Crookz - The Big Heist delivers a distinctive blend of tactical strategy, stealth, and heist planning wrapped in the colorful style of the 1970s. Developed by Skilltree Studios and published by Kalypso Media Digital, the game puts considerably more emphasis on preparation and coordination than direct confrontation. Instead of controlling a master thief through conventional action gameplay, the player manages a crew of specialists, studies security arrangements, and constructs carefully timed plans for stealing valuable targets without attracting unwanted attention.
The premise captures the spirit of a classic crime caper. A successful group of professional thieves lives comfortably from increasingly ambitious robberies until an operation involving the valuable Luna Stone ends in betrayal. Years later, the surviving members reunite with revenge on their minds, although the opportunity to become extremely wealthy again is naturally part of the attraction. The story is intentionally playful rather than grim, fitting comfortably alongside the funky soundtrack, bright environments, extravagant fashion, and larger-than-life criminal personalities.
Its campaign consists of 18 extensive missions, and the environments are designed as tactical puzzles rather than straightforward obstacle courses. Guards follow patrol routes, surveillance equipment watches important areas, locked entrances restrict movement, and valuable objectives are usually positioned behind several layers of protection. Success therefore begins with observation. Examining the environment before committing the crew to a particular route can reveal opportunities that are easy to overlook when rushing.
The ability to pause the action and coordinate commands is central to the experience. Players can organize sequences of actions for individual thieves and then watch the plan unfold in real time. This system produces the game's most rewarding moments. One crew member might disable security while another slips through a restricted area, with someone else simultaneously preparing an escape route. A perfectly executed operation can feel remarkably satisfying because success is the result of planning rather than simply fast reactions.
Character specialization prevents the crew from becoming a collection of interchangeable units. Up to six playable thieves possess talents suited to different situations. A physically imposing specialist can solve problems that require force, while a skilled lockpicker provides a much subtler solution to secured entrances. Deciding who should participate in an operation becomes an important part of preparation, particularly as missions grow more complicated and require several different abilities.
Equipment provides additional flexibility. Camera jammers, chloroform, explosive charges, and other specialized tools allow security problems to be approached in different ways. Gadgets are most effective when incorporated into a broader strategy rather than treated as emergency solutions. This makes preparation meaningful because selecting the correct combination of characters and equipment can substantially simplify an otherwise difficult operation.
The game does not force every situation into one perfect solution, which gives its missions some welcome flexibility. A cautious player can emphasize stealth and carefully avoid patrols, while another approach may involve incapacitating troublesome guards or using more aggressive tools. Improvisation also becomes important when a carefully constructed sequence goes wrong. Recovering from a mistake without allowing the entire robbery to collapse can sometimes be as entertaining as executing the original plan.
There are nevertheless some weaknesses in the execution. Character movement and command behavior can occasionally feel less precise than the strategic design demands. Since complicated plans may depend on several actions occurring at exactly the right moment, minor pathfinding or timing problems can become frustrating. Repeating familiar portions of a mission after a failed attempt may also test the patience of players who prefer constant forward momentum. The deliberate pace will consequently appeal much more strongly to tactical and stealth enthusiasts than players seeking immediate action.
Challenge Mode adds worthwhile replay value by placing players under more demanding circumstances, offering additional heists to unlock and encouraging increasingly efficient solutions through score competition. It complements the campaign well because the underlying mechanics naturally reward experimentation and optimization. Players who enjoy returning to a tactical problem and discovering a cleaner or faster solution can potentially spend considerable additional time mastering these scenarios.
The audiovisual presentation remains one of the game's strongest personality traits. Its exaggerated 1970s aesthetic gives the environments an immediately recognizable identity, while the music reinforces the fantasy of organizing stylish professional robberies. The presentation never takes itself excessively seriously, yet it remains coherent enough to support the strategic gameplay. Even when its mechanics show occasional rough edges, the atmosphere helps maintain the feeling of participating in an elaborate crime caper.
Steam Deck compatibility is particularly good. The game is Steam Deck Verified, with its functionality accessible through the default controller configuration. Controller icons are properly displayed, interface text is considered legible on the handheld screen, and the default graphics configuration performs appropriately on Steam Deck. It also runs successfully through SteamOS. One minor consideration is that external Bluetooth or USB controllers may require manually changing the active controller through the Steam Deck interface, but ordinary handheld play is well supported.
Ultimately, Crookz - The Big Heist succeeds because it understands that the most entertaining part of a fictional robbery can be the planning rather than the stealing itself. Its combination of reconnaissance, specialized characters, equipment management, synchronized commands, stealth, and improvisation creates a satisfying tactical framework. Some mechanical awkwardness and repetition prevent it from becoming an essential strategy classic, but players who enjoy carefully studying environments and constructing elaborate solutions will find plenty to appreciate. Its unusual setting and strong heist atmosphere also distinguish it from more conventional tactical strategy games.
Rating: 8/10
