this game is tough but challenging like dark souls but 8bit made and if you could play it a a mobile app yep its a keeper. very well thought out levels.
Reviews for "Tiny Heist"
If I ever see anything mildly resembling an Elite Bot in real life, I'm going to scream and getting the heck out of there. Not counting that, amazing game! Very challenging and very addictive.
Finally, after 1 week I’ve completed my review/"guide". Unfortunately it’s too long and I’m not allowed to submit it in its entirety, so I’ll publish only the first half. If someone had pleasure in helping out, I’ll send him the second part in order to submit it as his review.
First I’ll give you some basic advices, then a spoiler section will cover elements that someone can enjoy to discover by himself. I apologize for any errors, but consider that English isn’t my first tongue.
You don’t only have to avoid enemies, sometimes can be wiser to STUN them by stepping on the same square in which they’re (obviously avoiding being seen). A stunned enemy will be helpless for 30 turns (this timer stops as long as you’re on the same square of it). As an alerted enemy has the possibility to move and hit in the same turn, when it reaches and hits you it has to be stunned or you’ll die in less than 3 turns. Also, if the stunned enemy was alerted (but only in the case you stepped in its field of view), its alerted status will be reset after recovering from the stunning condition.
While many types of enemy take 2 turns to move between 2 adjacent squares, you’ll need only 1 turn to do the same. Remember this when you CALCULATE THE RIGHT MOMENT to stun or avoid an enemy. Also remember that many of them become faster (or start moving) when alerted of your presence, moving at your same speed.
Some map’s conformations, like corridors, limit some enemies’ field of view. Remember this when you CALCULATE THE BEST PLACE to hide or wait to stun your enemies.
In every floor (except for floors 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and rooftop) there’s exactly 1 key, but there may be more than 1 locked door, so be careful or you can stuck yourself (unless you’ve a helpful gadget). Likewise in a floor there may be more than 1 door leading to the room with the exit stairs, luckily not all locked; in this case you should save a key, it can save you when another floor’s key is difficult to reach or you can use it on a floor with a safety vault.
Safety vaults (I’ve decided the name) are little rooms with a locked door, containing 1 gadget and 2 gems.
In every floor (except for floors 10, 15 and rooftop) there’ll be exactly 1 gem (unless safety vaults are randomly generated on that floor).
When exploring a floor it’s initially obscured, then the explored part will become visible when reached by your field of view. When guessing a direction to follow, you should consider enemies' positions and map’s morphology (e.g. corridors’ shape, presence and position of doors, etc.) in the visible part and question marks in the obscured one.
A question mark that doesn’t move can be an enemy, a gadget, a key or a gem as long as it’s in the unexplored part of the map, whereas a moving question mark is surely an enemy. By considering the floor’s level too, as you become expert you’ll be good at anticipate what a question mark is (e.g. 3 adjacent motionless question marks denote very likely a safety vault).
Excluding some cases (e.g. when you’re adjacent to 2 or more walls), YOU CANNOT CHANGE DIRECTION WITHOUT MOVING TO ANOTHER SQUARE. It seems a small thing but it can be crucial when you’ve to use gadgets, especially while dealing with alerted enemies.
Entrance stairs on every floor (except for 11) are the only SPAWNING POINT of future enemies. Usually the first enters after 75 turns, while all others come every 60 turns. Sometimes these numbers change, but it’s an element that needs further investigations.
Last but not least, you don’t have to underestimate the possibility to spent a turn in the same square: LEARN WHEN TO WAIT can completely turn the tide of a match.
***SPOILER SECTION PART 1/2***
Information here are about: 1) Floor levels, 2) Gadgets and 3) Enemies.
Note: some elements (e.g. difficulty range or rarity) are completely subjective.
1) Floor levels
Floor 1: Difficulty range(DR): 1-2/10. Notes: there’re always 1 gadget of low rarity (see gadget section) and exactly 1 locked door leading to exit stairs; totally enlightened level from the beginning.
Floor 2: DR: 2-3/10. Notes: none.
Floor 3&4: DR: 2-3/10. Notes: in one and only one of these 2 floors there’ll be a shopkeeper(*).
Floor 5: DR: 1-4/10. Notes: the floor is a giant room in which are disposed some sets of enemies restricted in limited areas or closed into minirooms. Every set of enemy guards a gem or a key and they work as a sort of preconfigured "puzzles". There’re at least as many keys as the number of locked doors leading to the exit stairs (usually 3). Protip: after taking as many keys (and the gem) as you can, if you’ve a "drill", a "portable door" or eventually a "bomb" (see gadget section), it’s the best moment to make it really useful.
Floor 6&7: DR: 4-6/10. Notes: in one and only one of these 2 floors there’ll be a shopkeeper(*).
Floor 8&9: DR: 4-6/10. Notes: none.
Floor 10: DR: 1-7/10. Notes: floor’s configuration is similar to floor 5, but with more sets of enemies as there’re usually 1-3 gems, many keys to recover and 4-6 locked doors leading to exit stairs. Protip: floor 5’s considerations here worth double.
