Thieves' Gambit: The Curse of the Black Cat
- October 17, 2014
- Choice of Games
Get on SteamIn "Thieves' Gambit: The Curse of the Black Cat," you are a jewel thief trying to steal the unlucky Black Cat diamond from San Castellano's palace. With various methods and motives to choose from, and the threat of the curse looming, your choices determine your success. This 100,000-word interactive adventure offers diverse character customization and a gripping heist narrative.
Reviews
- Well-paced and fun, providing an enjoyable experience for fans of heist stories.
- The writing is solid and engaging, with a charming premise that indulges in classic heist tropes.
- Offers a variety of choices that can lead to different outcomes, making it a decent interactive novel despite its short length.
- Significantly shorter and less complex than other titles from Choice of Games, leading to limited replayability.
- Many choices feel inconsequential, with predictable plot twists and a lack of depth in character development.
- Some players found the game to be longwinded and lacking in meaningful decisions, making it feel drawn out and lifeless.
- story33 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story is generally viewed as a short, enjoyable heist narrative that incorporates familiar tropes from the genre, though it lacks depth and immersion. While some players appreciated its charm and lightheartedness, many noted its predictability, limited impact of choices, and overall brevity, which left them wanting more substance and replayability. Despite these criticisms, the game is recommended for those seeking a quick, fun experience reminiscent of classic caper films.
“Awesome game, fun story.”
“Honestly, I really enjoyed this story.”
“The characters are lovable, the story is good, and has plenty of choices.”
“I figure this is more a cash grab than an actual story that the author had been wanting to write.”
“Due to its large use of heist/thief genre tropes, the story is very predictable.”
“This particular story, which I won't give away any details on, is rather short compared to some of their other offerings, and it feels somewhat singular and lacking in flexibility with little in the way of options or replayability.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is limited due to its linear scripting and dialogue, which can lead to frustration when players must repeat lengthy sections after failing certain rolls. Once players have completed the story and achieved all endings, there is little incentive to replay, as the experience feels short and lacks significant branching paths or options.
“Scripting and dialogue authentic to paper CYOA, but replayability suffers for it.”
“It's kind of annoying to get to the end, fail a roll for unknown reasons, and be forced to either quit or click through all the dialogue all over again; the replay value is lower than you'd expect.”
“Important consideration: there is no replayability after the first day; once you've gotten all the achievements and seen all the alternate endings, then that's that.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as mechanically simple, featuring basic choose-your-own-adventure elements centered around heisting as a notorious thief. While it lacks depth and complexity, the engaging premise and overall fun factor compensate for its shortcomings.
“A mechanically simple choose-your-own-adventure game about heisting as a notorious thief.”
“The gameplay is straightforward and accessible, making it easy to jump in and enjoy the experience.”
“The mechanics may be basic, but they effectively support the engaging narrative and heist theme.”
“Mechanically simple choose-your-own-adventure about heisting as a notorious thief.”
“Mechanically, it's nothing to write home about, with only the most basic of choose-your-own-adventure features.”
“TL;DR: mechanically underwhelming and lacking depth, but the premise and 'fun factor' make up for it.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the emotional depth of the story may not match that of other games, it still manages to engage players to some extent, highlighting the importance of emotional connection in maintaining interest.
“Not nearly as good as other stories, and yet it was still interesting enough for me to be involved at least a little bit emotionally. All games of this type require an emotional connection; without it, there is no interest.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews suggest that the monetization strategy of the game is perceived as a cash grab, indicating a focus on profit over genuine storytelling or player experience.
“I feel like this is more of a cash grab than a genuine story that the developers wanted to create.”
“The monetization tactics are so aggressive that it ruins the overall experience of the game.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
