THE BRiLLiANT COUP Steam Charts & Stats

Released: February 11, 2025
 Purchased: July 20, 2025 for EUR 16.99
 Verdict: Not recommended I certainly didn't get my money's worth with this one. The game lacks voiceovers, which would have been acceptable at a lower price point. Furthermore, it has numerous small and large issues that make me force myself to keep playing. Interface Issues The main selling point for this game is its use of "classic commands." I've been playing adventure games since the late 80s, with my favorites from the 90s and early 2000s. While many developers tried to "advance" the genre with various changes - not all beneficial - dropping verb commands was generally a good evolution. Full Throttle introduced the interactive menu (though they may not have been the first), and it was hard to look back after that. That said, let's assume the command interface is appealing. After all, Day of the Tentacle remains one of my favorites and used a similar system. However, The Brilliant Coup implements it poorly. First, unlike classic games, there's no keyboard support for verb commands. Second, in older games with "classic commands," the right mouse button wasn't always just for looking - right-clicking a door would typically open it. Here, right-click is always "look," which feels limiting and frustrating. Inventory Problems The game boasts having 100 items, but it handles inventory puzzles terribly. You'll carry most items throughout the entire game, with many serving no purpose (you keep pretty much everything after using it). This either represents terrible design (classic adventure games maintained manageable inventories) or a cheap attempt to artificially increase difficulty. The challenge often comes purely from inventory clutter - since you can only see a few items at once, you'll constantly scroll up and down like mad. Puzzle Design While adventure games are known for occasional nonsensical puzzles, this game features extremely convoluted ones. For example, your character has a fully equipped apartment with a proper kitchen containing plenty of items (bowls are displayed from the start - exactly two, the number needed for a future puzzle). Yet when he needs to remove transparent film from a bar menu, he can't use scissors or knives that would certainly be found in any kitchen. Remember, this is a slightly grounded game set in England, not a fantasy island. Instead, you must find an empty bottle at one location. The character immediately notes the bottle's thick glass (hinting it won't break easily). To break it, you need to find a hammer in a completely different location, smash the bottle to pieces, then use a glass shard to cut the film wrapping the menu. I honestly can't remember a puzzle this poorly designed. Setting Inconsistencies The game is set in England in 1987, with the main plot revolving around the protagonist being broke and unable to afford his apartment rent (it's the whole motivation for what is about to be the main plot). Yet his desk features a personal computer, printer, and scanner. The cost of such hardware in 1987 England could have covered approximately two years of rent. This lazy design raises obvious questions: Why choose 1987? Why make the character broke while owning expensive, cutting-edge technology? Final Thoughts I genuinely liked the bank robbery concept. Everything else falls short. Some dialogue is slightly funny, but most is poorly written. The puzzles are horrendous. There are no voiceovers. While I generally love pixel art, this game's visuals are overly simplistic - most other indie games in the genre look better while costing less or the same. Better Alternatives For comparison, here are the last two adventure games I played: The Drifter (July 17, 2025) - EUR 19.50 full price, EUR 16.57 introductory price. Fully voiced in English with some of the best voice acting I've heard in modern adventure games. It's somewhat over-the-top but works perfectly for the game's tone. The plot is incredible, keeping you engaged and wanting to know what happens next. Also genuinely funny at times. Unusual Findings (October 12, 2022) - EUR 19.99 full price, purchased for EUR 14.99 on January 5, 2023. Fully voiced in two languages, both excellent. Extremely similar to Day of the Tentacle with amazing quality. Puzzles make sense, dialogue is great, and the setting is perfectly crafted. Skip The Brilliant Coup and play either of these instead.

It's not bad, if the idea of a point & click puzzle game centered on a heist interests you. And you don't mind an overall package that feels about a generation behind its indie point & click peers. Would recommend that you buy other similarly priced but more highly rated point & click games first. Especially those that are voiced. Then later get this game at a discount, if you've run out of games. I had a smooth, bug free playing experience; only complaint is, a very small number of puzzle solutions require trying out random things; or some items can easily be missed. All puzzle solutions make sense though, and because of the nature of this game that doesn't hold your hand, it's quite satisfying to solve most of the puzzles on your own.