Thieves' Gambit: The Curse of the Black Cat

This is the third Choicescript heist game I've played in the last week (the other two being The Martian Job and The Treasure Seekers of Lady Luck), so I can't help but compare them.

The Martian Job had the most memorable writing and setting of the bunch, with more emotional choices, while Lady Luck had more memorable characters and a zany atmosphere.

This game was just pure heist. You learn about the heist, you recruit your crew, you conduct the heist, you leave. There are a few twists, but they are mostly telegraphed, making them pleasant but not anxiety-inducing.

I'm a big fan of mysteries and crime, so I enjoyed this game, and found it polished. Most of the choices made sense, with a recurring choice of 'Sneaky, Brutal or Flashy' showing up, despite not mapping directly onto the choices. I think this helped in characterization.

I guess I didn't really connect with this game emotionally. My enjoyment was at arm's length. I am interested in playing it again, though, to get some of the more unusual acheivments.

I was a little skeptical of this game during the opening chapter. Thinking that I would be wading into another run-of-the mill story, expectations started off low. You mess up your current heist, make a messy getaway and set your sights on the next score, while recruiting the usual selection of specialists first. I was pretty sure I’d seen this before.

Still, the rest of the story is engaging, presenting twists and turns and keeping you on your toes. It gives you a constant sense that danger is around the corner, and keeps you weighing your next move carefully, figuring out which skill gets you through or whether you should take the low risk, low reward approach. The writing is actually quite engaging here, and it kept me focused on every twist and turn.

The stat screen and stat system could use some work. It would have been good to have a dossier of NPCs and their respective strengths. Some of the skills also aren’t very well-named, leading me to lose track of what they actually do halfway down the story. More descriptions could have helped.

The romance in the game is solid for what it is. Romance isn’t a major part of the game, but my chosen RO was likable and there were a fair number of encounters to build a relationship and get to know them more.

It took me two attempts to complete the heist successfully and escape. Failure is possible here, so careful decision making is necessary to get to the good endings.

Overall, this is a pretty fun and solid title, even if a little on the short side.