to add to your stash.
- Gun finds — Pick up weapons to improve your odds in combat.
- Market events — Drug busts, lab discoveries, or supply changes that swing prices.
BANKING & LOANS
The bank is your best friend in Dope Wars. Cash sitting in the bank earns 5% daily interest. Meanwhile, your loan shark debt grows at 10% per day.
Smart strategy: pay off your debt as early as possible to stop the bleeding, then start depositing profits into the bank to let compound interest work in your favor.
PRO MODE
Dope Wars Pro unlocks the full drug empire experience with extended campaigns and new features:
- Extended campaigns — Play 30, 45, or 60 day games
- The Lab — Cut drugs to double your profit margins
- Warehouse — Store bulk inventory between trips
- Plane routes — Fly to Miami, LA, and Medellin for exotic markets
- Plantation — Grow your own supply in Colombia
- Weapons — Collect guns and survive DEA raids
- Pro Leaderboards — Compete with the best players worldwide
TIPS & STRATEGY
- Pay off debt first. At 10% daily interest, your $5,000 debt becomes crushing fast.
- Buy low, sell high. Watch for market crashes (blue prices) to buy, and spikes (red prices) to sell.
- Use the bank. Once debt-free, deposit cash for 5% daily interest. It compounds.
- Diversify early. Trade cheap drugs like Weed and Speed to build capital before going for Cocaine and Heroin.
- Watch your space. Your trenchcoat has limited capacity. Maximize profit per slot.
- Avoid danger. Stick to safer districts early. Losing cash to muggers or drugs to cops can be devastating.
Want to learn the full story? Read about the history of Dope Wars from the original 1984 game to this modern remake.
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