The Swindle Reviews
The Swindle is a solid game, but it's a swag bag short of our full recommendation. As a title to play over a weekend – or between other games with more substance – it can't really be knocked, but don't expect to be feeling light fingered forever. This is a cunning con, a solid swizz – but it's been robbed of crime of the century status.
They say that crime never pays, but in The Swindle you can come out ahead if you play your cards right. In this madcap steampunk rendition London, a city of ludicrous buildings filled with robots and traps, the key is learning how to quit while you're ahead. It's all too easy to slip up and foolishly get spotted – and yes, the occasional glitch or quirk of procedural generation can feel unfair – but it makes each success all the more tense and rewarding.
Fast-paced stealth set to a ticking clock makes this a procedural platformer to savour.
A stylish new take on the indie stealth genre, The Swindle doesn't have the chops to compete with the very best, but manages to be addictive and likable enough to succeed on its own merit.
The Swindle is a good game on the cusp of greatness, but falters from a structural identity crisis that is hard to ignore.
The Swindle is a very fun game, and I would certainly recommend it at its small price point.
An immensely satisfying mix of platforming, stealth, action, and resource management, with character.
The Swindle has some really cool ideas, and the sound and visuals make for one of the prettiest games out there. But, for players looking for something new or intrigued by the steampunk aesthetic, the randomized barrier to entry may be a bit too much.
The Swindle is a minor diversion at best, without the comic timing or cunning to turn anyone to a life of crime. A weekend of crime, perhaps, at most.
A clever spin on the Spelunky style of randomly-generated platformer, and although it asks a lot of its players its rewards are worth the effort.
Everything adds up to a game with good ideas that is sorely lacking in refinement – the punitive flaws of The Swindle's meta-structure and procedural generation could have been ameliorated with minor tweaks. This feels 80% of the way to a great game, but that missing 20% soon comes to dominate the rest.
The story laid within the game doesn't drive the game, but that's okay because there's plenty of rogue-like goodness waiting to be found inside of Size Five Games procedurally generated steampunk heist simulator.
The Swindle is nowhere near an entirely negative experience. It's a festival of moments, of anecdotes filled with failures and smiles. I found myself holding my breath as I hacked a computer with just enough time to dodge three heavy guards coming my way, jumped over two electricity traps, clung to a wall to let a patrol pass, and bombed myself a new escape route. These pockets of perfection kept me hooked, and made me boot up The Swindle again and again in order to preserve this world of rogues. That, and my dedication to you guys. Now, the Devil's Basilisk is for all of us to share. You're goddamned welcome.
Well, I'm still ambivalent, even after working through things in what has maybe become a longer review than planned. For the moments where the procedural stuff just works perfectly, creating a bastard-hard but ultimately memorable level, and for the world itself, which is lovely, The Swindle is worth dedicating a couple evenings to. It won't steal your heart though.
The Swindle isn't a revolution in terms of stealth games, but it does offer a compelling challenge for those seeking it.
The Swindle is a game that many will end up playing for months to come. The gameplay is the perfect combination of stealth and action, and its difficulty, while brutal, is satisfying. Size Five Games, and publisher Curve Digital, have created an addictive game that needs to be played by anyone who loves a good challenge. Throw in cross-buy and cross-save compatibility, and you'll never leave your house without The Swindle in pocket.
The Swindle is not immediately satisfying, but this seems to be a deliberate choice. The randomness of the level generation means that there's every chance the first heist lacks the £100 needed to buy hacking—or the passages are blocked off and inaccessible—which can be a little deflating. But the constant, continual escalation is what keeps The Swindle gripping and satisfying—even when it feels unfair. Which is often, because I am terrible.
In the end, The Swindle is one of the most rewarding and unique rogue-likes that I've ever played.
In the end The Swindle is an ambitious game that unfortunately just falls in at average