Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine

PC, Mac, Xbox 360

There’s an old-school sense of co-op gameplay in Monaco that’s missing from the modern use of that label. The top-down stealth-action game features eight characters that up to four players may use to pull off heists. Each character has a unique ability that, as a group, offers a variety of gameplay styles. The Hacker shuts down security systems, The Cleaner knocks out guards, and The Locksmith is, well, a locksmith. While being stealthy is a defining aspect of the game, there’s a variety of ways to react to detection and this opens up the game to players who normally hate “stealth missions.” No level requires that players choose a specific character or even work together to overcome a puzzle or obstacle, but Monaco embraces a true co-op experience. By using a simple format—avoid detection, reach objective—and offering a variety in character selection, Pocketwatch Games gives players the tools to make the game their own. This allows strategies to be born from not only character selection but player selection as well. Beneath its straightforward surface, Monaco is a game of limited definition and carefully chosen variables that create near infinite play possibilities.