Killers and Thieves Released

With very little fanfare leading up to it, the team at Stoic (who you know from The Banner Saga trilogy) has suddenly released Killers and Thieves, a new stealth-focused strategy/RPG with an interesting premise that allows us to take on the role of a thieves’ guildmaster and “train a team, steal loot, and master heists throughout a sprawling city.” The game is available on Steam for now, but I would expect it to expand from there if things go well. Check out the launch trailer to set the mood:

And here’s a little more about the game and its team, from the release announcement on Steam:

Alex Thomas, co-founder of Stoic and co-creator of the Banner Saga, has just released his first solo project Killers and Thieves with the help of Stoic. This is a different kind of game from their signature viking epic but shares a lot of its DNA.

Killers and Thieves puts players into the role of the guildmaster, the shadowy figure lying at the heart of a medieval thieves’ guild. Recruit street rats, train them up into highly-skilled burglars and cutthroats, and then set them loose in a vast, living city. It’s available now!

The heart of the game is the heist, featuring tactical real-time action as you control your crew as they break into buildings, dodge guard patrols, snatch everything valuable and then vanish into the shadows. At least, that’s the idea; all too often, emergent gameplay factors will turn your carefully laid plans into a blood-soaked mess.

The world reacts to how you play, and while you are patching up the wounded and selling your ill-gotten goods on the black market, guard patrols will shift and challenge levels will change. You can adapt as well, staking out the wealthiest and least guarded parts of the city, picking your own targets, and the open-ended experience is tied together by a compelling story of betrayal and revenge.

Alex’s gorgeous art has drawn inspiration from paintings and prints from the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, giving it a warm, hand-made feel. Don’t be fooled, though: this game is tough. Keeping the books balanced won’t be easy, and professional criminals are unforgiving when they don’t get paid.