Card Thief
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About Card Thief
Card Thief is a mobile turn-based strategy game developed by Tiny Touch Tales and published by Arnold Rauers. Released March 19, 2017, it blends card mechanics with stealth gameplay. Players navigate 5x5 grid maps to sneak past guards, disable traps, and steal treasures. The game emphasizes planning and resource management, using a deck of action cards to control movement and interactions. Designed for short sessions, it’s ideal for on-the-go play. With a Metacritic score of 88/100, it’s praised for clever level design and replayability.
Gameplay
Each level is a puzzle where you draft cards to move, climb, or distract enemies. Guards patrol in predictable patterns, but missteps trigger resets. You collect keys, bypass lasers, and use distractions like ringing bells or setting off alarms. Turns are limited, forcing efficiency. The card system lets you swap abilities mid-session, but overuse depletes your hand. Later levels introduce timed traps and multi-layered maps. Controls are intuitive, tap to move, drag to place items. Sessions rarely exceed 15 minutes, but the challenge keeps you coming back for a second try.
What Players Think
Card Thief holds a 4.5/5 on PlayPile, with 72% of players completing the base game. Average playtime is 18 hours, though 65% finish within 10. Community moods skew curious and focused, with 82% calling it "addictive." One review notes, "It’s like chess with cards, every move counts." Achievement completion averages 89%, with 73% unlocking the 100% stealth badge. Critics praise the "polished simplicity" (Metacritic 88) and "tight feedback loop." Only 18% rate it as a "casual filler," while 54% consider it a mobile strategy staple.
PlayPile's Take
Card Thief is a strong pick for puzzle-strategy fans who want bite-sized challenges. Its $4.99 price tag feels fair for 20+ hours of content. While the story is paper-thin, the mechanical depth justifies repeat playthroughs. Avoid if you dislike permadeath penalties or want open-ended exploration. With 150+ achievements and a 22-hour max completion time, it’s a solid middle-tier mobile title. Worth it for anyone who’s mastered games like Threes! and wants a tactile successor.
IGDB Rating
82.9
RAWG Rating
4.0
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