The Big Con arrives on iOS and Android as 90s grift game

The Big Con launched on iOS and Android as a free-to-try game with an optional one-time purchase to unlock the full experience.

Players take the role of Ali, a high school student who leaves band camp to try to raise cash to help her family pay off loan sharks.

Gameplay divides into two approaches: short, opportunistic petty crimes such as pickpocketing, or longer schemes that require gathering information, donning disguises and steering conversations. The title pairs narrative scenes with inventory-based puzzles and improvisational problem solving, asking players to listen for clues and choose actions in social situations.

The game uses a 1990s coming-of-age visual style with pastel and neon colors. Mobile controls focus on exploration, using items and selecting conversational prompts that affect how a con unfolds and what rewards it yields.

Some objectives can be completed quickly through stealthy grabs. Larger payouts require eavesdropping, memorizing details about marks, changing appearance and timing dialogue choices. Player decisions determine how much money they raise and which narrative paths open.

The Big Con is available now on the App Store and Google Play as a trial; players can pay once to unlock the complete game.

Games that center on confidence tricks and social engineering are uncommon on mobile, where many titles emphasize short play sessions or monetization-driven mechanics. The Big Con places narrative, puzzles and social interaction at the center of its design.