Crookz: The Big Heist

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 104 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Crookz: The Big Heist Game Cover
This is an excellent and well-made title which does a lot more right than it does wrong. Strategy enthusiasts looking for something new and fun away from a battlefield will find little to complain about in this game. The execution of the 70’s atmosphere and time spent outside the core gameplay is a bit lackluster, and deserving of more care and attention, but that’s still not enough to deprive yourself of some truly enjoyable hours playing the part of a criminal mastermind.
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In Crookz: The Big Heist, players lead a team of 1970s thieves in tactical heists, using each crook's unique skills to steal valuable items and enact revenge on a traitorous ex-comrade. With a focus on style and strategy, the game features stylish visuals and atmospheric music to complement its groovy setting. Plan and execute heists with precision and flair, but watch out for unexpected obstacles and security measures.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 104 reviews
story8 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Crookz offers a unique blend of tactical planning and real-time stealth gameplay, reminiscent of classic heist games like Commandos and Desperados.
  • The game features a vibrant 70s aesthetic with engaging characters, a funky soundtrack, and a variety of heist scenarios that encourage strategic thinking.
  • Players appreciate the ability to pause the game to plan actions, allowing for thoughtful execution of complex heists with multiple characters.
  • The game suffers from poor AI behavior, making it easy to exploit guards and reducing the challenge of stealth gameplay.
  • Many players find the tutorial and initial levels tedious, with some mechanics feeling clunky and controls requiring excessive clicks.
  • Technical issues, such as crashes and bugs, have been reported, which can detract from the overall experience and enjoyment of the game.
  • story88 mentions

    The story of the game is set in a stylized 1970s environment, revolving around a heist gang that experiences betrayal and seeks revenge through a series of increasingly complex missions. While the narrative starts with a straightforward gangster theme, it evolves into a more absurd and humorous plot, incorporating elements reminiscent of 70s spy movies. Players appreciate the engaging character dynamics and the strategic planning required for each heist, although some find the story's shifts and humor to be inconsistent or overly simplistic at times.

    • “The story and characters seem obvious at first, but like the game, they open up with more layers of complexity.”
    • “Everything is bundled up in a story and decorated by a lot of style incorporating a feel of the 70s.”
    • “The story is about a heist gang in the '60s being betrayed by one of their own and taking revenge a few years later.”
    • “The story is silly and nonsensical; heroes are not equally useful, and it might feel a bit samey at the end.”
    • “The game starts out as a 70's themed heist story and slowly morphs into a semi sci-fi evil genius taking over the world spoof.”
    • “Heists are linked together by a fairly decent story, although they tried to make too many jokes with the dialogue that I didn't really find very funny.”
  • gameplay25 mentions

    The gameplay in Crookz is characterized by its engaging real-time stealth mechanics, allowing players to control multiple characters and utilize a pause feature for strategic planning. While the game starts off accessible and gradually increases in complexity, some players find the gameplay to be shallow or tedious at times. Overall, it offers a solid blend of tactical challenges and puzzle-solving, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre, though some bugs and pacing issues have been noted.

    • “The gameplay itself is mostly pretty intuitive, and as you progress through the story you gain more characters with different skillsets.”
    • “Gameplay-wise it's a real thinking man's title, an excellent blend of puzzle and strategic approach: you have to carefully plan your mission ahead during the appropriate phase and choose your team/tools accordingly.”
    • “Gameplay is fun, engaging, mind-boggling with many different solutions and paths to victory, the levels are very well balanced, doing my play, I felt challenged, inspired but never lost or stuck, which is quite an achievement.”
    • “Crookz has some decent art and workable voice acting, but the gameplay is far too shallow to warrant playing.”
    • “I found the gameplay tedious, and the banter between the characters unamusing.”
    • “Gameplay is decent - real-time pausible; there are a few bugs though, mostly to do with positioning and being spotted when you are dealing with security cameras or knocking out guards, but this does not make the game too unplayable.”
  • music23 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its vibrant 70s funk vibe, effectively complementing the colorful and stylized visuals. Many reviewers highlight the infectious beats and clever integration of period-specific tunes that enhance the overall experience, although some note that the music can occasionally feel forgettable. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and atmosphere.

    • “While the music bops along with an infectious beat.”
    • “The developers put a lot of fun and heart into the 70's-style artwork, soundtrack, characters, and speech.”
    • “Playing Crookz is like being in an Austin Powers and Shaft movie, full of funky tunes and clever remarks; graphics and audio are great and match the 70's funky style very well.”
    • “The voice acting, however, is quite sub-par, but the background music and sound effects are very fitting for the period the game is based on.”
    • “The game is starting, but the screen keeps black... music is starting but nothing else...”
    • “The music is largely non-present and forgettable for a title that promotes its soundtrack.”
  • graphics12 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant 70's pop-art style, colorful character models, and smooth performance, effectively capturing the era's funky atmosphere. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the design and the clean user interface, although some note that the visuals, while good, are not groundbreaking. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm and immersive experience.

