Flex your inner teenager in The Big Con, an adventure game where you hustle across the country as a teen trying to save your family video store. In classic 90s con movie style, you'll get to persuade and pilfer your way to greatness using a whack of potential grifts.
About the story
Hustle through the 90s in The Big Con, an adventure game where you’re an awkward teen hustling to save her family video store from gangsters. Play as Ali, a high school junior gone AWOL from band camp to seek revenge on the loan sharks that threaten her mom’s video store. (Fighting with your mom is YOUR job. No one else gets to do that.) Maybe you’ll profit from the latest collectible plushie craze, and make an interesting friend or two along the way.
Platforms
PC PS4 PS5 XONE Series X|SGenres
Adventure Indie Point-and-clickThemes
Comedy
Languages: English and 5 more
| Interface | Audio | Subtitles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portuguese (Brazil) | |||
| Chinese (Simplified) | |||
| English | |||
| French | |||
| German | |||
| Spanish (Spain) |
Media
Critic Reviews
Pure Nintendo
By Roger ReichardtThe Big Con is a coming-of-age story set in the '90s. Its strength is in the storytelling, the relatable characters, and the homage to that moment in time. The puzzles provide some challenge, and while the pickpocketing mechanic is a bit overdone, it's something you can turn off. For those who didn't grow up during the '90s, you might not connect with some of the story, but you'll still get enjoyment nonetheless. However, for people like me, who are old enough to remember growing up during this time, I think there's a lot you can connect with in this game.
Nindie Spotlight
By Justin NationMaybe it’s the 80s kid and 90s twenty-something in me, but I’ll admit that when a game features a slice of life from my own heyday, made clear by your character working in their mom’s video rental store, it can quickly get my attention...
NintendoWorldReport
By Neal Ronaghanundefined.The Big Con is a stylish adventure game that feels more playful than mystifying, nailing a good balance that opens up to a wider audience than most of its kind. The '90s Nick feel definitely makes it more appealing to those of a certain age, but the goofy period piece design of the world is unspecific enough to not feel impenetrable if you don't know your Skeeters from your Stimpys. The charm far outweighs the thievery for Ali as she tries to save her mom's video store by robbing the world blind.
Hey Poor Player
By Heather Johnson YuThe Big Con is a heart-warming coming of age story that will delight 90s kids, referential-humor enjoyers, and those with sticky fingers. Its relatable protagonist never loses her heart of gold, despite the horrible circumstances she finds herself in, which serves as a shining testament to the dev team’s ability to carefully craft a story using controversial mechanics. If you have $14.99 and 7 - 10 hours to spare, take a look at The Big Con -- it's bound to steal your heart.
The Punished Backlog
By Amanda TienWhere the gameplay may be lacking, The Big Con makes up for with emotional stakes. I found Ali’s relationships to be engaging, funny, and heartfelt. She can call her mom and her best friend—who she’s currently on the outs with—from the road. She makes friends with recurring guests along the road, including a particularly funny Pawn Shop Broker (the game’s way of letting you sell random items for extra cash). She even has a delightful imaginary friend called Rad Ghost who serves as a helper—emotionally, and logistically with controls—throughout the game. Amid the nostalgia and time travel, there is a very tangible reflection on the transience of commercial fads as well as a love and concern for small businesses. Ali is a good kid, and getting to follow her journey, living vicariously through her as the cool ‘90s teen I never was, was worth even the most lackluster of pickpocketing opportunities.
