The Swindle has caught the wave of modern rogue-like games and is very successful in it. However, after some time, it becomes a very frustrating experience. [Issue#255]

An immensely satisfying mix of platforming, stealth, action, and resource management, with character.

A rough and tumble jaunt through Steampunk Victorian London for profit and fun.

The Swindle is a highly addictive and fun randomly-generated steampunk thievery simulator.

Funny and addictive stealth platformer with beautifully stylish visuals.

A surprisingly addictive game that delivers tense and highly challenging gameplay filled with difficult random-generated burglary scenarios. The well-designed steampunk aesthetic should be considered as a major plus for those fond of this art style.

Despite these issues, I still love the game. It’s a brilliant look at what indie games should be, and the unique Don’t Starve-like art style is right up my alley.

The Swindle is an original, well-made title, in which successful break-ins are a source of enormous satisfaction, and failure only motivates. No tutorials or instructions can irritate, but if you devote some time to learn, the game will keep you in front of the screen for dozens of hours.

The Swindle delivers a challenging stealth platform experience, with lots of abilities to unlock, beautiful graphics and procedurally generated contents to add a lot of variety to the mix.

With every upgrade I felt more and more like the king of the underworld. [10/2015, p.68]

It's a different take on the stealth genre, one that really impresses the player with an interesting environment. Sadly, the controls lack precision, and that's a real shame for a game that requires so much rigor on the gamepad.

The Swindle is nowhere near an entirely negative experience. It's a festival of moments, of anecdotes filled with failures and smiles.

The Swindle is a right mix of platforming, action and stealth.

Rarely has something so uneven and intermittently frustrating stolen our hearts this brazenly. [Sept 2015, p.116]

At times, it can be too clunky and a little finicky, but while The Swindle is undoubtedly a great idea, games of this ilk can’t suffer missteps like infuriating controls – and sadly that does hold this game back.

Even an infrequent control failure is maddening when the difficulty is cranked up and every inch of the level is covered in cameras and patrol-bots, though, so until The Swindle sorts out its issues, it’s going to have to be merely decent rather than the excellent it could have been.

If you can forgive its vicious streak, then this fast-paced and frantic crime caper will steal your heart. [Sept 2015, p.71]

The Swindle is a visually beautiful and enjoyable rogue-like game for the experienced, but may not be the best choice for players who’ve never tried games like Spelunky or Rogue Legacy before.

The initial grind can be annoying, but once you get past that phase and start carrying out the big money loads, the fun to be had with this platforming crime caper is surprising.

We tried really hard to enjoy The Swindle but it just wouldn’t click. The game seems off-balance and the lack of abilities in the early stages make it a cumbersome experience. [Sept. 2015, p. 069]

The Swindle is a good game on the cusp of greatness, but falters from a structural identity crisis that is hard to ignore.

With the pressure of the 100 days time and the randomly generated levels, The Swindle has quite some content to offer. The strong idea however, gets crossed by the unforgivingly high difficulty level and the lose controls that do not fit the quick skills a master thief should have.

For the moments where the procedural stuff just works perfectly, creating a bastard-hard but ultimately memorable level, and for the world itself, which is lovely, The Swindle is worth dedicating a couple evenings to. It won’t steal your heart though.

This feels 80% of the way to a great game, but that missing 20% soon comes to dominate the rest. With a little more fine-tuning who knows how The Swindle may have turned out but, as things stand, it feels a little like being short-changed.

The Swindle has some really cool ideas, and the sound and visuals make for one of the prettiest games out there. But, for players looking for something new or are intrigued by the steampunk aesthetic, the randomized barrier to entry may be a bit too much.