I’m always scanning indie showcases for titles that twist familiar tropes, and Snap & Grab at this year’s Day of the Devs pulled me in from the first frame. Crafted by the quirky minds at No Goblin and backed by Annapurna Interactive’s narrative finesse, this game asks you to trade lockpicks for a camera and organize high-stakes heists through the lens of a glamorous 1980s photographer.
Instead of sneaking through vents or hacking keypads in real time, you embark on pre-mission recon with a retro flash camera. Each shot tags valuables, notes guard patrol routes, and calculates entry angles. Those photographs feed into an interactive blueprint, where you assign custom gear and roles—everything from your getaway driver’s gadget loadout to the perfect distraction routine for your decoy dancer.
No Goblin has a track record for off-kilter charm, from the spinning taxi of Roundabout to the over-the-top antics of 100ft Robot Golf. Annapurna Interactive, meanwhile, has given us award winners like Stray and Outer Wilds—games that blend heartfelt narrative with distinctive art. In Snap & Grab, you get a cocktail of both: personality-driven characters, playful dialogue, and stylish presentation that feels more cinema than generic stealth simulator.
Missions play out in lavish train salons rolling through Kyoto, high-concept aquariums dripping in neon fish tanks, and even an ice hotel set against the pyramids in Cairo. The synthwave soundtrack and period-accurate wardrobe choices aren’t just eye candy—they inform your strategy. A velvet curtain here might muffle an alarm, while a mirrored floor there helps you catch guards’ blind spots.
Lead designer Casey Duncan told me, “We wanted players to feel like master planners rather than trigger-pullers.” In a live demo, I watched Duncan photograph a gilded gala in under five minutes, then switch to planning mode. You pick your crew—tech whiz, lockpicker, distraction artist—each with unique stats unlocked by your reconnaissance photos. Spotting a guard’s relaxed posture might boost your pickpocket’s speed, while framing an expensive vase in your viewfinder could increase your curator’s appraisal bonus.
Snap & Grab leans heavily on its planning phase. After you finalize your blueprints, the heist runs automatically, and you watch your scheme unfold. If your intel is solid, it feels like you’ve authored a heist masterpiece. But if those snapshots miss key details, the whole plan can collapse under its own ambition. There’s also a side story in which a dashing INTERPOL detective becomes enamored with your alter ego, Nifty Nevada. The banter is snappy, but there’s a risk it tips into camp if the writing leans too hard into 80s clichés.
Perhaps the cleverest move is launching day one on Game Pass. That free-to-try approach dismantles the usual entry barrier, inviting anyone intrigued by offbeat strategy to test-drive this neon-tinged caper. It’s a win-win: No Goblin reaches a wider audience, and players can explore an altogether different take on stealth without spending extra cash.
For players exhausted by cookie-cutter stealth action and formulaic crime thrillers, Snap & Grab feels like a breath of neon-scented air. Its success will rest on whether its photo-to-strategy loop remains engaging over dozens of missions and if the flamboyant 80s aesthetic ever becomes a gimmick rather than a feature. Given No Goblin’s taste for the delightfully absurd and Annapurna’s flair for strong storytelling, I’m betting this is one heist film you’ll actually play.
Reporting based on developer presentations and hands-on demos at Day of the Devs.