Peaky Blinders: Mastermind Reviews
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is a puzzle game with unique ideas that takes far too long to fully implement them.
A flawed attempt to adapt the show, that struggles when it comes to storytelling but has the makings of a great heist game.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is built upon a highly inventive central concept and smartly dressed in an authentic audio/visual package that accurately captures the dangerous world of The Shelby Family. The inventiveness of this core element is not captilised upon, however, which results in very repetitive and robotic gameplay. Die-hard Peaky Blinders fans might find a few hours of entertainment but, overall, Mastermind is a missed opportunity.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind offers one of the most essential puzzling experiences of 2020. The masterminding may come to an end far too soon, but when it does the the sublime gameplay mash-up you've just had will make you realise that Futurlab have forged an entirely new genre: rewind time strategy. Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is so good that it compelled me to go and watch the original TV show. Now, how many games based on a franchise can say that?
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is a puzzle game with interesting mechanics, which pays dearly for choosing to remain faithful to the structure of the TV series, only to reveal its potential in the final stages - just like Thomas Shelby usually does with his opponents, ironically.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A great way to reflect the spirit of the TV show: Peaky Blinders Mastermind is a fun tactical game that will make us repeat several times every single level in order to improve our best timing. Technically simple, it causes a true inmersion.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind has some clever mechanics that highlight the meticulous planning Tommy Shelby is capable of, all whilst providing an interesting story and plenty of variety in character actions.
The player in this TV series tie-in game is more like a frustrated foot soldier than a gangland kingpin
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is an average game at best. It features interesting puzzles and a decent enough art style, but the story feels shallow, offering nothing major to draw you in. It does feel like Peaky Blinders at face value and the puzzles, with the time-travel mechanics allowing you to create the perfect plan, makes you feel like you are part of one of Tommy Shelby's schemes, but this is still mostly superficial. It's short and inoffensive but, at the same time, it doesn't do anything to make it feel more than 'average'.
Despite a truly intriguing gameplay formula, Peaky Blinders: Mastermind ends just when it really begins to show all of its potential.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is a strategy game that requires very little strategy for much of its short running time. While it does eventually present a little more challenge in the closing chapters, the hum-drum narrative and bargain-basement cut-scenes won't provide you with much incentive to persevere through the duller moments which make up most of the game. If you're a massive fan of the show waiting for the next season, then you're probably better off just forming your own gang while talking in a comedy Brummie accent.
Without any concrete information as to when we can expect the next season of Peaky Blinders, Peaky Blinders: Mastermind might end up being a nice distraction from the limbo we’ve all been left in.
Clever, rewarding and a lot of fun, I have always wanted to control a family up to the neck in crime and now I can.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind makes clever use of its licence, incorporating Tommy Shelby's knack for scheming and planning into the core of its time-manipulating gameplay as well as working each and every one of the gang from the hit TV show into proceedings. It's a shame that it takes quite so long for it to up the ante to the point that missions are really satisfyingly complex but what's here is certainly both fun and highly replayable for those who want to perfect each job on offer and grab gold in every mission.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is quite an okay example of a game being made out of a television show. That being said I don’t think there’s a world where it could’ve been anymore than that. It’s a good introduction to the tactics genre and has some neat levels, but that’s about it. It’s decent, that’s all.
Even with its budget price, it's somewhat difficult to recommend Mastermind given its brevity and few technical issues. I expect Peaky Blinders fans will most enjoy Mastermind as a gritty snapshot at pre-series Birmingham that expands on their favourite television family. I'd even go so far as to give it a cautious thumbs up for those who enjoy working up a mental sweat.
Although it's based on a long-running British TV show, no previous knowledge is required to enjoy solving the tricky time-manipulation puzzles of Peaky Blinders: Mastermind. In a world where tie-in games are generally awful, this is a rare entry that works for show fans and non-fans alike.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is a decent tie-in, a real-time strategy game based on the acclaimed TV series. Nothing more and nothing less.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Red Right Bland
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind sets a benchmark for unconventional gameplay done right.