The Sting! has a cartoony, childlike presentation that doesn't fit its subject particularly well and also makes you wond
a burglary simulator. At its heart, it's a time-based puzzle.
You play Matt Tucker, fresh out of jail for burglary. Your mentor
Sinclair was recently arrested for breaking into Ministry of
Light. You are eager to get back into the trade, so you start
small. Get the right tools, hire the right accomplice, use the
right getaway vehicle, and don't get caught!
The game has three modes: city mode, planning mode, and run mode.
City mode gives you the freedom to explore the city. You can
walk about, or if you have money, flag down a taxi (for $5) and
go anywhere in the city faster. If you meet a unique character,
some of them can be recruited as accomplices (provided you made
the right conversation). Others may provide clues, or buy your
"items". You will also need to get the right tools (of the
trade), like crowbar, axe, lockpick, and more. You will also need
to get a getaway vehicle (though one is provided at start). You
can also scout the potential targets.
Once you have gathered the appropriate tools and accomplices, you
can start your plan by engaging the planning mode. Select you
target, your get away car, and accomplices. Then select among
your available tools (3 to each person, subject to carrying
limit). Keep in mind each person has a carrying limit also, and
some loot (and tools!) can be heavy. Once all has been
configured, you start record your plan, where you plan the move
of every guy, down to each individual step. Click on a spot to
move there. Click on object and you can inspect or use. Click on
the bag to get a tool, then click on object to use tool on
object. The clock will run until the action (or movement) is
completed but it can be interrupted. If you don't like the
movement, hit "back" and record a different one. Switch among
different accomplices as needed. Avoid guard's "view cone", and
don't make too much noise. When you have gotten enough loot to
satisfy the minimum, get back to your getaway vehicle.
In the run mode, you pick one of the plans and "run" it. Now
you'll see how well does your plan work. You have no control over
the action during run mode, but you can simply try again by
editing an exiting plan if the current plan fails.