Thick as Thieves

I wish Thick as Thieves had more to do overall, but it’s hard to find much fault with the stealthy co-op heists that are here.

Thick as Thieves has the foundations of a strong cooperative stealth game, with clever use of light and sound, flexible infiltration routes, enjoyable gadgets, and an atmospheric Dishonored-like world. Unfortunately, just two main locations, repetitive contracts, limited tools, and frustrating time limits make it feel more like the remains of a much more ambitious project than a fully realized adventure.

Thick as Thieves is not a visually impressive game, nor will it win prizes for the soundtrack. But I enjoyed its gameplay, and the environmental storytelling attempt is rather interesting.

Thick as Thieves is a game that may not have lived up to all of its original ambitions, but it still manages to offer something that’s quite rare these days. It marks a return to the classic concept of stealth games, where patience, planning, and the ability to improvise are what matter most.

Thick as Thieves is armed with a lot of tools for success, but somehow doesn’t seem to capitalize on them.

Thick as Thieves isn’t trying to change the world, but it doesn’t really need to when it costs less than a fast food meal. If you have a friend to play with, sneaking through the shadows and accidentally messing up heists together is an absolute blast. Yes, it’s a bummer that there are only two maps right now, playing all by yourself feels pretty empty, and the missing PC settings are a headache. But honestly, for just $4.99, it’s a total Worth that and it leaves me genuinely excited to see what the developers cook up next.

It would be unfair to say it doesn’t have its moments as a stealth-action game, but at this early stage it feels more like an enhanced demo than a full-fledged release. Be that as it may, the ultra-low price of just 5 euros at least manages to offer the feeling of an "investment" and the prospect of the game's further expansion in the future.

Thick as Thieves is a video game that’s hard to recommend, but also hard to simply dismiss. It has few maps, inconsistent AI, fairly familiar mechanics, and a constant sense of being a cut-down or repurposed product. However, it also has something important: it can be fun. Once you accept its limitations, it offers tense and satisfying moments.

Thick as Thieves is a product that's both difficult and very easy to judge, a stealth game in its infancy that doesn't have much to distinguish it from other games, but it does decently well the few things it's decided to focus on. If you want to invest in a growing product and lose yourself for 2-3 hours in nostalgic memories of the Thief of old, then perhaps this is the game for you. Otherwise, you can easily wait for the title's eventual evolution, or its—at this point not yet inevitable—demise...

While Thick as Thieves is a short game lacking in many basic features like rebindable controls, it's an easy game to recommend thanks to its compelling gameplay loop, emphasis on replayability, and a co-op mode.