Warren Spector's Thick As Thieves encapsulates the joys of the heist, but I'm not convinced it'll steal my attention long-term

So, there I was, in the middle of Elway Manor. It's the perfect playground for a master thief, littered with hidden passages that give way to bejewelled opulence. The only issue is that security was tighter than a banker's purse strings. Of course, I came prepared. My magical Vistara Diamond let me keep track of the coppers' outlines through walls, while my suite of gadgets provided ample distraction in case things got sketchy. Unfortunately, I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar - that being a display cabinet I'd picked my way into. Before the constable could zap me dead, I popped a smoke grenade, slipped past him, and returned to the safety of the shadows, a small, ornate hippo in-hand. Getting in and out of precarious situations is all part-and-parcel of Thick As Thieves, and OtherSide Entertainment's opening heists provide a solid amount of bang for very little buck.

Thick As Thieves sets itself in an alternate version of the Scottish city of Kilcairn, during the early 1900s. Here, magic and early Edwardian technology coincide. Considering OtherSide Founder Paul Neurath and Studio Director Warren Spector both worked on the Thief series (among many other iconic games), I'm not surprised Kilcairn has shaped up the way it has. It's more vibrant than the duo's previous pocket-pinching work, and, to me, it has a vibrancy that's more redolent of Valve's Deadlock. I'm a big fan.

As a newcomer to Kilcairn with a glinty eye on a spot in the mysterious Thieves' Guild, you'll need to impress. Fortunately, on your first night on the job, you happen upon the aforementioned Vistara Diamond, which immediately catches the guild's attention. As you learn more about the mystical mineral, it becomes clear that there's more going on behind the scenes than a simple game of cops and robbers.

Kilcairn's blend of magic and industrial robustness can be quite problematic if you're trying to make a name for yourself as a thief, due to the security they enable. Its two launch maps: the elaborate, secret-filled Elway Manor, and the burly-gated Constables' Guildhall, are equipped to the teeth with robotic turrets, Sauron-esque eyeballs that scry their surroundings, and all manner of traps that require you keep your wits about you. That's not to mention the members of the local constabulary, some being the ghostly Hauntstables, who are rather keen to put you down.

Security layouts aren't entirely set in stone, either. A floor plate that wasn't in one of the 16 story contracts you just completed may pop up in another, catching you off guard. Difficulty impacts this, too. Thick As Thieves has three to choose from, with each providing progressively more complex assortments of manpower and snare. It's solidly replayable, with non-story objectives subtly switching up each run. I initially thought it was all a little too easy, but then I got too big for my boots and attempted a more challenging modifier. I disrespected the game's difficulty curve, and without making use of key stealth mechanics, and the proper tools for the job, I got caught.

Thick of Thieves showcases how to do stealth games right. Its environment constantly tests your awareness: are you in light or shadow? Disguised or not? Running or crouch-walking? The game has you constantly consider the fundamentals as you make your way through the maps. There are some nice touches here, too. For example, scurrying along carpet muffles your footsteps. Alternatively, you might want to use sound to your advantage, making a racket by foot or throwing an object at a wall to draw someone out of position.

The push-pull is very well done, but I do think some of the AI work could be a little more sophisticated. When a constable comes to after being passed out on the floor (I wonder how that happened…), they simply have a bit of a 'what's all this then?' moment, before going back to their patrols. It's a little too simplistic, and I'd like to see more consequences for taking offensive action.

As for equipment, there are several options that unlock as you progress through the campaign. By default, you'll have the Vistara Diamond glued to your mitt like a copper's truncheon, ensuring you don't walk over hidden threats, and can keep track of guard patrols from a safe distance. Hauntstables can phase through walls, which helps balance out how overpowered the gem's utility feels. The diamond was to me what the One Ring was to Gollum - my precious. You need more than x-ray vision to make it as a master thief, though.

Welcome to the Black Market, accessed via the contract ledger in your hideout. Here we have every gadget and gizmo you could possibly need to steal lots of expensive stuff. Maybe you'd like to drop a smoke bomb for a quick escape? Or use a Pickpocket Fairy to knock out the lights, or steal that important vault key from an unsuspecting guard? Then there's my favorite, the Insult Fairy, which goes off on an animatedly Scottish-twanged rant at whichever unfortunate soul is closest, drawing their attention. Finally, you have Slither Sap, which gunks up sentry bots and creates a slippery surface that'll have constables calling their chiropractors. It's not the most creative selection, but it's well-designed and implemented.

The two playable thieves you can pilot also have a unique trick up their respective sleeves. The Spider brings a reusable zipwire to the fore, which is great for quickly scaling buildings without having to brave the traps inside. I did, at times find it quite finicky, as you'll oftentimes have to aim just below the balcony or ledge you're trying to clamber up. The Chameleon's Glamour mask, meanwhile, allows him to take on the appearance of guards. This is incredibly useful for blending in, though those pesky scryers and sentrybots won't fall for your ruse. Running around and standing in a guard's line-of-sight also reduces its duration, so don't feel too emboldened by your uniformed look.

Thick As Thieves began life as a PvPvE multiplayer experience, requiring you to mess with your fellow thieves online to ensure you were the one who came out with the top prize. Back in April, the PvP element was nixed, and I'm not surprised. Maintaining live service games isn't cheap, and requires an active, dedicated playerbase to keep queues full.

Instead, the game's co-op element is a lot more relaxed, and has you and a partner go to town on its maps. There's some cracking combo potential here, as you can work together to bait enemies into your clutches. When I hopped in with a pal, we found ourselves caught up in some rather chaotic moments, which are exactly the sort of emergent gameplay beats OtherSide is hoping for. I would personally recommend playing co-op on harder difficulties, as having twice the number of chefs can make easier modes a little too trivial.

After spending just shy of ten hours completing the launch contracts, exploring multiplayer, and throwing myself through some replayable missions on the hardest, Master Thief difficulty, I felt pretty much done with Thick As Thieves for now. The story missions have you go back and forth between the manor and guildhall, which becomes odious after a while. That being said, it's good practice for learning their layouts before moving up to the harder difficulties.

While I do think this initial chapter overstays its welcome a little, and its middling hours are its best, I am a fan of how smooth its proficiency curve is. You won't have all of your tools and the Chameleon unlocked until around the halfway point in the story, and from there you can start getting fancy with it. Right now, though, it doesn't keep me hooked in the same way something like Hades 2 or Slay The Spire 2 do; that 'one more run' feeling wanes before long.

Of course, this is only the beginning for Thick As Thieves. While it's not being marketed as an early access release, its introductory campaign has provided a solid taster for what's to come. Its modest $5 price tag belies the level of polish OtherSide has managed, with the game loading lightning-fast, and running without any notable quirks on my Ryzen 5 3600 / RTX 4070ti rig. Though it remains to be seen how well the studio delivers future content, and what sort of cost it'll set players back, so far, it's on the right track.