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Game
Game2011
PAYDAY™ The Heist
Developer OVERKILL - a Starbreeze Studio.
Payday: The Heist is a cooperative first-person shooter game developed by Overkill Software and published by Sony Online Entertainment. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 in North America on 18 October 2011, and in Europe on 2 November. It was released then for Windows on 20 October. It is the first game in the Payday series. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
241 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Mastodon) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
91
LovedLoved
219 positive · 21 negative
95% range 87–94%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 219 | 21 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
14,752 of 15,880 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
93% recommend · 198 yes, 16 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 214 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (38,290 of 41,030 positive).
Players praise the game's darker tone and realistic, challenging gameplay compared to its sequels. [1][2][3] Many note the strong co-op focus and rewarding teamwork, though the player base is small. [4][5][6] Some reviewers criticize technical issues like freezing on Windows 11 and outdated mechanics. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
The game will freeze on Windows 11 (24H2) random while playing. Edit 15/12/2025: There's a fix, in order for the game to stop freezing you must force the game to use 4 cores instead of all. Go to Task Manager>Details>payday_win32_release.exe>right click with mouse>select Set affinity>deselect All Processors and choose only the first 4 (CPU 0 to CPU 3). This must be done everytime the game is launched. A …
- [2]
After putting nearly 240 hours on this game, I can definitely say that this is THE definitive heisting experience. The thing about Payday 2 is that it started off playing very similarly to this game. But as more updates and DLC were added, the second game slowly became a shadow of its former self. Obviously everyone knows this game is harder, but something I really like about this game over the second that I don't …
- [5]
There is no weapon, upgrade, or equipment that will carry you to victory, only communication and tactics. You truly feel part of a skilled team facing impossible odds, just barely coming out on top. Even just a few mistakes will lead to failure. Failing never feels cheap, it is a learning experience for the team, and they must rethink their strategy if they wish to succeed. There is always a sense of danger that …
- [3]
Despite being heavily overshadowed by its more populair younger brother, Payday The Heist still holds up great! Just like comparing L4D1 to L4D2, PD:TH has kept its original intended atmosphere and hasn't been muddied by constant updates. This game feels and plays exactly as intended in its original vision. The game feels slightly less fluid than PD2, but the gameplay is still classic Payday. This game is also a lot …
- [1]
the complete destruction of PD:TH and Early PD2's darker tone and being able to play as a bad guy who does bad things like rob banks and take civilians hostage, and it being turned into a hecking wholesome "we have to save le world" mindlessly easy horde shooter is a travesty
Summarised from 27 of the 215 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
93% of the 214 Steam reviewers we collected recommend PAYDAY™ The Heist. The complaint that keeps coming up: freezes on Windows 11 24H2 without workaround. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Payday: The Heist received "mixed or average" reviews from critics for the PS3 version, while the PC version received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. By October 2012, Payday: The Heist had sold over 700,000 units. Also, by November 2014, Payday: The Heist and Payday 2 had sold over 9 million units.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 241 · most liked firstI was ensured that this game was true to life, I practiced for many many hours attempting to learn how to rob banks efficiently and quietly. Before anyone asks, I just got out of jail for robbing a bank, well, attempting really. It’s not as easy as the game makes it out to be, the clerk will not finger your ears like a slip and slide and call you a good boy, she gave me a funny look when I asked for this, (no the gun in my hand didn’t help) actually she laughed and thought I was joking.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was either the first or second game I bought on PS3 when I got one back in late 2011. The game just came out (I think) so I bought it cause it looked cool in the pictures and it turned out to be one of my favorite game purchases ever. I platinumed it on PS3 and unlocked everything you could all the way back in 2012. I made a lot of friends on that game and had some of the best gaming memories on it. Years later, it was on Steam free for one day and one day only so I added it to my library…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the complete destruction of PD:TH and Early PD2's darker tone and being able to play as a bad guy who does bad things like rob banks and take civilians hostage, and it being turned into a hecking wholesome "we have to save le world" mindlessly easy horde shooter is a travesty
