Heists are one of the most exciting types of action in media, whether it be movies, TV, or video games. They require stealth, smarts, specialized tools, charm, and in some cases, highly explosive materials. Combining these factors make heist games a perfect power fantasy, wherein players must expertly get past security measures to get loot.
Stealth games have always been beloved, but most entries utilize stealth for heroic purposes, such as espionage or taking out enemies silently. Very few games have used stealth for thieving purposes. Here are a few great heist games that use stealth, planning, and even barging through the front door to let players pull off the robberies of their dreams.
Payday 2 is the Quintessential Co-op Heist Game
Despite being released in 2013, Payday 2 remains the gold-standard for heist and robbery games with active updates nearly 10 years later. Payday 2's four-player online co-op and flexible, reactive gameplay loop make it a perfect game to tackle with friends. The game has well over 60 heists at this point, and most of them can be completed either quietly or loudly. This allows for added replay value and mastery of the art, as players discover new angles to stealthily approach missions.
With camera rooms, the ability to control and zip tie civilians, as well as to infiltrate vaults to secure gym bags full of money, Payday 2 is the closest thing gamers can get to performing their own Oceans 11-style heist. The game and its DLC regularly go on mega-sales, with the base game being $1 in the current steam summer sale. This game is an absolute must for heist lovers.
Persona 5 is a Masterpiece of Phantom Thievery
It's a great time to be a Persona fan, especially since the heist game masterpiece, Persona 5, is soon being ported to PC and Nintendo Switch. Though there is no co-op, Persona 5 features one of the best single-player game experiences in the last decade. It boasts not only an amazing story, soundtrack, and combat, but also intricate heists that take place in the warped psyches of corrupt people.
Persona 5 will have players infiltrating a medieval castle, a casino, an art museum, and many more interesting locations in order to steal the psychological treasures of their targets and purify their hearts. It may sound strange, but the gameplay results in some of the most rewarding heist experiences available, and the coming ports will provide access to many more players. Don't miss out on this game.
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine Is an Underrated Indie Classic
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine never got the attention it deserved. Similar to Payday 2, Monaco features up to four-player online co-op and stealth-centric gameplay that immediately turns chaotic when a guard is alerted. The game also has different characters with their own unique abilities, making each player feel like a specialist during the heist. With a hacker, a mole, a suave gentleman, and a lock picker, among others, there is a character to fit any playstyle.
Monaco is one of the few top-down heist games, which gives it a distinct feel when compared to other games in the genre. With its puzzling gameplay and emphasis on teamwork, Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine is a great pickup for any group looking to play a lesser known classic. With the sequel in early development and Monaco on sale for under $5 in the steam summer sale, it's the perfect time to try it out.
Teardown Brings Heist Planning to a New Level
In Teardown's voxel-based world, everything is destructible. With explosions, gunfire, and massive vehicles, players can easily level entire buildings. The sandbox nature of this game provides an interesting spin on the heist genre, as the gameplay emphasis is put almost entirely on the planning and set-up phase of heisting, rather than the actual action. In fact, a heist in Teardown will often take less than a minute.
The real gameplay comes from the player's complete control of the environment. Since everything is destructible and objects can be stacked or moved to create makeshift ramps, players need to carefully set up a heist route that will accomplish their task as quickly as possible, as levels have very strict time limits. For players who are creatively inclined and enjoy planning, Teardown is the premier heist game. It's currently on sale in the steam summer sale, where it is one of the highest rated games on the platform.