Killers and Thieves
- May 23, 2017
- Alex Thomas
- 100h median play time
Get on Steam"Killers and Thieves" is a guildmaster adventure game where you lead a team of unique burglars and cutthroats on daring heists across the city of Greypool. As the guildmaster, you'll need to train your team, select your crew carefully for each job, and decide the level of risk to take on. The city is full of surprises, so you'll need to think on your feet and adapt your plans quickly to succeed. * Be a guildmaster of thieves in medieval city * Plan and execute daring heists with unique crew * Adapt to surprises and think on your feet
PC
Reviews
- The game has a unique and entertaining concept of managing a thieves' guild and executing heists.
- The art style is beautiful and immersive, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the game.
- Despite its flaws, many players find the gameplay addictive and enjoyable once they get past the initial learning curve.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and clunky controls, making it frustrating to play.
- There is a lack of variety in gameplay and missions, leading to repetitive experiences.
- The user interface is unintuitive, and the absence of a proper tutorial leaves players confused about mechanics.
- story85 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring an intriguing revenge narrative and strong art design, but it suffers from significant gameplay issues that hinder progression and immersion. Players report repetitive mission structures and a lack of diverse environments, which detracts from the overall experience, making the story feel disconnected from the gameplay. While the plot has potential, many feel it is rushed and undermined by bugs and a grindy gameplay loop, leading to frustration and a diminished desire to engage with the narrative.
“If you put all the texts together, the game actually has a surprisingly well-written and intriguing story.”
“The story is a revenge story: an oldie but a goodie.”
“A few of the key story missions include stylized cinematics that hark back to another thieving game that holds a special place in my heart, Thief: The Dark Project.”
“The storyline is not that interesting.”
“If you have done one mission, you have seen it all.”
“While it seems like a lot of effort was put into the presentation, into looks and mood, into the story itself and the concept, it doesn't seem like this effort was placed on connecting the story to the game.”
- gameplay56 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and frustrating, particularly during heists, which often feel poorly executed and plagued by bugs. While the stealth mechanics and unique concept are praised, the overall execution lacks polish, leading to a steep learning curve and a disconnect between gameplay elements. Despite its aesthetic appeal, many players feel that the core mechanics need significant improvement to enhance the overall experience.
“The overall aesthetic is lovely, the gameplay is fairly unique but eminently fulfilling if you enjoy its style.”
“Stealth puzzle gameplay is fun and addictive.”
“It'll take you around 20-30 minutes to get the hang of the core mechanics, which I enjoyed working out for myself.”
“Lots of style and some really interesting ideas, but awful gameplay and execution, especially the heists, which are mostly just frustrating.”
“The gameplay is repetitive; you plan a heist and send thieves to grab loot in houses while trying to evade guards and/or inhabitants of said houses.”
“The premise of this looked very exciting, but the gameplay itself is frustrating, utterly random, and illogical.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming art style and appealing aesthetics, reminiscent of works like "The Banner Saga." However, some players note a lack of variety in animations and textures, leading to a sense of repetitiveness after a few heists. While the visuals are eye-catching, they are sometimes overshadowed by issues in gameplay design and execution.
“The first thing you’ll notice about Alex Thomas’ Killers and Thieves is the eye-catching art style.”
“Art style is absolutely gorgeous; I like that there is a bit of variety with the civilians and peasants.”
“I absolutely love the premise and the artwork is charming.”
“Graphics-wise, the maps are pleasing but after playing a couple of heists you won't see anything new. It seems as though there are only 3 animated sprites and about 20 textures overall in this game without the backdrops.”
“I don't know how the game played at launch, but while I could point out some issues, the gameplay loop, along with the aesthetics, nail what the game is intended to do.”
“Art style is much the same as Banner Saga as we'd expect; however, I found that I didn't like the story thieves as losing one during a side mission meant waiting six or so days for another attempt, which meant I stopped using them for anything other than needed.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting significant bugs and clunky gameplay that detracts from the overall experience. Many feel the game appears abandoned by the developers, leading to disappointment over its unfinished state. While some players find enjoyment despite the issues, the consensus is that the game is a "buggy mess" that may not be worth the investment.
“First off, the game is buggy and a bit clunky.”
“I don't normally give bad reviews anywhere but... this game is a buggy mess that was abandoned by the devs, who have no intention of ever returning to fix things up.”
“Apparently the dev is now 'working on another project' so this buggy mess stays exactly as it is - a buggy mess.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its ability to build tension and complement the visuals, while others criticize it for being repetitive and simplistic, leading to frustration. A few users even opted to mute the game in favor of listening to other music, indicating that the soundtrack may detract from the overall experience for some. Overall, the music is seen as a weak point, overshadowed by the game's other elements.
“The music builds tension.”
“Music is pretty perfect.”
“Upon opening the game, you are greeted with music and a picture of the main screen.”
“The game background never changes; the music is the same all the way through the game, which led me to play Spotify in the background instead.”
“While the graphics are good with a consistent, pleasant style that isn't difficult to tell guards and loot apart from the background, the sound is maybe a bit too simple, with music and soundbites seemingly repeated over and over.”
“The music is horrible, and at low levels, all you hear is this obnoxious knocking noise to the point where you'd rather just turn it off.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be excessively grindy, with some describing the grinding as "ridiculously" prevalent. While the story and art are praised, the gameplay often requires repetitive tasks, which can sometimes be more efficient with smaller teams focusing on opportunistic looting rather than full map cleanouts.
“Good story, great art, but very grindy gameplay.”
“Like, ridiculously grindy.”
“Grinding is part of the game as well, as it can be more profitable early on to take a small two-man team and opportunistically loot than to have an actual full team for a whole map cleanout.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability; while some players see potential for replay value, others express significant concerns about a lack of it, suggesting that the game may not offer enough incentive to play multiple times.
“I like it so far; it seems like a game that has some potential for replayability based on what I've played.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes makes me want to play through the game multiple times.”
“Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different paths and strategies you can explore.”
“Further playing reveals a much greater problem: a complete lack of replayability.”
“I like it so far; it seems like a game that has some potential for replayability from what I've played.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is hindered by the lack of clear visibility regarding how morale impacts performance, as this crucial information is not reflected in the popout roster for thieves.
“Morale affects performance in an abstract but important way, but it's not shown on the pop-out roster displaying your thieves.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“Despite having a powerful PC, I still experience long loading times and unresponsive menus, which is frustrating.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is richly immersive, evoking a sense of adventure reminiscent of classic fantasy tales, where iconic characters like Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser feel like they could appear at any moment.
“The immersive sound design and stunning visuals create a haunting atmosphere that pulls you in.”
“Every corner of the game world is filled with detail, making the atmosphere rich and engaging.”
“The art and atmosphere make me feel like Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser could pop up any minute.”
“The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, making it feel disjointed and uninspired.”
“Despite the potential, the atmosphere feels flat and fails to immerse me in the world.”
