Trials of the Thief-Taker game banner

Trials of the Thief-Taker

$4.99
Release Date:
Developer:
Choice of Games
Publisher:
Choice of Games
Platforms:
Windows Mac Linux
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About This Game

In London, 1729, before they had police, they had you: thief-takers, hunting criminals for cash! Fire a flintlock and sip gin in the age of powdered wigs. Will you grow rich catching smugglers and highwaymen, show mercy, or become a crime boss yourself?

Trials of the Thief-Taker is a 140,000-word interactive historical adventure novel by Joey Jones, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

As a thief-taker, paid by the court or hired by the victims of crime to recover property and, for an extra price, bring the culprit to justice, you'll stalk your prey across the misty commons and narrow rookeries of 18th-century London. Lead a gang of unwashed ruffians (or stalk the streets alone) as you apprehend highwaymen on lonely roads, and root out crooks and counterfeiters in inns and coffeehouses. Through cunning, force, or suspicious connections, you will find your mark.

You may strike a blow for justice, making a name for yourself and bringing good people to your cause. Or you can create the crimes you intend to solve, stealing the goods you'll be paid to recover, bribing prison guards to let your associates go, building your criminal empire while everyone lauds you as a hero.

Be quick or cautious, proper or disreputable, generous or mercenary...it's all in a day's work for a thief-taker.

Load your flintlock! There are thieves to take.

  • Play as male, female, or as a woman disguised as a man; gay or straight.
  • Make your way through a world ruled by manners, harsh laws, and lurking treachery.
  • Run an empire of crime or establish the first police force...or both at the same time!
  • Capture, befriend, or romance corrupt officials, escape artists, courtiers, highwaymen, smugglers and grave-robbers.
  • Immerse yourself in Georgian lingo: learn the difference between a cove and a swell, a blue pigeon and an ark ruffian.
  • Play the high-stakes dice game Hazard in the gaming houses of Covent Garden.
  • Make your way with your silver tongue, a good horse, your street smarts or with two fists flying.

Screenshots

User Reviews

Mixed
11 user reviews
64%
Positive
12 hrs at review
Not Recommended

I was very surprised when the game suddenly ended, because it felt so abrupt. There isn't much to say about it: there is no coherent story, there are no interesting characters, there are very few situations when you really have to consider every option. Maybe it was my bad luck, but I could hardly make anyone fall in love with my character (despite all my effort). The original idea of the game sounds fresh and promising, but in the end it looks like a wasted opportunity.

21 helpful
1 hrs at review
Not Recommended

Overall I would not recommend it, the storyline is very dry with absolutely no focus at all, the main storyline is non existent, and the characters are very bland with almost no personality, the demo is a pretty good representation of the game, since the quality does not improve after the demo, so if you enjoyed the demo, I reckon you might want to buy this game for $3 to support the developer.

20 helpful
5 hrs at review
Recommended

Overall I liked the game, but there were parts that needed a bit more work. I couldn't find any real romance options or even a character that you could romance, and it was a lot shorter than I expected. It is a new idea and I would play a sequal if it is released.

9 helpful 1 funny
2 hrs at review
Recommended

One of the best COG games I've had the pleasure to play this year. The replayability value is pretty high, too, as different choices end up producing a meaningfully different character arc for your thief-taker. The use of period slang is a very nice touch and well-executed! Definitely recommended, especially if you enjoy COG's other output.

6 helpful 1 funny
45 min at review
Not Recommended

I cannot say I enjoyed this game. The plot was bland, and felt disjointed. It ended suddenly, and one's only romance options were theives, despite there supposedly being the promise of a good path, as well. The skills were well-implemented, but the only characters I felt any connection to were a street urchin and my gang of hooligans, who were barely given any screen-time. I was apparently supposed to feel a connection with the random thief I chased, and a woman who was absolutely vile to most everyone she met, but... Well. It's just not a game I found at all fun.

5 helpful
5 hrs at review
Recommended

I actually really enjoyed this story. I will say though that the ending seemed very rushed. It does have some decent replay value though. I'd give this a 7/10.

4 helpful
2 hrs at review
Recommended

A very interesting game with a unique setting that the creators clearly did some homework on. The writing is well done and everything from character dialogue to bits of history in the narration helps bring the setting and atmosphere of the game to life. I'm also glad to have found one of these text adventures on Steam that doesn't take place in a fantasy universe or have things like magic included. These types of games set against the backdrop of real history are great imo and I hope the developers will consider making more. I enjoyed the way the game was split up into cases, and felt that the stats you gave your character during the intro really did impact the way the game turned out. I think this game allows for some pretty different playstyles, I had a good time on my first run as a furtive coward who smooth talked his way through tough situations, it was nice to see that there was usually a way through a case if you properly utilised your character's talents. I also like the fact ...

3 helpful
30 hrs at review
Recommended

Splendid game! The setting is juicy, the NPCs are great (if a bit exaggerated), and there is lots of replay value. There are not a lot of variant plot options but the way that the scenarios respond to your stats and choices is extremely well thought out. I like the fact that it is short (a couple hours only) and that it is not easy to get exactly what you want. The only problem I had with it was that the one time I tried playing as a woman, the modifications to account for that were patchy and inconsistent.

2 helpful
1 hrs at review
Recommended

A unique setting and an interesting premise. However the characters seem pretty two-dimensional, and the plot short and very disjointed and need some smoothing over. There are certainly worse Choice of Games stories and this one isn't great, but if you like being a 18th century bounty hunter then it'll be for you.

2 helpful
40 min at review
Not Recommended

This is the second Choice of Games title I played after A Study in Steampunk. Because of how much I loved that previous game, and because of the interesting premise for this one, I was really excited to try this. But I'm joining the "this is a big, boring letdown" club."

2 helpful

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System Requirements

Minimum

Minimum:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS *: Windows 7

Recommended

Recommended:
  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

FAQ

How much does Trials of the Thief-Taker cost?

Trials of the Thief-Taker costs $4.99.

What are the system requirements for Trials of the Thief-Taker?

Minimum: Minimum: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS *: Windows 7 Recommended: Recommended: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

What platforms is Trials of the Thief-Taker available on?

Trials of the Thief-Taker is available on Windows PC, macOS, Linux.

Is Trials of the Thief-Taker worth buying?

Trials of the Thief-Taker has 64% positive reviews from 11 players.

When was Trials of the Thief-Taker released?

Trials of the Thief-Taker was released on Aug 10, 2017.

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