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's still enjoyable to play even after so many years after it's release, unfortunately it has a very small player base but that's understandable.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Got the skillz to pay da billz... and a little extra on the side, why not?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After putting nearly 240 hours on this game, I can definitely say that this is THE definitive heisting experience. The thing about Payday 2 is that it started off playing very similarly to this game. But as more updates and DLC were added, the second game slowly became a shadow of its former self. Obviously everyone knows this game is harder, but something I really like about this game over the second that I don't feel many people admire as much as they should have is how the gang actually…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☑ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☑ Very good ☑ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☑ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☑ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved how PDTH was focused on the realistic gameplay instead of cosmetics, skill trees and perk decks unlike in PD2. Execpt that it takes long for you to unlock every ♥♥♥♥ in PDTH- I mean, all PAYDAY games are good in my opinion.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Payday: The Heist is fifteen years old this year, and it's still possibly one of the greatest horde shooters of all time. That includes some fierce modern competition: Helldivers, Killing Floor, and even its own sequels. None can quite beat the first Payday. The gunplay is smooth and the heists are perfect. Every weapon handles well (they better, since there are so few), and the four upgrade trees provide clear goals and make every weapon (and its upgrades) feel like a reward. Cops die when…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →a much simpler and more polished game than the newer entries.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Interactions between the heisters is something that really enhances the game. it's gonna be really missed when I inevitably play Payday 2. It's makes me wish they stuck to only 4 heisters instead of 22.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There is no weapon, upgrade, or equipment that will carry you to victory, only communication and tactics. You truly feel part of a skilled team facing impossible odds, just barely coming out on top. Even just a few mistakes will lead to failure. Failing never feels cheap, it is a learning experience for the team, and they must rethink their strategy if they wish to succeed. There is always a sense of danger that keeps you engaged, even the most common enemies pose a serious threat if not…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I will give you my all, pretty baby I'll come whenever you call for me, lady, yeah I will give you the best of me The best of me The best of me You can have all you want Don't you hesitate, now And when you got everything you can touch and see Then I will give you the rest of me The rest of me The rest of me (the best of, the best of, the best of, the best) I will give you my all I will give you my all, pretty baby I will give you the best of me I will give you my all, pretty baby I'll come…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A co-op game that encourages and reward smart plays as every second of decision counts while weighing you down with bots that doesnt know how to sprint and position themselves correctly. Fun game when you know how to hold on on your own or got one real player on your team.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this is not the best way to experience the payday franchise, but it is hell a lot of fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Payday 1 walked so payday 2 could run. This game is still pretty fun and plays differently than payday 2. Here almost every enemy is a threat in hard difficulty and you're genuinely scared of bulldozers because they are walking killermachines. Overkill really deserves it's name here because you will die. (seriously). While in payday 2 you can play like a fool and still manage to easily beat overkill missions. Achievements are also pretty hard here, the vibe/music feels way more gritty and due…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, but it lacks a subscription service for the Wolfpack DLC
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still worth playing it even with Payday 2 having all its heists, overall, things in Payday 1 feel much more cinematic when it comes to the heists, the lack of perk decks and skill trees in this game add to the difficulty making it feel way less arcadey like Payday 2 and putting much more emphasis on the coop aspect of the game, the game feels difficult even at lower difficulties, which is good! I love this game and I recommend trying it out even if you already have Payday 2 or 3 :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Despite being heavily overshadowed by its more populair younger brother, Payday The Heist still holds up great! Just like comparing L4D1 to L4D2, PD:TH has kept its original intended atmosphere and hasn't been muddied by constant updates. This game feels and plays exactly as intended in its original vision. The game feels slightly less fluid than PD2, but the gameplay is still classic Payday. This game is also a lot tougher despite the thinner hordes of cops. Each individual swat officer is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Old but gold! Honestly I find the graphics of this game still good, playing on a 2560x1440 Monitor at 124fps. What I do recommend though is the DAHM mod, the best mod out there, which includes like 20-30 sub mods already. With it, you upgrade the game to make it much more enjoyable on modern PCs + it adds really cool features. Overall I didn't think that this game would be so fun and cool, given the fact that I started playing it for real in 2026.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The best game in the franchise, with the best community. They should’ve kept developing and supporting this game instead of churning out sequels and skin packs.