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American Theft 80s: Prologue similar games & best alternatives

American Theft 80s: Prologue

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2022

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Quick resume

You're Jack, a thief in the 80s. Steal VCRs, tapes, and other 80s items in this prologue of American Theft 80s! Newest game from THIEF SIMULATOR developers.

Global score

82/100

Genres

Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulator

Similar games

    Pros

    • Engaging 1980s atmosphere and setting
    • Open world exploration and freedom of approach
    • Satisfying stealth and lockpicking mechanics
    • Skill progression and customization options
    • Good value free prologue with substantial content

    Cons

    • Ai and npc behavior can be inconsistent or simplistic
    • Some bugs and graphical issues reported
    • Controls and movement can feel clunky or imprecise
    • Limited social or multiplayer features
    • Combat and interaction mechanics are underdeveloped

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Cooperation, Leadership, Violence. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Cooperation. 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 explore the town, choose how to approach heists, and plan their actions with disguises and tools."

    • Competence
      3

      "Game involves skillful stealth, lockpicking mini-games, and strategic planning with feedback on performance."

    • Competition
      -4

      "Focus is on personal progress and completing missions without player-vs-player or leaderboard competition."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report spending multiple hours in the demo and express eagerness for full game continuation."

    • Cooperation
      -3

      "Gameplay centers on solo heists and individual missions with limited or no multiplayer cooperation."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players can customize disguises, choose different approaches, and explore open world for theft opportunities."

    • Domination
      -4

      "Interactions are balanced with NPCs; no evidence of exerting control or superiority over others."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Strong immersion in 1980s setting and stealth gameplay offers escape from real life."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment rather than obligation or pressure."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players try different tools, disguises, and strategies to complete heists and explore mechanics."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Open world town with multiple locations to discover and revisit encourages exploration."

    • Expression
      3

      "Customization of character outfits and disguises allows self-expression within gameplay."

    • Fantasy
      2

      "Game presents an imaginative 1980s crime scenario with stylized elements, though grounded in plausible theft."

    • Fellowship
      -3

      "Primarily single-player experience with limited social or community interaction."

    • Growth
      3

      "Skill upgrades and learning new mechanics provide opportunities for player development."

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention during stealth and heist missions, not designed for idle play."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Minimal social interaction beyond brief NPC dialogues; no close relationship building."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management mechanics; player acts independently."

    • Progression
      4

      "Players accumulate skills, items, and upgrades to improve heist success and capabilities."

    • Relaxation
      1

      "Some players find the stealth and planning relaxing, though others note tension from chases."

    • Sensation
      2

      "Visuals and 80s atmosphere provide sensory enjoyment, though some report graphical issues."

    • Status
      -4

      "No social recognition or ranking systems; focus is on personal achievement."

    • Story
      3

      "Narrative and character interactions provide context and motivation for missions."

    • Strategy
      4

      "Planning heists, choosing disguises, and timing actions require strategic thinking."

    • Thrill
      3

      "Chases and stealth create suspense and adrenaline during gameplay."

    • Value
      4

      "Free prologue with substantial content offers good value; players anticipate full game purchase."

    • Violence
      -3

      "Minimal combat; focus on stealth and theft rather than destruction or fighting."

    • Survival
      2

      "Avoiding detection and escaping police adds survival elements, though not extreme."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026