Sneaky Sneaky mixes a Zelda-esque top down view of a medieval world with the stealth "Soliton Radar System" from Metal Gear and a turn-based RPG, while your main character goes about trying to steal back the treasure he stole from those who stole it from him. Selling for $5 on computers, the price drops to $2.99 for the iOS release.

I feel that Sneaky Sneaky has found a safe haven on iOS. In checking reviews of the original PC release, it was called short, unpredictable, and overall not necessarily worth the $5. I read these reviews after making my primary run through of the game, and disagree with them, but I feel it's the medium that lends to that. Your average mobile game wouldn't feel at home on a PC. Heck, there are people addicted to Candy Crush, but I played it on Facebook once and was bored out of my mind, although I found fun killing time with it on my phone. Sneaky Sneaky has this same feeling.

During exploration mode, the little thief is able to move freely, sliding in and out of shadows, bushes, haystacks, etc. attempting to nab his jewels and get out of the level alive. If he is spotted or an attempt to assassinate an enemy goes awry, the game swaps to a turn based system. You have a set number of moves and attacks that level up as the game progresses, and you have to make quick decisions: run and hide, use your hard-earned items, or rush headlong into battle.

While the game is rather short (you will most likely finish it over the course of a couple days worth of play), the leveling system and progression of items unlocked add enough variety to the game to keep you interested. Some of the enemies follow set patterns, while others seem to roam randomly, and every time you meet a new enemy it is a bit of trial and error to find the best way to defeat them. There's also the mild frustration that while the game is titled Sneaky (twice, even) that you end up scoring higher when you off the enemies. Perhaps if there was an extra award for making it through the game unscathed and unnoticed it would be better, but again the mobility of the title lets you kick out if it gets frustrating, much easier than if you were sitting at your PC where you'd be more apt to try to push through.

Sneaky Sneaky isn't going to win any "Game of the Year" badges, but it puts a fresh spin on a genre that isn't saturating the iOS market right now, so it's definitely worth a look. At $2.99, it is cheap enough to fall into the "impulse buy" section. It's a steal at that price, and it won't feel as if the titular anti-hero is heading for your wallet.

3.5/5
A review copy of Sneaky Sneaky was provided by Naiad Entertainment.

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