When you think of video game adaptations of other works, the mind often turns towards action-heavy experiences. While standout examples like GoldenEye show what can be achieved, shoehorning additional action into another intellectual property can sometimes lead to disaster. As such, fans of Peaky Blinders may have reacted with trepidation when news of a video game based on the series was announced.

Those worried about Peaky Blinders losing its wily nature may be a little relieved to hear that's not the case with Peaky Blinders: Mastermind. Developed by UK-based studio FuturLab, Mastermind is a puzzle adventure game set before the events of season one of the show.

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An initial look at its isometric style might lead some to believe it could still have a focus on violence akin to XCOM, but that's not really true. Instead, it's about working out the unique abilities of each of the playable characters and building on them. The Shelby family is here en force, and they all have a role to play in getting through the puzzles of each stage.

Peaky Blinders Mastermind Ada

Understandably Tommy Shelby picks up on his position as the leader, and has an interesting role to play within Mastermind. Tommy is able to intimidate NPCs into doing what he asks, with the player then able to temporarily take control of them to open up doors or grab useful items such as keys. It's an intriguing addition to a puzzle game, and one that fits into Tommy's character in the show.

Within the preview, a couple of other playable members of the family also turn up. Ada is able to distract NPCs, shifting their field of view to let other characters slip past. Where intimidation and distraction doesn't work, Finn provides the vital role of being able to slip into small spaces, accessing new areas through windows or cracks in walls.

Although other characters aren't available in the preview levels, a few more of the gang do turn up. Arthur and John provide a taste of the violence of the show, with Arthur brawling with enemies and kicking down doors, and John able to make use of arson. Polly also appears, bribing corrupt policemen and picking locked doors.

This leads to an interesting take on the puzzle genre. The player needs to quickly get to grips with each member of the family, and so far from the preview build it's satisfying to piece together how everything operates. On top of that, the game goes beyond just one room planning, with multi-level buildings that need to be navigated.

Having to think this far ahead is interesting, with the player having to require a bit of intuition for what each character can provide to any given situation. This leads to a flowing understanding of the game map that steers away from the rigidity of some puzzle games. These early preview levels are a little on the basic side, but if the difficulty scales upwards over time then this could become an exciting challenge to overcome.

The most important mechanic in Mastermind is the use of a rewind button, but rather than just being used to undo mistakes this instead allows the player to complete the puzzle in as smooth a way as possible. After rewind, the playable characters who aren't being controlled by the user follow out the paths the player has taken them through before the rewind took place, creating a flow to the overall plan of action that is rewarding to watch back. The rewind function is a compulsory part of Mastermind, in particular if going for the higher rankings for each map.

This all adds up to a puzzle game that has a lot of potential. Its fluidity is valuable, veering away from how static some puzzle games can be. Although it's not the most challenging based on the early levels that were available for preview, the need to go back to get higher rankings adds a replayability that could serve to extend the overall length of Mastermind.

What's less clear is how it fits in thematically with Peaky Blinders as a whole. The early levels don't show much of the friction or context that the show provides, such as Tommy's PTSD and drug use as he and the Shelby family try to come to terms with the fallout of the Great War. But, according to FuturLab this does feature in later levels, and if so it shows an important understanding of the ideas of Peaky Blinders.

Mastermind is shaping up as an interesting take on Peaky Blinders. Whether it lands with fans of the show will be a key measure of its success, but if FuturLab's promise of a focus on the issues comes to fruition then it could be a hit. Hopefully its puzzle focus is less of a novelty than seen in similar adaptations, but instead a refreshing take on the show and a break away from the usual treatment of other properties within gaming.

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Peaky Blinders: Mastermind releases August 20, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a PC download code for the purposes of this preview.