    • “The developers put a lot of fun and heart into the 70's-style artwork, soundtrack, characters, and speech.”
    • “Playing Crookz is like being in an Austin Powers and Shaft movie, full of funky tunes and clever remarks. The graphics and audio are great and match the 70's funky style very well. You really feel the countless hours that art directors, musicians, designers, artists, and animators have put into this game.”
    • “In-game graphics are great, smooth, and well balanced with a groovy atmosphere. The artists even made sure you can distinguish active and passive objects from each other, which is often down-prioritized or forgotten altogether.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of engaging cut scenes and quirky characters, contributing to a fun and funky atmosphere. However, some players find the humor to be corny and overly reliant on jokes that may not resonate with everyone, leading to a mixed reception regarding its comedic effectiveness. Overall, the game offers a humorous experience that enhances its replayability, despite some clunky controls.

    • “Really good flow and funny characters.”
    • “Hilariously funky puzzle game with high production value and replayability.”
    • “Cut scenes are great, funny, and engaging; if cut scenes are not your thing, you may skip them without getting lost in your mission.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The game's replayability is somewhat limited due to its non-randomly generated levels, but players can revisit missions to explore different strategies and improve their scores, especially as they unlock new skills and team members throughout the story. Overall, while the core levels may not encourage repeated play, the missions offer enough variety and challenge to keep players engaged for 50-100 hours.

    • “Missions have decent replayability as well with lots of options and approaches to how you get the job done.”
    • “This game probably has 50-100 hours of play, and you can redo heists to get a higher score or faster time, so there is some replayability.”
    • “The levels are well designed and have plenty of detail in them, but since it's not randomly generated, replayability is very low.”
    • “The missions have some replayability as you can go back to them later when you have access to other team members and skills at your disposal (each character has multiple skills that unlock as the story progresses) and try to beat your previous best score.”
    • “This game probably has 50-100 hours of play, and you can redo heists to get a higher score/faster time, so there is some replayability.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The optimization of the game offers a rewarding experience for players who enjoy meticulous planning and executing strategies, but it suffers from performance issues, as prolonged play can lead to overheating and stuttering on some systems.

    • “Particularly fun for planners who like lots of optimization followed by watching perfect plans unfold. A hardcore challenge is to run an entire map just off of a pre-planned route.”
    • “It literally boils my rig after playing continuously for 2 hours, and then the game starts stuttering.”
    • “- optimization.”
    • “+ optimization.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling that it lacks variety and engagement. The gameplay is described as monotonous, with little reward for the time invested, leading to a frustrating experience.

    • “They are tedious and all look the same.”
    • “An hour of switches, regardless of whether you can speed them up through memorization, isn't difficult; it's just tedious.”
    • “I found the gameplay tedious, and the banter between the characters unamusing.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for its misleading advertisements, which prominently feature irrelevant games and create confusion for players. Users have expressed frustration with the aggressive push for sign-ups and the overwhelming presence of ads, detracting from the overall gaming experience.

    • “Be aware that this game has an extra layer of very misleading advertisements before you are allowed to play.”
    • “It just shows you completely different and irrelevant games as advertisements.”
    • “In my version of the game, Crookz launched is basically one giant and confusing advertisement for 'Grand Ages: Medieval'. At first, I thought Steam had installed the wrong game. On top of that, they ask you to log in or sign up for something you don't have a clue about. Very aggressive and confusing.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game effectively captures a vibrant 1970s atmosphere, enhanced by smooth graphics and a well-balanced aesthetic. Players appreciate the attention to detail in distinguishing active and passive objects, which contributes to an immersive experience, especially when compared to other titles that lack such visual clarity.

    • “If you want to be immersed in an atmosphere reminiscent of the 70s, then you will really love this game.”
    • “The in-game graphics are great and smooth, perfectly balanced with a groovy atmosphere. The artists have ensured that active and passive objects are distinguishable from each other, which is often overlooked in other games.”
    • “If you want to be immersed in an atmosphere reminiscent of the 70s, then you might enjoy this game.”
    • “The in-game graphics are great and smooth, but the atmosphere feels unbalanced. While the artists made an effort to differentiate active and passive objects, it often feels like a missed opportunity, especially when compared to other games that manage to create a more engaging environment.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users report that the game exhibits excellent stability, with no bugs or glitches encountered during gameplay.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

Buy Crookz: The Big Heist

Play time

74hMedian play time
74hAverage play time
74-74hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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