OGAT might be the best game you've never heard of -- until today.

One minute left. Everything's quiet. You've got the right hallway locked down, but something feels off. It's too quiet. Suddenly your team loses the Main Hall. The lights go out. Bathroom, too – they're making a push. You shouldn't rush the door, but the alarms are loud and your team is dead.

You nudge the door. Your flashlight peeks. Crap, nothing. You know you don't have time to waste, they'll cap' at the Elevators. You rush the door! – *shink* – and get knifed. You laugh. You knew it was coming, but you brush it off...because now it's your turn. This is Of Guards and Thieves. 

Balancing stealth and fast-paced action, Of Guards and Thieves is a popular game waiting to happen. Movement feels tight. Lighting is gorgeous. Sounds are immensely satisfying. Originally created in 72 hours as part of Ludum Dare 26 (May '13), the game has only been in full development by Subvert Games for less than a year. It's already a blast, and it can only get better.

À La Mode

Current: Guards and Thieves (GaT), Zombies (ZR), Bomb Defusal (DE), Team Deathmatch (TDM)
In-development: Capture the Flag, Assassination, VIP Escort, Hostage Rescue, Infection, Soccer

OGAT's strength lies in the fact that any game mode is possible. The mainstay, of course, is Guards and Thieves. Guards defend six objects, but only one is the Thieves' target. In a battle of misdirection, it's a tense standoff where timing is key. Classic gametypes execute perfectly in OGAT, but the game's core is so strong that the devs can (and do) experiment.

Class Act

Guards: Scout, Assault, Medic (G), Guardian
Thieves: Shadow, Cobra, Medic (T), Juggernaut

As you'd expect, each class has strengths & weaknesses. Cobras are quick and strong with terrible HP. Juggernauts are strong with high HP but painfully slow. You'll have preferences based on your playstyle, but all classes are fun and effective. Many more classes are on the horizon: Sniper, Engineer, Hacker, etc. Also on the way are "Gadgets", a wide variety of tools to customize loadouts.

Seeing the Light

The game centers heavily on its lighting. For Thieves (and Zombies), their main advantage is night vision. For Guards, it's a constant struggle to keep the map well-lit. Bright red light switches line the walls. When switched off, Thieves can impose their advantage. A suddenly-dark room compels moments of risk / reward for Guards. Do I rush in, or consider the room "lost"? Darkness is dangerous territory. To counter, Guards have flashlights – but their beams are of little comfort.

Sound of Silence

The rustling of a bush. A distant knife swing. A shattering window. When light is scarce – which it often is – you need to locate action with your ears. Since the game's sounds are so useful, verbal communication (not incl. in-game) is a borderline disadvantage. It's a bizarre feeling, but it works well for OGAT. As an alternative, holding Mouse 3 brings up a radial menu with commands like Go Left and Follow Me. Text chat is always an option too, an asset while respawning.

Playing with Matches

OGAT's biggest stumble is currently a lack of dedicated servers. When you want to play, sometimes you can't find a server that works – let alone one on the same continent. While dedicated servers are in-progress, the simple fix is: more players! More players = more player-hosted servers. And how do we solve that?

Can I Jump In?

You can play the Free version anytime, right now. You can even play as a Guest. The installer is 9MB, and the full install is a very light 130MB. Since it's developed in Unity, you can play on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It couldn't be much easier to give a game a try.

You can own the full game, with all classes and server options, for $15 and up. While the game is "Early Access" – a dreaded term these days – the free option means no gambling on the devs' future. You're never obligated to pay. Try it out, and simply buy-in if you're a fan!

Verdict

In my opinion, Of Guards and Thieves is a powder keg of potential. Even in its current form, it's an absolute ton of fun with friends and strangers alike. With a solid core and great features on the way, there's simply no reason to pass it by. Get in on the ground floor and let's go!

Colt "ShdwFlm" Casey
Deputy Editor