XCOM’s gift to the world is that brilliant two-action set-up. These tactical games can get dizzyingly complicated, so know from the off: each of your soldiers can do two things per turn and then it’s done.
Spirited ThiefPublisher: Koi Snowman GamesDeveloper: Koi Snowman GamesPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out in 2022, demo out now as part of Steam Next Fest
Invisible, Inc took this idea and delivered one of the greatest espionage adventures in all of games. And now Spirited Thief is building on This is a lovely pixel-art immersive sim, built around the core idea that you have two actions per turn. Lovely.
The big idea here is that you play as a thief and also as a spirit: two characters with different abilities. You start each level as the spirit, scoping out the location, marking guards, eyeing up valuables and extinguishing magical barriers. Then, you switch to the thief and you have to pull off a robbery and make it to the exit. The spirit can move anywhere but can’t grab loot. The thief can grab loot, but can also be spotted by guards, and has to find ways to open doors, because they can’t just slip through keyholes.