Thick as Thieves Proves Rough Edges Cannot Stop a Good Co-op Heist
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Warren Spector's studio has launched Thick as Thieves, a budget co-op heist game that survived a late-stage pivot from PvP to become a surprisingly fun, if rough around the edges, stealth adventure.
OtherSide Entertainment has pulled off a rather fascinating pivot with its latest release. Helmed by industry veterans Paul Neurath and Warren Spector, the studio behind foundational classics like Thief and Deus Ex originally announced Thick as Thieves back in 2024 as a PvPvE immersive sim. Just weeks before launch, the team ripped out the competitive multiplayer entirely to focus purely on solo and co-op play. That kind of eleventh-hour design shift usually spells disaster for a project, and the resulting game certainly wears those scars proudly in a conspicuously incomplete launch state.
Yet, as Matt Wales points out over at Eurogamer, this budget-priced stealth adventure is surprisingly difficult to put down. Set in Kilcairn, an alternate-history 1910s Scottish metropolis with a distinct steampunk and supernatural flair, the game currently offers just two sprawling maps, two character classes, and a modest selection of tools. It is undoubtedly light on content, missing a class from its original pitch and sporting plenty of rough technical edges. But those two labyrinthine maps are so masterfully designed with interlocking shortcuts, vertical routes, and multiple entry points that the core loop of sneaking, stealing, and escaping under a tight eight-minute countdown genuinely shines.
For players who treat co-op games as a primary social space, Thick as Thieves offers a refreshing reminder that mechanical ingenuity often triumphs over bloated scope. It asks very little of your wallet while delivering the kind of emergent, communicative teamwork that makes streaming sessions and late-night voice chats memorable. While the industry is often obsessed with live-service scale and endless progression loops, there is plenty of room for a wonky, bite-sized heist game that simply understands how to deliver a good time with a friend.
Tags: Gaming News, PC Gaming, Co-op, Immersive Sim, OtherSide Entertainment
Original article: Eurogamer