6 Best Open-World Games To Play As A Thief

Key Takeaways

• Few open-world games focus entirely on crime and robberies, providing unique gameplay opportunities.
• Thief Simulator offers a detailed sandbox crime simulation experience with heists to plan and execute.
• Red Dead Redemption 2 allows players the freedom to be a law-abiding citizen or an immoral outlaw, engaging in various levels of theft.

The vast majority of open-world games rely on mechanics such as combat and exploration as a hook, and there are some truly stunning titles that follow this template. And then there are others that simply use a sandbox-style map as the backdrop of the main story arc, seldom encouraging the player to strike out on their own. But there are some open-world games that break the mold, and let the player do anything they please, and this includes theft and crime.

There are very few open-world games that focus entirely on crime and robberies. However, there are a few that enable the player to commit crimes such as burglaries or even acts of piracy as part of the gameplay.

6 Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Explore Victorian London

Set in the City of London during the Victorian era, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate only just makes this list, and is in the bottom place. Why? Even though there are options for committing a theft in the game, such as pickpocketing, it is not a main gameplay loop as crime is in other entries on this list.

However, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate made this list because when the player does have an opportunity to commit a theft in this game, the stealth mechanics come into play, and this is exceptionally well implemented by the developers. And of course, the open-world map based on Victorian London is exquisite in every detail.

5 Thief

Become A Burglar In A Steampunk Setting

Thief had to make this list, even though its open-world aspects are not as fully fleshed out as all the other entries in this list. The player is free to roam and explore the game map as they wish, but some areas remain locked until a certain stage of the main story. That being said, even with these minor restrictions on open-world gameplay, the environment is still atmospheric and compelling.

The game focuses entirely on stealth gameplay, as one would expect from a game named Thief. Combat is supposed to be avoided whenever possible, and resorting to violence is seldom the right way to approach challenges in this game. Indeed, as a burglar, the best outcome is to go entirely undetected whilst pulling off a robbery in Thief.

4 Thief Simulator

Sandbox Crime Simulation

At the time of writing, Thief Simulator was entirely unique. No other game simulates life as a career criminal as closely. Thief Simulator is about much more than just theft. Each robbery needs to be planned in full before execution. This means gathering intel, checking out the area around a target on the open-world map, and avoiding the police at all costs.

Each location the player targets for a heist, be this a home or a business, has its own puzzles that need to be solved to pull off the robbery. And of course, the puzzle must be solved without triggering any alarms or being spotted and the police start closing in.

3 Dishonored 2

Both Stealth And Violence Are Viable Options

Dishonoured 2 is a bit of an odd game at times. Why? This is a stealth game, set in a Steampunk open-word map, that mixes in supernatural powers as well. This can be somewhat of a challenge for players to come to grips with, and requires a significant level of suspension of disbelief to look past.

That being said, it is well worth taking the effort to try and overlook the game’s odd premise, as the gameplay is great. Playing as one of two protagonists, the player uses theft and stealth to complete missions and progress in the game. Theft is easier in the early stages of the game, and in the later stages, most businesses have hired guards the player will need to sneak past to get inside.

2 Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Pillage As A Pirate

The second of two Assasin’s Creed games on this list is Black Flag. Playing as a pirate is synonymous with theft, despite the fact this game doesn’t rely on stealth and cunning to commit crimes as previous entries on the list have. Playing as Edward Keyway, who is considered a pirate assassin, the player is free to rob and steal as much as they wish.

Theft involves ship-to-ship pirate battles, and also land-based missions that do require at least some level of stealthiness to complete. And of course, all of this action takes place on a stunning open-world map, as one would expect from a game from the Assasin’s Creed franchise.

1 Red Dead Redemption 2

Wanted: Deal Or Alive

Few games offer a player such freedom of action as Red Dead Redemption 2. And of course, the player is able to play the good guy, even though they are a member of an outlaw gang. Arthur Morgan doesn’t need a be a bad guy, he can be played as a gray man quite well. But let’s face it, the real fun in Red Dead Redemption 2 comes from being a completely immoral monster.

When it comes to thievery in RDR2, the sky is the limit from being a simple pickpocket, through robbing trains and stagecoaches, to pulling off a bank heist. The tagline of this game should have been ‘meet lots of folks from the Old West, then rob and murder them’ for sure.