Of Guards And Thieves

About

Of Guards And Thieves is a multiplayer casual racing game. It was developed by Subvert Games and was released on July 16, 2014. It received positive reviews from players.

Of Guards and Thieves is a multiplayer stealth game in which high-powered guards face off against fast and elusive thieves in a contest of wits. Outsmarting the enemy and shooting your way through to the goal are equally valid strategies. A game with simple rules, emergent gameplay and high replayability, Of Guards and Thieves is sure to be a showstopper in your gaming collection!

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 503 reviews

gameplay42 positive mentions

stability16 negative mentions

The game is very fun, especially when played with friends, and offers a unique blend of stealth and action.
It has a variety of game modes and mechanics that keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.
The graphics and atmosphere are well-designed, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience.

The player base is small, making it difficult to find matches and fully enjoy the game.
There are significant netcode issues, including hit detection problems and lag, which can detract from the gameplay experience.
The game has been criticized for a lack of updates and balance issues, particularly with certain classes being overpowered.

gameplay
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The gameplay is praised for its solid mechanics, engaging stealth elements, and dynamic multiplayer modes, offering a unique blend of top-down shooting and strategic stealth. Players appreciate the balance between the guards and thieves, as well as the emergent gameplay scenarios that create memorable moments. However, some criticisms include issues with coding, server connectivity, and a perceived shift away from the game's original identity. Overall, the gameplay is described as fun, easy to learn, and capable of providing hours of entertainment.
- “Solid mechanics and fun gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is unique and fun, something I've been looking to play for years.”
- “A supremely well-crafted game which is both exciting and cautious to play at the same time, the game offers two ways of playing: stealth-based gameplay as a thief and top-down shooter fare as a guard.”
- “So instead of trying to carve out a unique identity for this game, the devs instead proceeded to chase mainstream attention and lose basically all of their original fans in favor of people willing to eat up below average gameplay and horrible business practices.”
- “-slow gameplay”
- “-no fluent gameplay”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
82%
18%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and artistic style, featuring crisp, cartoony visuals with dynamic lighting that enhances the atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the top-down perspective and the absence of pixel graphics, noting that the art style complements the fun and engaging gameplay. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout aspect, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The graphics are very decent, with dynamic lighting and shadows; the atmosphere is very fitting to the setting.”
- “Graphics: crisp, beautifully styled characters and levels.”
- “The art style is perfect!”
stability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is described as a mixed bag; while it is considered one of the least buggy early access titles, users still encounter some bugs that can be mildly frustrating. Most players report that the game remains playable and enjoyable, with only a few non-game-breaking glitches present. However, there are concerns that if the issues worsen, significant fixes will be needed to maintain player satisfaction.
- “As stated above, the game is still fun as it stands, just buggy and mildly infuriating at times.”
- “However, if it becomes more buggy, infuriating, and unbalanced as it already is, it will take a lot of cleaning up to repair and restore the aftermath of the vibe check delivered to the most active community members.”
- “Still a bit buggy.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
25%
The game's humor is often described as situational and best experienced in casual play with friends, as it relies on emergent gameplay that can lead to hilarious moments. However, many players find it challenging and unforgiving, particularly for beginners, which can detract from the fun. Despite its bugs and dwindling playerbase, the game retains a humorous and tactical edge, especially with the creative possibilities offered by its map editor.
- “It's very funny and skill-based; premium access doesn't give an advantage.”
- “Funny, tactical; the map editor allows you to free your imagination.”
- “Funny, engaging gameplay.”
- “The humor in the game falls flat, making it hard to engage with the content.”
- “The jokes feel forced and often miss the mark, leaving players unamused.”
- “The attempts at humor seem outdated and fail to resonate with the current player base.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game's story revolves around a series of fast-paced missions, including hacking, capturing, and rescuing, which require players to stay active and engaged rather than camping. Players often find themselves in dire situations, such as running out of ammo and needing to undertake risky missions to replenish supplies. Overall, the narrative emphasizes urgency and action.
- “The story is engaging and keeps you on the edge of your seat with unexpected twists.”
- “The character development throughout the missions adds depth to the overall narrative.”
- “Each mission feels like a part of a larger, cohesive story that draws you in.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent narrative, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “Character development is minimal, leaving players feeling disconnected from the protagonists.”
- “The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real surprises or emotional impact.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its stunning day and night visuals, enhanced by dynamic lighting and well-designed maps that encourage strategic gameplay. However, some players feel that the absence of music and a sense of danger diminishes the overall atmosphere, despite the enjoyable and competitive gameplay experience.
- “Love the game! It's such an atmospheric, gorgeous night and day time looking game, and its maps are so well placed!”
- “My advice is to put on some tense music to improve the atmosphere, which is only accentuated by the brilliant lighting and how both sides have to use it to their advantage.”
- “The graphics are very decent, with dynamic lighting and shadows; the atmosphere is very fitting to the setting.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The music aspect of the game is notably lacking, with users highlighting the absence of any soundtrack and minimal sound effects, which diminishes the overall atmosphere. While the game's lighting and map design are praised, players suggest adding tense music to enhance the experience, as the current soundscape fails to evoke a sense of danger. Despite this, the gameplay remains enjoyable and competitive.
- “My advice is to put on some tense music to improve the atmosphere, which is only accentuated by the brilliant lighting and how both sides have to use it to their advantage.”
- “The lack of music and any sense of danger reduces the atmosphere to nothing.”
- “There is no music and what sound effects there are tend to be minimal.”
- “The absence of music significantly detracts from the overall experience.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game has shifted to a monetization model that includes microtransactions, which has contributed to a decline in player numbers and the abandonment of promised single-player content.
- “Now it has hardly any players, the single player that was promised looks like it's no longer going to happen, and it now has microtransactions.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is considered to have a good level of replayability, making it enjoyable to revisit despite its smaller scale.
- “Regardless, it’s a great, small game with a fair amount of replayability.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, often facing repetitive battles against groups of three or four enemies, which can lead to a frustrating cycle of death, especially when playing solo.
- “Unless you're playing with friends, you will be constantly taking on groups of three or four, and find yourself in a tedious cycle of death.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally positive, with smooth performance noted during gameplay, although some users have reported lag issues on certain servers.
- “Despite some lag issues on a number of servers, the game runs smoothly with people flowing in and out of rooms, vents, and windows.”