GamesPlatformerMy favorite Spelunky character is a masterclass in roguelike risk versus reward: “Stealing in games is fun in the same way running across the top of the screen is in Super Mario"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesPlatformerMy favorite Spelunky character is a masterclass in roguelike risk versus reward: “Stealing in games is fun in the same way running across the top of the screen is in Super Mario"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Mossmouth)
Stealing in video games has fascinated me for years. There’s likely something deeper to it, about committing nefarious acts in virtual spaces with zero repercussions, but I’ve always loved the thrill of pickpocketing unsuspecting NPCs from right under their noses before scampering off into the shadows to revel in the spoils. To this end, Thief would become a firm favorite during my formative years – but my very first experience of theft in games came in 1993.
After sprinting out of the Mabe Village shop with an overpriced Bow in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (980 Rupees? Come on!) I felt like a stone cold hero. That is, until my name changed from ‘Joe’ to ‘THIEF’ during every single interaction afterwards, my offense capitalized and all. At just seven years old, a video game had never made me feel guilt in this way ever before, but more than this, a video game had never remembered my actions in this way either. Should you ever return to the same Mabe Village tool shop down the line, an angry shopkeeper awaits, in turn scalding you for your misgivings, before blasting you to instant death with a fatal electric shock.
Games likeSkyrim, Fallout 3, Dishonored,StarfieldandBaldur’s Gate 3have all pushed stealing from NPCs to new levels over the last decade or so, but my absolute favorite example since Link’s Awakening is Spelunky. Similar to its Zelda forefather, pilfering items from shopkeepers in Spelunky not only turns the proprietors against you in the moment, but sees the angry owners lying in wait till you next cross paths – posting wanted posters all over levels the longer you manage to elude their hunt.
“Stealing came about naturally once I decided that Spelunky should have shops,” says creator Derek Yu. “And there was definitely some inspiration from traditional roguelikes, where stealing from shops is part of a bigger design philosophy that allows players to do whatever they want if it makes sense within the game’s basic rules. In general, I love games that give players a lot of agency and make them think hard about their choices. When the stakes are higher, I feel more engaged.”
Stealing a living
(Image credit: Mossmouth)
“There was probably some inspiration from GTA’s wanted system there, to be honest”
“There was probably some inspiration from GTA’s wanted system there, to be honest”
“I really liked the idea of shopkeepers chasing you through the run once you’ve wronged them,” says Yu. “There was probably some inspiration from GTA’s wanted system there, to be honest. But it was very difficult to be forgiven in Spelunky 1, to the point where I’m sure there were players that didn’t even realize it was possible. So in Spelunky 2, it’s much easier to be forgiven for lesser crimes, but at the same time, if you become too wanted, the shopkeepers can form posses to attack you mid-level.”
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DEEP POCKETS(Image credit: Mossmouth)Spelunky 2 is so ambitious that even Derek Yu doesn’t know what you’ll find in its darkest depths
DEEP POCKETS
(Image credit: Mossmouth)Spelunky 2 is so ambitious that even Derek Yu doesn’t know what you’ll find in its darkest depths
(Image credit: Mossmouth)
Spelunky 2 is so ambitious that even Derek Yu doesn’t know what you’ll find in its darkest depths
“I came up with the shopkeeper posses during the development of Spelunky 2, as part of my overall goal of building and expanding on the original game,” Yu adds. “I wanted to do this with the lore as well as the mechanics. So if you play the game enough, you can start to infer that the posse rooms are basically a bunch of clones planning to ambush you in revenge. It’s just another way to make the world feel more alive in an organic way.”
Yu in turns offers his own interpretation of why virtual kleptomania is so appealing. “I think stealing in games is fun in the same way that it’s fun to run across the top of the screen in Super Mario Bros. or find a cheesy strategy against a Souls boss,” he says. “It’s like, “Whoa, I can do that?! That actually works?” Human beings have an affinity for pushing boundaries and video games are a great place to explore these feelings safely.”
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