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1 -hop on the game 2- pray that your lobby doesnt have a tard 3 -try doing the overdrill on overkill 4 - get molested 100 untill the drill in finished 5 - one of your teammates do something wrong 6 -you failed in the hiest & need to play another 2h gayday the hiest= 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its a fun game to heist win friends or random people. The community is good, they are willing to help if you ask. But the community doesnt tolerate CHEATERS. If you're looking for a casual heisting experience, i recommend playing. But like every game it has is issues: Problems: It doesent come with the official controller support, i had to use the steam app to configure a fully fuctional and playable control mapping for the ps5 controller. I had to install MODS to solve the games…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After playing the closed beta of PAYDAY 3 back in 2023, I was completely disappointed with PAYDAY 3 and moved back to PAYDAY 2. Later this year, I was thinking about getting PAYDAY: The Heist to see what it looks like. To be honest, this game is really good. The graphics might be dated, but the gameplay is still amazing. Highly recommended to play with your friends, or you can play offline by yourself. Score: 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →for as little content as it has it's a fun game, i like the gritty vibe to it and the gun play holds up to this day however dallas is ugly as ♥♥♥♥
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're into playing horde shooters with your friends, this game is definitely for you. And even if you don't have friends, this game somehow keeps a loyal and stable playerbase. You might think it's overshadowed by Payday 2 that has all these heists included, but no, so much has changed in Payday 2 it's still worth seeing how the original looked like. I only have two major complaints. First of all, the meta is rather clear. Bronco + M308 + GL40, you won't really use nor see others use other…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shooting down a hallway. civi runs in front of me AUGHHHH I NEED A MEDIC BAG
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →7/10 If you're already familiar with Payday 2 and wondering how it feels to play Payday the Heist, just imagine this way: Payday 2 but money is xp, so more heist you did equal more xp No skill cards No weapon customization Incredibly jittery camera when you get shot Snipers are actually acting like a professional sniper and does giving such an armor breaking damage No stealth No gap to kill shield police Cloaker is far more dangerous (this is due to the AI stupidity, they more focusing to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It was decent up until the latest patch, where the devs return 14 years later, to change how scripting is handled and by doing so breaking old mods that will never be fixed (because the game is 14 years old). Thanks...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is amazing until you hear that high-pitched whining noise and get kicked in the jaw by a Cloaker. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →way better than 2. less features but there's so many aspects that make it better
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm a big fan of the sequel (albeit I'm also pretty terrible at it overall), but there's an edge to this game that 2 just doesn't quite match. I think the best way to explain it is that this game feels a lot like HEAT (1995): The Game, rather than just a fun action game themed around robbing banks.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is much better then Payday 2 in many ways, but is lacking in content. The content that is there is almost perfect, other than a few issues. For $10, its one of the best games at that price point that i've ever played.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Now let me start this review off with what should be important: You get your payday, on a Friday... In this game? EVERY DAY. Nothing feels better in this world, than buying this game AND in the same day beating a heist and hearing the GLORIOUS soundtrack bestowed upon your ears, and if your deaf? NO PROBLEM, you can feel the soundtrack if your deaf. Playing in random lobbies is really fun, let me tell ya about my experience, I met Gordan motherfrickin' Ramsey!! Now about the objectiveness of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A more brutal payday game, where teamwork matters more, the characters feel more lifelike, and the gunplay feels satisfying to no end. Instead of a jumping maniac, you are an actual merc and have to play like one, cover to cover, which is much greater of a feeling than the speed-demon you are in Payday 2. If this game had skills to boot, it would have been legendary.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Doesn't have H3H3 in it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →unlike PD2(and 3(and many other crap live service PvE games) this game: isn't not content/mechanics bloated, (kinda) has an actual* art direction, non-artificial replayability, good gunplay (PD3 sorta has it), has no silent assassin/carry stacker, has no Jimmy/Sokol/Rust/Ethan/Hila/Duke, has an actual stupid hard difficulty instead of big number, doesn't have SKINS, has 0 larpers, has a netcode that kinda works and doesn't REQUIRE AN ACCOUNT, doesn't have an unnecessary story, has in mission…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →chains is in a pickle
