The Big Con Reviews
The Big Con is a coming-of-age story set in the '90s. Its strength is in the storytelling, the relatable characters, and the homage to that moment in time. The puzzles provide some challenge, and while the pickpocketing mechanic is a bit overdone, it's something you can turn off. For those who didn't grow up during the '90s, you might not connect with some of the story, but you'll still get enjoyment nonetheless. However, for people like me, who are old enough to remember growing up during this time, I think there's a lot you can connect with in this game.
Maybe it’s the 80s kid and 90s twenty-something in me, but I’ll admit that when a game features a slice of life from my own heyday, made clear by your character working in their mom’s video rental store, it can quickly get my attention...
undefined.The Big Con is a stylish adventure game that feels more playful than mystifying, nailing a good balance that opens up to a wider audience than most of its kind. The '90s Nick feel definitely makes it more appealing to those of a certain age, but the goofy period piece design of the world is unspecific enough to not feel impenetrable if you don't know your Skeeters from your Stimpys. The charm far outweighs the thievery for Ali as she tries to save her mom's video store by robbing the world blind.
The Big Con is a heart-warming coming of age story that will delight 90s kids, referential-humor enjoyers, and those with sticky fingers. Its relatable protagonist never loses her heart of gold, despite the horrible circumstances she finds herself in, which serves as a shining testament to the dev team’s ability to carefully craft a story using controversial mechanics. If you have $14.99 and 7 - 10 hours to spare, take a look at The Big Con -- it's bound to steal your heart.
Where the gameplay may be lacking, The Big Con makes up for with emotional stakes. I found Ali’s relationships to be engaging, funny, and heartfelt. She can call her mom and her best friend—who she’s currently on the outs with—from the road. She makes friends with recurring guests along the road, including a particularly funny Pawn Shop Broker (the game’s way of letting you sell random items for extra cash). She even has a delightful imaginary friend called Rad Ghost who serves as a helper—emotionally, and logistically with controls—throughout the game. Amid the nostalgia and time travel, there is a very tangible reflection on the transience of commercial fads as well as a love and concern for small businesses. Ali is a good kid, and getting to follow her journey, living vicariously through her as the cool ‘90s teen I never was, was worth even the most lackluster of pickpocketing opportunities.
If you are nostalgic for the gaming scene of the 90s, The Big Con is a can’t-miss throwback. But even if you are maybe a little younger, or sick of wallowing in that most radical of eras, you may find a lot to like. It’s certainly a very cool con artist story, which is appealing to me. Funny and a little melancholy, The Big Con is exactly the sort of adventure game I’ve been wanting to play for decades.
A simple but light-hearted adventure game that goes big on 90s nostalgia, The Big Con is a fun and colourful romp that will steal its way into your heart.
Mighty Yell shows its creative flair through The Big Con's art style and soundtrack, which makes me look forward to future titles from the studio and hope that Skybound continues its mission to reinvent adventure games.
Video tapes, scrunchies, plaid shirts, grunge…did someone say a recipe for the ‘90s? Though I was born in 1997, which some would say doesn’t count, I still remember the ‘90s vibe going on strongly into the early 2000s. A time of Pokemon, classic Disney films and the PlayStation 1, where little me had no responsibilities!
The Big Con provides some much-needed 90s nostalgia while also providing an outrageous tale smothered in wit, sarcasm, and Horm. It’s a short, casual game, with a whole lot of spunk and a whole lot of crime, and I really recommend it to anyone looking for a laugh.
The Big Con is about its history and nostalgia for an era it is no longer. It's a pleasant road trip, where cassette tapes still need to be rewound, MTV still plays music videos, and fanny packs are all the rage. Ali is a typical teenager who in the long run is endearing, the touch of familiarity that surrounds the whole story works very well and visually the game has a very pleasant style.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
For an experience meant to mimic a night spent in front of a rented VHS tape and a bowl of microwaveable popcorn, that’s about all you can ask for.
Overall The Big Con is a charming little slice of nineties nostalgia. It's propelled by its strong writing and world-building, a deep understanding of the era it is referencing, and some fantastic characters, and it's certainly a road trip players will enjoy taking. Although its gameplay is limited and there are some technical issues, it's an earnest and compelling journey.
The Big Con is a unique take on video game nostalgia that takes players to the '90s, but not the video game '90s.
The Big Con is a welcome nod to one of the coolest decades of all time, featuring some great writing, beautiful visuals, and fun gameplay.
Simplistic it may be, but there's an inherent charm to The Big Con that proves infectious. A sweet, coming-of-age yarn that happens to involve a lot of stealing and skullduggery, Mighty Yell's game is full of heart, soul, and '90s nostalgia.
The Big Con presents a fun, addictive gameplay loop to embrace - despite never truly sitting right with us narratively. Its world is a delight to explore, the characters are fun and the 90s vibes wrap around you like a warm winter's blanket. It's a shame its morals are never presented in a truly challenging way, but if you can look past its messy narrative, you'll find a fun, charming indie adventure that's hard to put down.
A true tribute to the 90's with its universe and discussions full of references and its graphic paw reminiscent of the cartoon Doug, The Big Con is not a game to put in all hands. The title is based on a gameplay focused on theft that never evolves, dialogues in the vein of the time, now uncomfortable, and an atmosphere of the 90s that works wonderfully. A funny game worthy of a sitcom, which can tire at times, but which seems reserved only for the nostalgic.
Review in French | Read full review
That bright, cartoony art style works perfectly for The Big Con’s nostalgic portrayal of the Nineties, and, combines with a touching story and witty dialogue to make The Big Con a very enjoyable adventure to play through. It can be a little easy at times, and I played through it more quickly than I expected, but I had a blast.
The Big Con is a bright, fun and surprisingly wholesome crime spree through a Saturday morning cartoon version of 90s America. You might develop a compulsion for kleptomania, you might feel bad for picking hundreds of pockets, but at least you'll laugh along the way and feel cool doing it.