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American Theft 80s similar games & best alternatives

American Theft 80s

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2022

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Quick resume

From the THIEF SIMULATOR developers. It's the 80s. Steal VCRs, tapes, classic cars, and if you get caught, outrun the police!

Global score

74/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulator

Similar games

    Pros

    • Addictive stealth gameplay with planning and tool use
    • 80s aesthetic and immersive atmosphere
    • Open world with multiple neighborhoods
    • Skill progression and heist missions
    • Good value for price, especially on sale

    Cons

    • Some bugs and jank reported
    • Repetitive gameplay after story completion
    • Limited social or cooperative features
    • Small map size and limited exploration
    • Police ai and npc behavior can be frustrating

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Cooperation, Leadership, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Status. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Violence, Fantasy.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have freedom to choose how and when to rob houses, scout NPC schedules, and select tools and disguises, allowing personal planning and decision-making."

    • Competence
      3

      "Lockpicking and other tool minigames provide skill challenges; progression and skill points reward effective play, though some tasks can become repetitive."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on personal stealth and planning rather than competing against others; no mention of leaderboards or PvP."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report addictive gameplay loops with desire to keep robbing houses and progressing, though some find it repetitive after story completion."

    • Cooperation
      -4

      "Gameplay centers on solo stealth and burglary activities with limited or no multiplayer or cooperative elements."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players can choose different approaches to break-ins, use disguises, and plan heists, offering creative problem solving within set scenarios."

    • Domination
      -4

      "Interactions with NPCs and police are reactive but balanced; no evidence of players exerting control or superiority over others."

    • Escapism
      4

      "The 80s setting, stealth gameplay, and immersive burglary missions provide a strong escape from real life."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily for fun and personal interest; no indication of obligation or external pressure to play."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players experiment with different tools, disguises, and routes to complete heists and robberies."

    • Exploration
      2

      "Open world with multiple neighborhoods and houses to discover, though map size is moderate and some areas feel limited."

    • Expression
      2

      "Players can customize character outfits and decorate purchased houses, allowing some self-expression."

    • Fantasy
      -1

      "While set in the 80s with some stylized elements, the game focuses on realistic burglary mechanics rather than high fantasy or improbable fiction."

    • Fellowship
      -4

      "Minimal social or community features; gameplay is primarily single-player and individual."

    • Growth
      3

      "Skill trees and progression systems encourage learning and improving burglary skills over time."

    • Health
      -4

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; some reports of motion sickness or headaches from long sessions."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention during stealth and tool minigames; not designed for passive or background play."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Limited social interaction; NPCs are scripted and player relationships are minimal and superficial."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles; gameplay is individual and self-directed."

    • Progression
      4

      "Players accumulate tools, cars, houses, and skills to unlock new burglary opportunities and improve effectiveness."

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Some players find the stealth and planning relaxing, but others note tension from police chases and detection risk."

    • Sensation
      2

      "The 80s aesthetic, music, and immersive sound design provide moderate sensory stimulation and enjoyment."

    • Status
      -3

      "No social recognition or ranking systems; achievements exist but are personal rather than public."

    • Story
      2

      "Story mode with missions and narrative elements exists but is considered simple and secondary to gameplay."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Players plan heists, study NPC schedules, and select tools and routes requiring logical thinking and problem solving."

    • Thrill
      3

      "Stealth gameplay and risk of detection create suspense and excitement during burglaries."

    • Value
      3

      "Players report good value for money especially on sale, with several hours of engaging gameplay."

    • Violence
      -4

      "Minimal violence; combat is limited and non-lethal, focusing on stealth and avoidance rather than destruction."

    • Survival
      2

      "Players must avoid detection and police capture, managing risk and timing to survive heists."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026