The Marvellous Miss Take is one of the best stealth games I’ve played in a long time. I should be honest and note that the game was released on Steam and GOG back in November, so I’m really late to the party. However, I don’t think Miss Take received as much praise as it deserves, and I want to spend some time to acknowledge how simple and enjoyable it really is.

The story revolves around Miss Sophia Take who is on a mission to reclaim her late great aunt’s collections of paintings that were stolen from Sophia and placed in different galleries all throughout London. With the help of Harry Carver, an ex artist and expert thief, and Daisy Hobbs, a seventeen-year-old loner who can pickpocket anyone in seconds, the group (two women, one person of color, all playable to boot!) becomes the foxiest bunch of thieves in the city.
 

 
The Marvellous Miss Take is all about stealing art in the most collected way possible. The game breathes composure. Nothing feels better than sauntering over to a painting after avoiding suspicious guards, stuffing the art into your pocket and slowly walking away as if daring the security to watch you exit through the fire escape. Even the music sways in a combination of smooth jazz and trip hop that contradicted the amount of anxiety I felt hiding behind a pedestal hoping not be seen. If you’re caught, all serenity is lost, and the game ends.

The harder it gets (more police men, more cameras, more guard dogs), the more the game requires silence, patience and thought. Unlike other stealth games, like Splinter Cell or Hitman, violence is never an option in The Marvellous Miss Take. There were multiple times where I wished I could choke the guards into unconsciousness, or shoot the cameras until they broke, or anything to speed through a level without any threats. These were useless wishes, yet it was refreshing to not have them granted. Violence is incredibly common in popular games today; having no trace of violence felt like an innovation.

The most enjoyment lies in the game’s balance. Miss Take rewards players for finishing a level quickly, but also punishes them for going hastily. Running, for example, is tricky because the sound of running can alert guards to a thief’s location and reveal their hiding spot. But running can also help evade security by forcing them in one direction while the player tip toes in another. The key is to always be a few steps ahead of your enemies. Successful heists feel like a game of chess that results in a satisfying checkmate.

As challenging as it is, the game doesn’t come without a few flaws. For instance, I had a guard get stuck in a doorway, making it impossible for me to get out without getting caught. But those issues rarely occurred, and don’t outweigh the enjoyment I had for playing a stealth game that won’t let you leave a gallery after a successful heist without Sophia’s signature, chic sun hat.

The Marlvellous Miss Take is a wonderful game that felt like a brainy puzzle game. It’s combination of chill music, nonviolent action and cool characters created a stylish environment unlike many games before it. At the end, having collected all of Sophia’s aunt’s paintings, I felt as if I really did bring righteousness back into a previously unhip world.