New York, 1935 – You are a cunning top criminal with a plan that just can’t fail. You need only a number of thieves and other scum to put these plans into practice. Fortunately, the city is packed with unemployed rogues who linger in bars, at pool halls and by the race course waiting for a chance to make easy money. Gather the best thieves and rob various locations in the city so as to go home with the most money at the end of the day.

In Crooks you assume the role of a mafia boss and want to use your thieves tactically to increase your earnings or to thwart others. To do this you must:

Look for the best thieves: Visit hangouts in the city and choose from the thieves available, taking into account that whomever you don’t choose will work for your opponents!
Balance tactics and bluffing: The choice is yours ... thwart others or immediately carry out your own plans?
Use your cards wisely: Some thieves can also perform special actions, which increase your chances of winning.

The second edition of Crooks features a cardboard box (instead of a tin), updated cards (with some crooks having new ranks), the removal of the Kingpin, a changed pickpocket rule, and a new type of card: the Support Crew, which affects the rank of the cards on its left or right.