Some of the best guy-oriented games and pastimes have been stickman-based. These include the classic Stick Figure Death Theatre as well as the quasi-stickman world of Stick Sports, but few are quite as devilishly entertaining as Stealing the Diamond. A mini choose-your-own-adventure game available for both browser and mobile platforms. What entails within is a pleasant mix of action and adventure, with a point-and-click backbone holding it all upright. Your goal is to steal a giant Tunisian diamond, and there is a multitude of divergences in the potential methods by which you can achieve this highly illegal goal.

Gameplay

There’s no mistaking the point-and-click nature of Stealing the Diamond’s gameplay – particularly with the browser version – but what we have here is a mini-adventure game with a choose-you-own path format. The comical tone is established at the outset whereby your stick-figure character sees a massive diamond in a museum exhibit on TV; cue the brisk exit of the stick figure to get to the museum in order to steal the diamond and make a lot of money (somehow).

The comical undertones shine through wonderfully even at the first potential divergence in the storyline: to sneak into the museum or to break in, that is the question. Sneaking is demonstrated by a stick figure comically sneaking on the screen while breaking in displays an explosive entry potential. The game’s already off to a good start.

What follows your first choice is then a series of selections, and you’re not just restricted to either/or scenarios: the choices become more numerous quite rapidly. Your methods of entry can range from a shrink ray to a pick axe, through to a teleporter or a liquidator. The choices become more outrageous and comical as the plot progresses. Some choices you click on will lead to failure however, so there is an element of risk in that you’ll likely have to start over a few times while you determine better choices for your character. Puffballs United (the game’s developer) were sure to give you plenty to choose from mas well.

Lots to Offer

If you’re a guy looking for a bit of light-hearted, comical fun, then this game has a lot to offer. In all, there are over forty ways to attempt to steal the diamond, yet only three series of choices that lead to a successful heist. Each of the attempts is as comical as the next. The ones that lead to failure often do so by having your character fall to his death or meet his demise in some way. When he does, there is a decent bit of gore and a hefty chunk of laughter waiting for you.

The game is reminiscent of a typical guy-oriented experience, with silliness oozing out of its simple flash-based designed (in the browser version; the mobile version is similarly-styled but does look like it has a bit more polish). There’s not too much flashiness in the illustration, so don’t expect as stylish of an experience as fellow cyber-crime game The Swindle (please check out this game; it’s fantastic). The voiceovers are purposely quite raw in their style too, which adds to the simple (yet comical) charm of the game.