The Big Con is an adventure game developed by Mighty Yell and published by Skybound Games. It was released for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on August 31, 2021. A Nintendo Switch version was released on June 1, 2022. Versions for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were released on August 31, 2023. Set in the 1990s, the game follows Ali, a teenager who works at a video rental store owned by Linda, her mother. After learning that her mother owes $97,342.18 to loan sharks, she meets Ted, a con artist. They travel across the United States, earning money to save Linda's store. The Windows version of The Big Con received favorable reviews, while the Xbox Series X/S version received mixed reviews.
Gameplay
Ali pickpocketing a NPC. To successfully pickpocket the NPC, the pink needle has to be stopped in the purple zone.
The Big Con is an adventure game where the player controls Ali, a teenager who has to raise money to save her mother's video rental store.[1] In each location, the player has to steal a certain amount of money.[2] Once the threshold is reached, they can continue to explore, or leave the area by talking to Ted.[2] Ali can earn money by pickpocketing non-player characters (NPCs).[2] Each NPC has an indicator that shows the amount of the cash that they hold.[2] To successfully pickpocket a character, the player will have to play a minigame where they must stop a needle in a target area.[2] If Ali fails to pickpocket a NPC, she will have to find another disguise before attempting to pickpocket them again.[2] If she fails three separate times, she will have to rewind VHS tapes at a video rental store.[2] Ali will earn back lost money after completing this task.[2] Ali can also earn money by collecting items and selling them to a pawnbroker.[2] Ali can additionally accept sidequests from NPCs.[2]
Development and release
The Big Con was developed by Toronto-based developer Mighty Yell.[3] The developers set the game in the 1990s to make the plot "easier to believe", and allow for a "bright and colorful" palette.[3] Saffron Aurora, the game's artist, used cartoons such as The Simpsons, Hey Arnold!, and Doug to form the game's art style.[3] Ali is voiced by Erika Ishii, and Rad Ghost is voiced by Dave Fennoy.[4]
The team won $50,000 at the 2018 Gaming Pitch Competition at EGLX.[5]The Big Con was featured at PAX West 2019 and at PAX East 2020.[5][6] A teaser trailer was also released in 2020.[7] In March 2021, the game was shown off at the ID@Xbox showcase.[8][9] In May, Skybound Games partnered with Mighty Yell to publish the game.[10] In June, Melissa Joan Hart presented the game in at Tribeca Festival.[11] The game's demo was available during the Steam Next Fest.[12]
The Big Con's theme song was performed by Rockapella, and the soundtrack was composed by Dan Rodrigues.[11] The game was announced for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on May 12. It was scheduled to release that summer.[13][14] The game's August 31 release date was announced in July.[15] Mighty Yell held a contest to choose a voice actor for a non-player character in the game. The winner would receive a copy of the game and a T-shirt.[16]The Big Con's demo was playable at PAX East 2022.[17] A Nintendo Switch version titled The Big Con: Grift of the Year Edition was released on June 1, 2022.[18][19]The Big Con: Grift of the Year Edition was also released for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.[20]
The Big Con received generally favorable reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[21][22]
GameSpot's Andrew King praised the "vibrant" art style and complemented the game's music. King felt that the pickpocketing minigame was "confusing" and thought that the story was "familiar".[23] Kyle LeClair from Hardcore Gamer felt that the game's con jobs provided "clever" puzzles and "fun" gameplay.[24] Miles Dompier from Windows Central called the game's story "touching" and "relatable", but felt that the gameplay loop became repetitive. Dompier recommended The Big Con for fans of adventure games.[28]
Eurogamer recommended The Big Con as an "endearing adventure".[1] Miri Teixeira from NME praised the "immersive" levels, but criticized the controls.[27]Nintendo World Report's Neal Ronaghan wrote that The Big Con was a "stylish" game with a "good balance".[25] Ozzie Meija from Shacknews called the game "intriguing" and described Ali as a "fun" character. He believed that the dialogue was "hit-and-miss" and felt that the pickpocketing mechanic became repetitive.[26]
Nominations
The Big Con received a honorable mention for the Excellence in Narrative award at the Independent Games Festival.[29][30] At the Canadian Game Awards, the game was nominated for Best Indie Game and Best Score/Soundtrack.[31] The game received a nomination for Best Audio for an Indie Game at the 2022 Game Audio Network Guild Awards, and received a honorable mention at the A MAZE. Awards.[32][33]
