Five potentially quick wins in a row
I had zero expectations for Sweet Thieves, a new small-team mode in Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout that feels self-contained and distinct from the usual multi-game gauntlet. You either win as the attackers or defenders, or you don’t — that’s the “show.” And with that simplicity (and newness), there’s a decent opening to earn five wins in a row for the coveted Infallible trophy/achievement that very few players have managed to unlock.
A few rounds in, I thought Sweet Thieves was decent. A few more rounds in — especially after I figured out my ideal path as a sneaky invisible candy-stealer — and I was hooked.
I had a few challenges left to complete for the new Astro Bot tie-in costume, and that was my only goal. But, in the process, I managed to pop that blasted trophy. My heart was absolutely racing. And it looks like I’m not the only one out there who’s getting lucky.
If you care about trophies, Sweet Thieves is worth checking out. But it stands on its own, too. This is the most fun I’ve had with Fall Guys in forever. While the seasonal updates have added creative levels with neat themes, the feeling of freshness usually doesn’t last that long for me. In this case, Sweet Thieves can and will get old, too — but it’s so fast-paced, and crucially such a small time commitment, that it’s easy to keep playing.
On the attacking side, which is more enjoyable, in my experience, your team of thieves will try to snatch up egg-like candy pieces and deposit them back at your base. You can hold down a button (L1 by default on PS4/PS5) to walk invisibly, but if you run or jump, you can be spotted. This mechanic can be really squirrely in a good way. It’s tense and funny.
If you’re grabbed by a defending “guardian” player, you’ll be whisked away to a jail overlooking the level — although there’s a giant jail-break button in the middle of the arena that a teammate can hopefully smash to set you free. You’ve got three minutes to capture 12 pieces of candy; if you’re too slow, or if all eight of you are jailed, it’s game over.
As a guardian, you’ve got to fight your instincts to chase after random players doing random stuff, though it’s tempting. If your team can stand its ground pretty well to hold out, you’ll win. That said, I got my Infallible trophy because I kept being matched as a thief.
Again, Sweet Thieves is three minutes long, and that’s the whole show — you either win or you don’t, and you can hop back into matchmaking. There aren’t multiple rounds as it currently stands. I don’t know if that’s sitting well with everyone, but I like the pace.
If nothing else, you can earn an Astro Bot costume
While this mode is running (and hopefully it’ll be a permanent fixture), there’s an Astro Bot challenge with goals that all have to do specifically with Sweet Thieves. They’re doable! I only played with random folks and was able to get it all done in a single sitting.
Sweet Thieves taps into that wacky experimental “Warcraft III custom games” energy from my younger days, and I super dig it. If you’re looking for an excuse to revisit Fall Guys (apologies, would-be Switch and Xbox players…), then this is it. It feels different!
The Astro Bot challenge runs from March 8–13. There’s also Double Fame points until March 16. It’s a good time to stockpile crowns for a rainy day.
