Immersive Sim Heist Game Thick As Thieves Abandons PvPvE To Focus Only On Single-Player And Co-Op

When Thick As Thieves, the upcoming stealth game led by Deus Ex/Thief director Warren Spector, was first revealed, it was billed as an asymmetrical immersive sim that featured PvPvE gameplay. However, developer Otherside has announced that it’s abandoning that approach and is redesigning the game to focus squarely on single-player and co-op play.

Thick As Thieves was first announced during The Game Awards 2024 and is set in the Scottish city of Kilcairn during an alternative version of the 1910s, where magic and technology co-exist. In the original pitch for the game, players attempt to pull off heists by exploring the city to track down clues, observe character behaviors, and use technology and magic to infiltrate guarded areas while outsmarting three human-controlled thieves pursuing the same goals. Similar to games like Deus Ex and Dishonored, Thick As Thieves is an immersive sim allowing players to manipulate its mechanics for creative problem-solving and could be played solo, in co-op, or in asymmetrical multiplayer. You can watch the game’s most recent showcase from Day of the Devs 2025 below.

In a Steam post, Otherside writes that as development progressed on Thick as Thieves, “we found that we were having more fun with solo and co-op play.”

“So, we’ve taken a decision we feel is right for the game: Thick as Thieves is now focused on two-player co-op and single player,” says Otherside.

Otherside states this change in direction allows them to “double down” on Thick as Thieves’ dynamic stealth gameplay. “We’re already seeing how this has strengthened the moment-to-moment action, whether you’re playing solo or with a partner in co-op,” Otherside writes. “We’ve had some fantastic moments while testing the game. Now we’re putting all our energy into making things even better as we build up to launch.”

The team does not touch on whether this change will affect the release timing for Thick as Thieves, which is slated to launch later this year for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The game is slated to receive a new trailer as part of the Triple-i Initiative, a recurring indie game showcase, next week on April 9, so we’ll likely learn more then.