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
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique and entertaining concept, managing a guild of thieves and executing heists.
- The art style is beautiful and immersive, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the game.
- Despite its flaws, some players find the gameplay addictive and rewarding once they understand the mechanics.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and clunky controls, making it frustrating to play.
- Many players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in variety, leading to a grindy experience.
- The lack of a proper tutorial and poor UI design hinder the player's ability to effectively manage their thieves and execute heists.
- story177 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring an intriguing revenge narrative and stylized cinematics reminiscent of classic thieving games. However, players express frustration with the repetitive mission structure and bugs that hinder progress, leading to a sense of staleness and disconnect between the story and gameplay. While the potential for a rich storyline exists, the execution suffers from a lack of variety in environments and mission types, leaving many players feeling unsatisfied.
“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 oldy but a goody.”
“A few of the key story missions include stylized cinematics that harkens back to another thieving game that holds a special place in my heart, Thief: The Dark Project.”
“And that's it, that's all there is. After a single mission, you've seen all the game has to throw at you, and all that's left is to throw more of it at you as the game progresses.”
“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.”
- gameplay115 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 10 % 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 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 premise of this looked very exciting, but the gameplay itself is frustrating, utterly random, and illogical.”
“Many things regarding the gameplay feel like they've not been thought about, leading to what feels like a patchwork of mechanics and systems that interact at times, but never truly work together to provide a great immersive and challenging experience.”
- graphics33 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are frequently praised for their charming art style and overall aesthetic, reminiscent of works like "The Banner Saga." While the visuals are appealing and help distinguish elements like guards and loot, some players note a lack of variety in animations and textures, leading to a sense of repetitiveness after a few heists. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, but issues with design and execution detract from the experience.
“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 3 animated sprites and about 20 textures overall in this game without the backdrops.”
“[*] bad graphics”
“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.”
- stability20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its significant bugs and clunky gameplay, leading many to describe it as a "buggy mess" that feels rushed and unfinished. While some players find enjoyment in the game despite these issues, the overall sentiment suggests that it may be abandoned by the developers, leaving its stability in question. Users are advised to approach with caution, as the experience can vary greatly.
“The game is a buggy mess that was abandoned by the devs, who have no intention of ever returning to fix things up.”
“I'm just deeply disappointed this game was so buggy, rushed, and unfinished.”
“Game is extremely buggy, which sucks because it's a concept that I like.”
- music16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it perfect and tension-building, while others criticize it for being repetitive and annoying, leading them to prefer external music sources. Many noted that the sound design lacks variety, with some describing it as a "soul-grating" loop that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the music has its supporters, it appears to be a significant drawback for many players.
“The music builds tension.”
“Upon opening the game, you are greeted with music and a picture of the main screen.”
“Some of the pros of the game are still the artwork, concept, and music.”
“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.”
“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.”
“While the graphics are good with a consistent, pleasant-to-look-at 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.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's engaging story and impressive art but find the gameplay excessively grindy, often feeling that grinding is an integral part of the experience. Some suggest that a smaller team can be more effective for looting than a full team, highlighting the game's focus on grinding for resources.
“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.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability, with some players expressing disappointment in a lack of replay value, while others see potential for more engaging experiences upon further play.
“Further playing reveals a much greater problem still - 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.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is hindered by the lack of clear visibility regarding morale's impact on performance, as it is not reflected in the popout roster for thieves, leading to potential confusion for players.
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is richly immersive, evoking a sense of adventure reminiscent of classic fantasy tales, such as those featuring Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. The art style significantly contributes to this enchanting ambiance, drawing players into a vibrant and dynamic world.
“The art and atmosphere make me feel like Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser could pop up any minute.”