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First game I've played on Steam. Luckily it was a good game and not another overpriced AAA game or some ♥♥♥♥♥♥ lazy asset flip or AI indie game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The "grounded" Payday experience that Payday 3 tries to be, and fails at.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →not as good at Payday 2 but the game genuinely feel more like a deadly police assault where you have to stand your ground by taking cover than a horde of zombies where you can run and gun with your flamethrower the special enemies such as Shields and Bulldozers are a genuine threat in this game where you have to prioritise than the Cloaker and Taser being inconvenient for your time and ammo respectively the heisters as well feel like they have a lot more personality to them while you're…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this game feels really weird if youre used to payday 2, but its also kinda refreshing and cool seeing how different, yet similar this game is to its successor.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good game to play with friends and it doesn't need the newer software to play which is nice since me and my friends don't have the money to upgrade to newer devices
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very fun, best payday game, super realistic for its time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I only knew about Payday 2 when I was younger, but now that I have Steam, being way older, I've always wondered "Hey, what was the first game like?" I have my answer: Payday The Heist will let you understand the story of how the crew started out and will give you a blast from the past with some guns from PD2 being in there. The soundtrack will immerse you while you enjoy the chaos. (personally, i like code silver) Also does anyone have a medic bag?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →PAYDAY: THE HEIST — The Heist Checklist Score: 5/10 Solo | 9.5/10 With Friends Step 1: The Piece-of-♥♥♥♥ Thermal Drill Start the drill on the bank vault. Watch the drill jam every 10 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ seconds. Spend 85% of the armed robbery standing around the drill, kicking it, and violently screaming at your braindead teammates to fix it while under heavy automatic fire. Step 2: SWAT Overkill & Red Medic Bags Local police dispatch 3,000 SWAT officers, 400 Shield units, Tasers that shock you across…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Easily the best game in the Payday trilogy although compared to its sequel is lacking in content but it has better qualities that are missing in Payday 2.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pros: 1080p resolution supported, epic soundtrack, subtitles are on by default, vertical sync is off by default, basic advanced graphical settings, single player & online mode supported, multiple difficulty modes, well designed maps, action packed heist gameplay, “No Mercy” map from Left 4 Dead is available Cons: no borderless windowed mode, the game did not save my video and resolution settings upon closing the game the first time around (I had to redo them when restarting the game), no…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Payday: The Peak.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Awesome co-op shooter that I honestly like better than the second payday. Only complaint is the short number of levels, but each is replayable enough that it's still worth it
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i played this game strong as a good pallet cleanser from the far faster l4d2 and this game has stood the test of time sense release, so why am I not recommending it? Two words Sidetrack Games. Due to the new update that we can't even opt out of, this game is no longer mod friendly, forcing years of modding advancement now irreversibly incompatible with this new version. Now I'm probably the minority here, but first Helldivers 2, then Payday 2, and now this game? L4D2 will be in a similar…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this game and although I am quite happy that it got an update recently , however what I am not happy about is that i used to be able to run the game without a single frame drop issue and now I'm consistently getting 30 fps drops from walking around. I cant in good conscious recommend a product that used to work without flaw and now no longer functions properly.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is way harder than Payday 2
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you see the armed "fat guy," he's a friend—give him a hug; he was going to give you his 12-gauge "pure heart." Besides, aren't we civilians too? They just want to protect you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →dang im tired of being broke, time to see what this stealing thing is all about
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just an overall solid experience, great music, the guns feel great to use and the heists are all incredibly fun to replay
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →PayGay The Slay 💅💅💅
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I might even say this game is better than PD2. They focus more on the realism aspect, and the griding actually feels satisfying. Definitely get this game if you are sick of the 2 payday experiences. I would say this game is more replayable than PD2 and PD3.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sequel Surpasses it with volume of content, but the edge this game still posesses is atmosphere. Its graphics being bit different, heister's comments, use of visual filters, gameplay is more grounded(as opposed to arcade pd2), feels harder than pd2(running dozers and silent cloakers are no joke) as it feels like requiring more coordination. Everyone knows the skill of Simon Viclund as composer. Game is actually still not dead, though only couple lobbies running at a time(as I later learned,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →These 4 men should have bought a better drill with the money they had ever robbed
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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