Players control Will Riley, who was falsely convicted for his father's murder. Riley escapes jail and seeks answers about his father's murder in a fictional
Southern town in the 1980s. Players can do jobs for underworld crime bosses to learn more about the murder of Riley's father or engage in a crime spree in the
open world environment. Committing crimes raises Riley's infamy and draws more police. Breaking into houses and businesses allows the player to find useful
items but alerts the police to Riley's location. Dying during a
story mission returns the character to the last
checkpoint; otherwise, players lose all items in their inventory while retaining other progress. American Fugitive is a modern take on
sandbox games. == Development ==