5 Reasons Why 'Thick as Thieves' Isn't the Thief Successor You Expected

When I first dove into Thick as Thieves, I was cautiously optimistic. Warren Spector's name attached to a multiplayer stealth game that later added singleplayer felt like a dream come true for fans of Thief. The initial hours were promising: leaning around corners, snuffing candles, and sneaking through hand-drawn maps. But as the time limits kicked in and the limited map pool became apparent, I realized this wasn't the immersive sim revival I hoped for. Here are five critical things you need to know about why Thick as Thieves misses the mark for stealth purists.

1. Classic Stealth Mechanics Are Here—But They're Just a Facade

Thick as Thieves nails the surface-level feel of old-school stealth. You can lean, climb through vents, and sneak across rooftops. Guards react to environmental changes like extinguished lights or open doors, which initially feels immersive. The maps even include cryptic details like a basement area labeled only with a question mark. However, these elements serve a faster, more arcade-like pace. The game lacks manual saves and encourages risky play rather than patient observation. The lean button and hand-drawn maps evoke Thief, but the underlying design pushes you to rush, not to savour each shadow.

2. A Tech-Magic Setting That's More Flavor Than Function

The world blends technology and magic in clever ways — guards argue whether a lamp is electric or fey, and ghostly guards glide through walls, coughing like living enemies. This aesthetic is charming, but it doesn't deeply affect gameplay. The ghost guards, for instance, are just reskinned patrollers with unpredictable paths. The Scottish-accented chatter and the electrogram (set to 0451, a nod to Looking Glass Studios) show reverence for the genre, but they don't translate into meaningful systems. It's a gorgeous veneer over a conventional stealth loop.

3. Two Maps That Promise Depth but Deliver Repetition

At launch, Thick as Thieves offers only two maps: a police station and Elway Manor. Both are multi-level, with multiple entry points and objectives that change on repeat visits. This isn't inherently bad — Hitman's Sapienza thrives on replayability. But here, the novelty wears thin quickly. You'll find new areas and angles the second time, but by the third or fourth run, the layout becomes stale. Upgrades like a pickpocket fairy or a distraction fairy add variety, but they can't mask the lack of sheer content. A great stealth game needs a library of locations, not just two.

4. The Time Limit System Breaks the Stealth Fantasy

Here's the biggest culprit: you have 45 minutes (sometimes 30) to locate a magical escape door, then 8 minutes to reach it after it appears. On top of that, completing any objective starts an 8-minute countdown to exit. This forces you to abandon exploration mid-heist. The intent — keeping co-op sessions snappy — makes sense for multiplayer. But for solo players, it undermines the meticulous planning Thief fans crave. You can't methodically study guard patrols or savor a new area because the clock is always ticking. The time limit transforms stealth from a tense puzzle into a frantic scavenger hunt.

5. A Multiplayer Heart That Neglects the Solo Soul

Originally designed as a co-op game, Thick as Thieves adds singleplayer as an afterthought. Your hideout includes a friends list for starting co-op matches, and the campaign is essentially a series of objectives that send you back to the same two maps. Without a partner, the experience feels hollow. The time limits, the limited scope, and the lack of narrative depth all point to a game built for two players. The singleplayer mode lets you ignore the co-op features, but you can't ignore the design philosophy. It's a fantastic co-op heist game that mistakenly tries to be a solo stealth sim.

In the end, Thick as Thieves is a solid multiplayer game with a strong stealth backbone, but it fails as a Thief successor. The mechanics are there, but the pacing and content don't satisfy the methodical player. If you have a friend and a short attention span, you'll have fun. If you want to lose yourself in shadows for hours, stick with the classics.