REVIEW – At first glance, Thick As Thieves looks like a modest, cheap, and slightly odd stealth experiment, but the name OtherSide Entertainment inevitably carries the shadow of Warren Spector and the legacy of System Shock, Deus Ex, and Epic Mickey. The game does not try to tell a grand story; instead, it offers short, tight robberies, plenty of sneaky problem-solving, and cooperative thievery – and for its launch price, it puts a surprising number of ideas on the table.

Thick As Thieves made a rather clever move with its pricing alone. Around launch, OtherSide Entertainment’s game was available for five euros, which is an almost suspiciously low amount in 2026 for a project connected to Warren Spector’s name. That is exactly why the decision makes sense: at this price, it is much easier to forgive a game for not being fully polished yet, especially when it already shows a strong foundation that can clearly be expanded.

That does not mean Thick As Thieves is interesting only because of its price. The game builds on stealth instincts that come from the direction of Thief and Dishonored, but it thinks in smaller, faster, more digestible missions. It is not a huge, epic immersive sim, but rather a compact heist game in which thievery, quiet movement, careful use of light, avoiding guards, and smart gadget use form the core experience. If you have someone to play with, it works noticeably better, but it is not hopeless as a solo experience either.

Stealthy Thievery

Thick As Thieves does not rely on story, because there is not much of one. There is a comic-style opening scene, followed by a tutorial mission that introduces the idea of the thieves’ guild alongside the core mechanics, and after that, the game essentially lets us start robbing. This structure is no accident: the game was designed primarily as a multiplayer experience, which the launch pricing also supports, and in this kind of concept, the goal is not to make players sit through long cutscenes. When a few friends sit down to play together, nobody wants twenty-minute exposition scenes when the burglary could already be underway.

After the tutorial, we find ourselves in our hideout, which acts as the central hub. This is where we can unlock new environments, buy equipment, and use cosmetic items. Each map usually has one main objective: at Elway Manor, for instance, we need to find three urns, and their locations often change. There is also always a specific contract that twists the task a little and adds an extra objective. This is not revolutionary, but it is useful, because it improves replayability and helps compensate for the fact that the current content is not enormous.

As thieves, naturally, we need to make as little noise as possible. Visibility is affected by environmental light, watchtowers can be disabled, locks can be picked, and guards are best avoided – or pickpocketed, if we do not intend to knock them out. The repertoire is not shallow: smoke bombs limit vision, the shard launcher lets us climb walls, and fairies can be used to taunt guards or steal. That last one feels slightly out of place compared to the rest of the toolkit, but it also gives the game a slightly strange flavor of its own.

If this creates a Dishonored-light feeling, that is no coincidence. OtherSide Entertainment’s game really does carry something of that stealth-driven, freeform problem-solving mindset that Arkane’s series represented so strongly. It is a shame that Arkane, Bethesda, and Microsoft currently seem to be doing very little with Dishonored, because Thick As Thieves is a reminder that there is still life in this design direction.

One of the game’s strongest qualities is that it gives us freedom in how we solve tasks. There is room to be creative, especially since some maps offer up to six floors of explorable space, filled with items that can be pocketed. Often, there are one or two valuable objects in a single room, and clues can help us figure out where to search next. These clues may be notes written by guards, or information dropped by other characters. The more mystical items we steal, and the more we hand in at the right points, the more money we make, while also leaving our calling card behind at the scene.

Getting the Hang of It Without Getting Caught

Of course, not every robbery goes perfectly. Guards can catch us. When that happens, we do not necessarily die; instead, we are knocked out, and there is a small but noticeable penalty: we lose the items we have collected if we have not handed them in yet. This also strongly suggests that the developers primarily imagined Thick As Thieves as a multiplayer project, because the system works best when players support each other and build on each other’s mistakes while trying to escape the map.

There is also respawning, sometimes in rather odd places. Reappearing near a restroom is unusual, but it ultimately fits the game’s eccentric tone. As a multiplayer experience, Thick As Thieves gains an entirely different rhythm: one player can be chased by a guard while the other quietly loots rooms or searches for the next target item. This setup brings out the game’s core much better than solo sneaking, even though playing alone can still be entertaining.

The countdown timer, however, means we always need to watch the clock. In some situations, we have to pick up the pace, because the escape point must be reached in time. Since launch, several important comfort improvements have been added: the field of view can be adjusted, motion blur can be turned off, and the countdown timer is at least visible now, checked through the map by pressing Tab. At launch, this was not properly visible, which was a rather unpleasant decision for a game built around timing.

It is still somewhat illogical, however, that if the first two steps are not completed properly, everything has to be restarted. The game sometimes handles mission logic too rigidly: first collect X items, then collect a certain amount, and if something is missed along the way, the whole thing can start over. This is not a fatal flaw, but in a game built around short, tight, replayable robberies, the smoothness of mission structure matters a lot.

A Good Start That Still Needs a Roadmap

Thick As Thieves is an entertaining game. It works alone, but it is clearly better with another player, because chaos, distraction, quick decisions, and stealth cooperation emerge much more naturally as a shared experience. If the developers keep fine-tuning the mission logic and continue listening to feedback after the current comfort improvements, there should be no major reason to worry. It is already clear that the team is paying attention, and that will be important, especially since the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions will only arrive later.

Anyone who enjoyed Dishonored and Thief may find Thick As Thieves an easy recommendation. If you have someone to play with, even more so. The low price is currently a strong argument in its favor, because it makes the content limitations and smaller rough edges easier to accept. Some gadgets feel out of place, and the countdown and mission structure are not always elegant yet, but the foundation works. If the content expands properly before the game reaches current-generation consoles, it could become a good buy on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S as well.

The bigger question is where the project goes next. Thick As Thieves currently feels like a clever, slightly cheeky apprentice thief: not always elegant, sometimes stumbling over its own ideas, but already clearly in good hands. If OtherSide Entertainment does not leave it halfway, this bargain-priced launch could grow into a very respectable cooperative stealth game.

-V-

Publisher: Megabit Publishing
Developer: OtherSide Entertainment
Genre: first-person stealth heist adventure
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S
Release Date: May 20, 2026