Trials of the Thief-Taker Reviews

I actually really enjoyed this story. I will say though that the ending seemed very rushed. It does have some decent replay value though. I'd give this a 7/10.

A unique setting and an interesting premise. However the characters seem pretty two-dimensional, and the plot short and very disjointed and need some smoothing over. There are certainly worse Choice of Games stories and this one isn't great, but if you like being a 18th century bounty hunter then it'll be for you.

This is the second Choice of Games title I played after A Study in Steampunk. Because of how much I loved that previous game, and because of the interesting premise for this one, I was really excited to try this. But I'm joining the "this is a big, boring letdown" club."

A very interesting game with a unique setting that the creators clearly did some homework on. The writing is well done and everything from character dialogue to bits of history in the narration helps bring the setting and atmosphere of the game to life. I'm also glad to have found one of these text adventures on Steam that doesn't take place in a fantasy universe or have things like magic included. These types of games set against the backdrop of real history are great imo and I hope the developers will consider making more. I enjoyed the way the game was split up into cases, and felt that the stats you gave your character during the intro really did impact the way the game turned out. I think this game allows for some pretty different playstyles, I had a good time on my first run as a furtive coward who smooth talked his way through tough situations, it was nice to see that there was usually a way through a case if you properly utilised your character's talents. I also like the fact that you can play both sides of the law and even end up somewhere in the middle, it really made the game feel more open and adds replayability value. Only major negative I would say (which other reviewers have pointed out) is that the ending seemed to come out of nowhere and felt a bit rushed. I hope in future if the developer made another game that it would last a bit longer, I feel like there was more potential that could have been gotten out of this game. Overall, I think it's worth a buy for the fiver it's sold at.

One of the best COG games I've had the pleasure to play this year. The replayability value is pretty high, too, as different choices end up producing a meaningfully different character arc for your thief-taker. The use of period slang is a very nice touch and well-executed! Definitely recommended, especially if you enjoy COG's other output.

Splendid game! The setting is juicy, the NPCs are great (if a bit exaggerated), and there is lots of replay value. There are not a lot of variant plot options but the way that the scenarios respond to your stats and choices is extremely well thought out. I like the fact that it is short (a couple hours only) and that it is not easy to get exactly what you want. The only problem I had with it was that the one time I tried playing as a woman, the modifications to account for that were patchy and inconsistent.

Overall I liked the game, but there were parts that needed a bit more work. I couldn't find any real romance options or even a character that you could romance, and it was a lot shorter than I expected. It is a new idea and I would play a sequal if it is released.

I cannot say I enjoyed this game. The plot was bland, and felt disjointed. It ended suddenly, and one's only romance options were theives, despite there supposedly being the promise of a good path, as well. The skills were well-implemented, but the only characters I felt any connection to were a street urchin and my gang of hooligans, who were barely given any screen-time. I was apparently supposed to feel a connection with the random thief I chased, and a woman who was absolutely vile to most everyone she met, but... Well. It's just not a game I found at all fun.

I was very surprised when the game suddenly ended, because it felt so abrupt. There isn't much to say about it: there is no coherent story, there are no interesting characters, there are very few situations when you really have to consider every option. Maybe it was my bad luck, but I could hardly make anyone fall in love with my character (despite all my effort). The original idea of the game sounds fresh and promising, but in the end it looks like a wasted opportunity.

Overall I would not recommend it, the storyline is very dry with absolutely no focus at all, the main storyline is non existent, and the characters are very bland with almost no personality, the demo is a pretty good representation of the game, since the quality does not improve after the demo, so if you enjoyed the demo, I reckon you might want to buy this game for $3 to support the developer.