A Stealthy Take on Solitaire That Steals The Show - Card Thief Review

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I’m a big fan of the stealth genre. There's something badass about sneaking around and getting the upper hand on my unwitting opponent. That’s why I always choose the rogue class and attack from the shadows in RPGs. Ever since Metal Gear Solid, I’ve been hooked on stealth mechanics, whether they’re found in horror games, action games, or even puzzle games.

However, Card Thief is the first time I’ve seen stealth gameplay applied to a card game—a card game built around solitaire mechanics, no less. I’m happy to report that this fresh mix of stealth and solitaire works just fine.

Card Thief is a strategy-based card game initially developed by Arnold Rauers. If you’re familiar with his work, you'll know that he’s built on similar themes in his other solitaire-based deck-builder, Card Crawl Adventure. In Card Thief, you literally play as, well, a card thief. That is to say, the object of the game is to steal the treasure card without getting spotted and locked up by the various guards in the castle. This is a complicated process; it took running the tutorial a few times before I understood it. But if you’re worried that you aren’t familiar enough with solitaire, or that the rules might be too complex, don’t be. After a few playthroughs, I felt all the pieces click into place.

As stated above, the goal is to escape the castle with the treasure. You'll start on a three-by-three grid that allows you to move your thief to various positions on the board. You begin with ten stealth points on your card, and each card on the board has a cost. This is where the strategy element of Card Thief comes into play. Some cards will increase your stealth points, and some will increase your gold, but if you maneuver next to a guard and don't have a high enough stealth level, you'll be caught and thrown into a dungeon. The cards are randomly generated from the deck, so some playthroughs will be significantly more challenging than others. If you want to progress through the game, you’ll have to collect as much loot as possible to unlock new items and heists.

Of course, this is just a general overview of the rules in Card Thief. To grasp the game’s true intricacies, you'll need to play for yourself, but it managed to keep me hooked. Even after getting captured by a guard, I wanted to come back for more.

Part of what kept me coming back despite my defeats was the game’s striking visuals. I particularly liked the animations when a guard was alerted to my presence. If you’ve played Card Crawl Adventure, you’ll notice a similar animation style. The music adds to the ominous feel of sneaking through a castle. And even more icing on the cake is that I only noticed one in-app purchase of $2. The chests you find on your heists take time to unlock, but with that one-time purchase, you can permanently unlock these chests immediately upon receiving them. For those that want instant gratification, it might be worthwhile to cough up the dough.

It would be nice if Card Thief had some type of multiplayer, or if the grid were bigger so that more strategy was involved. But what Card Thief delivers with its blend of stealth and solitaire is quality material.

If you’re looking for a card game that offers legitimate strategy and requires utilizing your wits, look no further. Card Thief offers an alluring atmosphere and a rewarding payoff when you finally make it through its heists.

SCORE: 4 STARS OUT OF 5

PLAY IF YOU LIKE:

• Card Crawl Adventure. Though not a direct sequel, Card Thief serves as a spiritual successor to the game that arguably made Arnold Rauers’s name. If you liked Card Crawl Adventure, go ahead and download Card Thief.

• Solitaire. Card Thief is an interesting take on one of the world’s most ubiquitous card games. If you're a solitaire fan, you’ll recognize familiar elements in Card Thief.

• Thief: The Dark Project. Arnold Rauers used this game as a key inspiration for Card Thief, and it shows, especially in the game’s moody artwork.

💬 Have you played Card Thief? Let me know what you think of it. And if not, what other cool card games are worth a shout? Let us know in the comments below, and we might review them!

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