Spirited Thief Preview

Supernatural thievery makes regular old magic-less thieves look dull in comparison when you play Spirited Thief, a tactical turn-based stealth game that I got to try during this year’s Steam Stealth Fest. Developed by solo dev Koi Snowman Games, Spirited Thief is set to come out sometime this year, so let’s take a look at all the scouting, looting, and escaping that await you!

The demo introduces you to partners-in-crime, Elaj and Trin, as they work together to steal an Onyx right from under the nose of all the guards in the area. There’s a lot on the line, as the duo are on rocky terrain with the Thieves Guild; if they don’t start proving themselves by bringing back the best loot, they could be kicked out for good. The trouble is, some guild members don’t want to work with either of them. Elaj is a sorcerer who lost most of his magical abilities, and Trin is an intangible spirit. While that means they’re outsiders among their thieving peers, it also means we get to complete heists in unconventional, fun, and tactical ways.

Each heist is split into two phases: Scouting and Looting. First, you’ll sneak ahead as Trin, who can slip through walls and doors as long as the other side is visible somehow, whether it be through a small window or tiny keyhole. Trin’s job is all about intel. As you move through the level, take inventory of levers, puzzles, sleeping foes, keys, and loot locations. Mainly, this will prevent Elaj from wandering aimlessly in a sea of guards, and sometimes you’ll discover secret stashes for extra goodies to steal. The most common obstacle I faced as Trin were glowing magical barriers, which could be destroyed by interacting with runes on the ground or blowing out a mystical candle. As a spirit, you also have some magic up your ghostly sleeve with various spells, allowing you to curse guards for better visibility and use a sleep ability to knock them out when the alarms sound. When you’re ready, you can end the Scouting section and begin part two of the mission!

Once you start the Looting phase, you’ll take control of Elaj. While he can’t take shortcuts through walls, he can interact with the physical world, capitalising on those points of interest Trin found. Elaj’s ability to pickpocket guards is instrumental to your quest, as many of them will have door keys or gold for you to steal. Your main objective, though, is to loot a treasured item. In the demo, this included a Topaz on one level and an Amethyst on another. Once you swipe the prize, you can escape through an exit marked with green lines on the ground — essentially your finish line — get Elaj there without alerting the guards, and you’re good to go.

It’s important to remember that these stealthy shenanigans aren’t happening in real-time. Spirited Thief is turn-based, its maps designed on a grid, giving you two moves each turn before switching to the enemy team’s turn. Your first move highlights squares in blue, the second is yellow, and you can only move a limited distance. At the start of each mission, a Danger counter will begin, increasing as you complete turns. The higher your Danger level, the more guards you have to deal with. Visibility also plays a big part, as much of your vision is obscured depending on your location, making it hard to track enemies. So you’ll have to be tactical about where you move and when you do it; sometimes staying put is your best option, in which case you can end your turn early with the Space Bar. However, if you end your turn and happen to be in a guard’s line of sight (indicated by a red frontal cone) once they move, you’ll get caught.

What happens after a guard spots you varies slightly, depending on which character you control. Trin will immediately teleport back to the beginning of the level (you’ll lose some, but not all, of your scouting progress), whereas Elaj will have a second chance to get out of the way during his turn. Stunning a guard works in this instance, but you can also simply move to a safe tile nearby. If you’re really in a jam, though, say enemies surround you, the Rewind button is your best friend. This lets you turn back time by one turn and do it over differently. Use them wisely, though, as you only get a limited number of Rewinds per phase. Your spells and abilities also have cooldowns, so managing those is equally important.

A couple of other NPCs appear throughout the demo, including a former guard turned thief, Besk. He accompanies the duo on the last two missions, and you get to control him during the Looting phase along with Elaj. Managing both characters took a second for me to get used to, as you can have them split apart and tackle different objectives simultaneously. It’s satisfying once you get a feel for it, though. Besk’s unique ability lets him swap positions with guards, stunning them in the process, which is so fun to use and makes me excited for potential abilities and party members we’d get in the full release. Another NPC you’ll interact with is a shopkeeper named Sunyang, who you’ll find at the start of the levels, selling various items/abilities specific to each character. For instance, while you could purchase a Drowsy Curse for Trin, buying a Throwing Knife is more suitable for Elaj.

If you’re into 2D pixel art and retro vibes, Spirited Thief will be right up your alley. The music is also a perfect fit for this type of game; it manages to be suspenseful and intense yet upbeat at the same time. Additionally, there are a number of sound effects that are well done, such as the soft jangle of coins when you loot gold or the audible gasp from a guard when they spot you.

Spirited Thief is an intriguing mix of turn-based and stealth mechanics, with a compelling duo of protagonists at its centre. I had so much fun completing heists that I forgot I was playing a demo!

You can add Spirited Thief to your wishlist today on PC via Steam!