Volume (v1.1.04)

Neon-lit heists replace swordplay in this sharp, top-down stealth puzzler, where a near-future Robin Hood broadcasts robberies aimed at exposing the powerful. You play Locksley, a thief whose mission is never to kill, only to infiltrate guarded facilities, steal their valuables, and escape without being caught. Volume frames its campaign with slick geometric environments, dry British humor, and a strong voice cast including Danny Wallace and Andy Serkis. The mood is cerebral rather than grim: every level feels like a compact electronic maze waiting to be solved cleanly.

Each mission asks you to study patrol routes, sound fields, cameras, switches, and escape routes before making your move. Guards react to sight and noise, so success comes from crouching through blind spots, tossing distractions, luring enemies away from chokepoints, and using gadgets to manipulate the map without direct confrontation. New tools arrive steadily across the 100-level campaign, expanding the possibilities with devices that confuse, redirect, or otherwise create brief windows to slip past security. Checkpoint-focused, stealth-oriented, and no-checkpoint challenge modes support different approaches, while separate leaderboards give speedrunners a reason to refine every route.

Volume stands apart through its clean, abstract visual design and its focus on readable systems over elaborate realism; it often feels like Metal Gear’s sneaking fundamentals distilled into brisk, puzzle-box stages. Failure is usually quick and informative, encouraging experimentation instead of punishing long stretches of lost progress. Its built-in level tools and curated community maps add substantial life beyond the main story, especially for players who enjoy designing devious patrol puzzles or chasing optimized clears. Fans of Mark of the Ninja, Gunpoint, and compact stealth challenges should find plenty to enjoy, while newcomers benefit from the gradual introduction of mechanics and the forgiving checkpoint options.