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Thick As Thieves is a stealth game set in an alternate version of the 1910s, where magic and technology shape both the world and the way players approach each mission. Developed by OtherSide Entertainment, the project brings together designers associated with influential stealth games and aims to make the genre work in solo and multiplayer play.
Thick As Thieves: Setting and gameplay
The game takes place in Kilcairn, a fictional Scottish city filled with magical inventions, guarded buildings and valuables to steal. Players can explore multiple maps and take on different missions, searching for clues that may reveal hidden routes or concealed treasures. The setting combines Scottish Baronial architecture with speculative technology, giving each location both a distinctive look and practical obstacles to overcome.
Players can choose to play solo, cooperate with others or compete against thieves controlled by other players. For multiplayer sessions, the development team is aiming for focused missions that a group could complete in half an hour or less. This shorter-session approach is intended to fit multiplayer play while still allowing levels to offer varied routes and reasons to return.
Stealth tools, magic and security
Magic and technology are more than visual details: they affect how players navigate guarded spaces. Floating magical sentries, for example, watch entrances and make an undetected approach more challenging. A demonstrated magical mask allowed a thief to impersonate a guard and get past a sentry, but that disguise did not remove the need for careful movement once inside.
Traditional stealth remains central. Players need to watch patrols, choose their paths carefully and use shadows to avoid detection. More complex security systems can include reflected beams of light and floor tiles that appear to react to weight. These hazards make it important to observe a room before rushing through it; taking time to identify routes and threats can help prevent an escape from turning into a confrontation.
A grapple gun also appeared in an escape sequence, allowing a thief to reach the rooftops. The example shows how equipment can support a getaway, while the level’s layout and security still call for planning.
A replayable approach to multiplayer stealth
Game director Jeff Hickman says the team wants the game to be approachable while creating opportunities for emergent gameplay. The stated goal is to make missions playable alone or with others, with challenges increasing as players become more skilled at thieving. Hickman also points to replayability as a design priority: levels are intended to offer depth, variety and surprises beyond a straightforward route to the objective.
That ambition draws on the experience of Warren Spector, the legendary designer known for creating Deus Ex and Thief: The Dark Project, games recognized for their immersive simulation elements. OtherSide Entertainment is also associated with the Epic Mickey series, which concluded in 2012. A brief demonstration of Thick As Thieves provided only a partial look at the project after a campus-wide internet issue affected the session, so some details remain unclear.
What to know about Thick As Thieves
- Setting: Kilcairn, a fictional Scottish city in an alternate 1910s.
- Play styles: Solo, cooperative and competitive multiplayer options are described.
- Mission approach: Focused sessions are planned, with multiplayer missions designed to take half an hour or less.
- Core challenge: Players combine stealth, route-finding and available tools to bypass guards and security systems.
Thick As Thieves brings stealth mechanics into a setting shaped by magic and speculative technology, while placing equal emphasis on solo play, cooperation and competition. Its mix of short missions, multiple routes and evolving challenges could make careful observation and experimentation central to each run.