Floor 11: DR: 0-0/10. Notes: there’re not enemies, nor do they spawn; exit stairs are freely accessible; there’s a special shopkeeper(**); there’re always 5 gadgets, 3 of which are behind 1 locked door each, whereas the other 2 are behind 2 locked doors each; all gadgets on this floor level are of low or medium rarity (see gadget section). Protip: keep with you at least 1 key, it could save your life on floor 15. Also, if you can, keep some extras keys (around 4) as they’ll come in handy on the rooftop.
Floor 12: DR: 7-8/10. Notes: there’re not keys, neither locked doors.
Floor 13: DR: 8-9/10. Notes: there’s always a shopkeeper(*); there’re not keys, neither locked doors.
Floor 14: DR: 8-10/10. Notes: there’re not keys, neither locked doors. Protip: if you’ve a "lightbulb" (see gadget section), it’s the last floor in which it can be particularly useful.
Floor 15: DR: 8-10/10. Notes: as for floors 5 and 10, there’re sets of enemies like "puzzles", but they’re not freely accessible as those on floors 5 and 10, rather they’re in sequence, with a "terminator" (see enemy section)that follows you from behind, so that you don’t have much time to dilly-dally; there’re 1-2 gems and exactly 1 locked door leading to the exit stairs. Protip: if you’ve followed floor 11’s protip you don’t need to take the key on this floor if this means certain death.
Rooftop: DR: 0-10/10. Notes: totally enlightened level from the beginning; there’s an heliport not far from the entrance stairs (you’ll escape and win the game by stepping on it); there’s always 1 "bomb" near the entrance stairs; the only type of enemy spawning here are "terminators"; there’re a certain number of rooms without doors, always containing 1 or more gems and 1 "bomb", guarded internally by "laser cameras" or "laser sentinels" (see enemy section). Also there may be some rooms with locked doors containing 1 gem each. Protip: rooms are designed so that you (starting from the "bomb" you find at the beginning) can proceed from one to another by taking the "bomb" contained in each one, in order to collect gems inside them. Also a "drill", a "portable door" or (if lucky) a "teleporter" (see gadget section) can be helpful in this respect.
Floor(s) ???: Hint: somehow it could be called "floor 0", even if this could lead to an error. ;)
(*)When you talk with a shopkeeper he offers you 1 gadget for 3 gems; you can accept or refuse and eventually accept later by talking with him again (by remaining on the same floor, of course, as you won’t come back if you go upstairs); the gadget is always one of low or medium rarity (see gadget section), it’s randomly determined when you enter the floor and it won’t change by talking with him again; once you accept the gadget, that shopkeeper won’t sell anything else; if you don’t have 3 gems and/or an empty gadget slot, the shopkeeper won’t sell you the gadget. Protip: you shouldn’t buy any gadget for 3 gems (maybe only a "drill" could be worthwhile).
(**)Shopkeeper at floor 11 doesn’t sell a gadget, but keys; the first key costs 1 gem, the second key costs 2 gems and so on. Protip: you shouldn’t buy more than 1 key if your primary goal is to collect a lot of gems.
2) Gadgets
Remember that you can have only 3 gadgets at a time. If you step on a 4th one, you’ll have to choose which one you want to destroy. Protip: if you’re interested in a gadget you’ve found on the ground, but you've already 3 gadgets, consider to use one of them instead of destroy one (e.g. a "lightbulb").
Now I’ll illustrate them by subdividing them in 3 subcategories: 2.1) Stunning gadgets, 2.2) Killing gadgets and 2.3) Utility's gadgets.
Note: when a gadget has "n" uses, I’ll denote it with (xn).
2.1) Stunning gadgets
Banana: Rarity(RRT): low. Range(RNG): 1 square, behind your current direction, or at your same square if behind you there's a wall. Notes: the effect starts only when someone steps over it; it disappears after 1 enemy is affected (every type of enemy can be affected); if there’s a gem or a gadget in the destination’s square the 2 elements will coexist, while if there’s a key the latter will be destroyed (probably a BUG). Protip: best use is when you’re followed by an alerted enemy.
Signal jammer: RRT: low. RNG: a lot of squares, every direction around you. Notes: it works only on "cameras" and "sentinels" (normal and laser version). Protip: don’t waste for easily avoidable "cameras" or "sentinels".
Leaf blower: RRT: medium. RNG: a lot of squares, in front of you unidirectionally. Notes: it affects all enemies in its range; knocks back all enemies hit until they reach a wall or another obstacle.
Fire extinguisher (x6): RRT: high. RNG: some squares, in front of you unidirectionally and adjacent ones. Notes: nor walls neither other obstacles limit its range; it puts out fire from squares that are covered in flames(*). (**)
TerryCavanagh responds:
this is really great! looking forward to reading the second part!
It's great to see platform gameslike this! I like the little guy and the nosy security guards watching him! The challenges presented in this game make it engaging! I enjoy platformers that have obstacles and you have to come up with strategies! This is definitely one of those games! I'll be sure to check out more of your stuff, Terry, and don't forget to check out my audio submission and follow me back! (if you want to, it's not like I expect you to, lol!)
Wow! not bad at all! :O