Recently I got the pleasure of playing the over-the-top and funny Crooks Like Us. Created by indie developers Out of Tune Games, Crooks Like Us is a fun multiplayer party game that will have you smiling and laughing as you attempt to snatch everything in sight. This is then followed by carefully balancing your tower of goodies back to the drop-off point to sell. The gameplay is basic but it doesn’t need to be complicated. The pick-up and play nature of Crooks Like Us will make the game a brilliant pick to play with friends.
Gameplay: Steal Everything That isn’t Tied Down
Your goal in Crooks Like Us is to gain as much money as you possibly can before time runs out. To do this you’ll be stealing a plethora of items like benches, jewelry, paintings, and even cars. As you grow your tower of goodies, you’ll find it harder to move as you attempt to balance. However, a point multiplier will be awarded to the player for delivering a taller stack. Crooks that aren’t careful will drop their items on the floor.
Grow your Tower of Treasure and Avoid Crooks
If balancing four chairs, two paintings and a car doesn’t sound hard enough, you will also have to watch out for opposing players. They will attempt to bring your tower crashing down, by dashing through and knocking you down. Players will additionally, have a number of gadgets at their disposal accessed via the van. Crooks will be able to place banana skins on the floor to trip up other crooks, as well as a revolving door to ping crooks away.
The chaos that these gadgets cause will have you chuckling as you watch crooks slip and slide all over the place. You’ll watch as they desperately try to deliver their goodies to the van to no avail. I had a lot of fun with these gadgets as they all behave in different ways and can also be combined to great effect. Furthermore, players will be able to unlock a series of new gadgets such as earthquakes and rockets as they progress.
Crooks Like Us Kept Fresh with Game Modes and Maps
Whilst your goal of accumulating as much money as you possibly can be the same in every match. There are a number of different modes in Crooks Like Us that kept the game feeling fresh. The chaotic nature of the free for all mode is fun as you’ll be avoiding all crooks as well as a myriad of gadgets. Then matches will get even more chaotic as a Vault will open up near the end of the round. This not only allows players to make a quick come back but it’s also extremely hilarious to watch a bunch of crooks fight for the treasure.
Play the team-based game mode, however, and the match will play out differently depending on your strategy. Perhaps one crook will attempt to carry a tall tower of treasures while their teammates defend them. Or perhaps a crook will throw a bunch of treasures to other teammates. Furthermore, a crook could even decide to just sit in the van and utilize their gadgets to sabotage the opposing team.
Beta Levels
I was able to explore 4 different levels in the beta with one being a small supermarket designed for the tutorial. Another was the Crooks hideout which acted as a waiting room for the match lobby. That left the following two levels for matches:
- Jewelry Store – The jewelry store is a fun map that has a wide range of items to steal. From basic benches and paintings, to necklaces and cars. The map is symmetrical with one entrance to the building that acts as a choke point for sabotages. Furthermore, the map includes police officers that players must avoid or knockout.
- Temple – The temple map plays very differently from other levels in Crooks Like Us as there are a number of giant apes that will attack you if you get too close. This was my favorite map as it required quite a bit of navigation to get past walls and enemies.
Crooks Like Us: is it Worth it?
I believe that if Out of Tune Games can continue to support Crooks Like Us and refine the game, it has some serious potential to become a regular party game played amongst friends. There’s a lot of opportunity in the game to sabotage other players’ progress which will lead to hilarious moments.
Crooks Like Us is available now in early access on the Steam Store and will set you back £7.19 or $10. You can follow Out of Tune Games on Twitter for new updates on Crooks Like Us.
Check out our interview with Out of Tune Games to learn more about the indie team and the development of Crooks Like Us.
I had a lot of fun playing this little party game. I recommend getting the most out of the game by playing with a group of friends. Let us know if you are interested in Crooks Like Us in the comments.
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