Stealth in video games often combines aspects of suspense and action, while also being used to enhance the experience of both kinds of games. The mechanics of these segments are rarely the main focus of any given game, leaving the door open for further development. One of the upcoming games to attempt this development is Thick as Thieves, developed by OtherSide Entertainment and published by Megabit Publishing. The game recently received a new overview trailer, going over the core gameplay loop and various options players will have available to them when the game releases later this month.

The trailer opens with Thick as Thieves’ game director, Jeff Hickman, giving the details around a heist in progress. Players will perform their thievery in the city of Kilcairn, a Scottish city from an alternate version of the 1910s. Players are given different character types with different strengths and attributes meant to complete the jobs sent out by the Thieves’ Guild. Stealth is the main focus of the trailer, with the difference between being hidden and spotted left up as a muddier thing than most games. It is dependent on lighting, cover, and the behaviors of the guards, all of which can be manipulated by the gear laid out in the trailer.

Highlighted by both the trailer and the game’s Steam page, the tools players have access to are customizable and vary the ways in which obstacles can be approached. Players have Slithersap for lights, smoke bombs for vision, and Pickpocket Fairies for distant switches. The game also encourages replaying older missions on higher difficulty settings or in co-op, both of which can completely change the options available to the player.

Wanting to avoid being caught at one time or another is an almost universal human experience, speaking to the success of games like Thick as Thieves. Gamers will have a chance to see how the game encapsulates that feeling when in releases on May 20th for Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam.