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Ariolasoft's They Stole A Million uses a database for skullduggery: punch up a selection of jobs, fences and crooks to help you hit the big time. The game is in two parts: you select target, fence and hite your team before planning and executing the raid.

Using SWAG (Software for Aspiring Gangsters) you can buy information about your target, the stuff you hope to steal and the alarm system protecting it. You must then choose the right fence. For example, Small Change Sue is ideal for coins but useless for shifting paintings. Then there are the drivers, safe blowers, electronics experts and other hoodlums you need to do the job.

Planning the raid is simple. You use joystick controlled icons to control the action, the movements are mapped out on blueprints which can be edited to speed things up and make them more efficient. During the raid itself, one of your crooked associates takes on the risky job of lookout. You should be ready to freeze the action in case the cops suddenly appear, and even be prepared to do a runner leaving your hoodlums to face the fuzz!

If all goes well you'll have enough profit to organise bigger and better jobs until, finally, you can go for a million.

They Stole A Million is the second 'gangster' game I've seen this month (the other being Dodgy Geezers). It's the better one and will appeal to all budding Mr. Bigs who've always dreamed of funding their retirement through criminal enterprise rather than hard graft.