Warren Spector shares new details about his online multiplayer game Thick as Thieves

If you enjoy independent indie game coverage, consider supporting Indie-Games.eu on Patreon. It helps keep the site independent.

At the 2024 Game Developers Conference, Warren Spector, cofounder of OtherSide Entertainment, declared that online multiplayer is the future of immersive sim games. Known for their player-driven choice systems and open environments, immersive sims have traditionally been singleplayer experiences. However, Thick as Thieves aims to prove that multiplayer can coexist with the genre’s core principles.

Fresh off its reveal at The Game Awards, Thick as Thieves offers a competitive experience built around stealth, strategy, and dynamic player interaction. Set in a world of thief-versus-thief action, the game introduces a “shared quest” system that ties all players to a single objective. The gameplay focuses on competition rather than outright combat. Players can ambush others to gain an edge or creatively outmaneuver them to steal the prize.

The game’s clue system reinforces this dynamism by providing randomized hints about treasure locations. These clues change with every playthrough, ensuring that you cannot rely on memorized strategies. In a demo, developers showcased how this system maintains balance between seasoned and new players, encouraging exploration and improvisation over brute force or repetitive tactics.

Spector emphasized the unpredictable nature of developing a game like Thick as Thieves. He explained that the core gameplay loop evolved during production, as the team refined ideas through testing. The clue system, for example, went through iterations to ensure it felt both functional and engaging. This flexibility reflects the spirit of immersive sims, where success often comes from experimentation and unexpected solutions.

The game is set to arrive 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.