Prima Games eGuides
primagames.com Browse Redeem a code Help
Thief eGuide
Sign in My Guides

Sign in or create an account

We'll email you a link. No password needed, and if you don't have an account yet, the link makes one.

By creating an account or signing in, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Have a password?

Had an account on the old eGuides site, or a code from a printed guide? Help and troubleshooting

Sign in with a password

By signing in, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Check your email

A sign-in link is on its way. It works once and expires in 15 minutes. Open it and you're in, with an account if you didn't already have one.

Contents

  • Challenge Mode
    • Introduction
    • Chain & Gain
    • Chain & Gain Limited
    • Special Loot Hunt
    • Thieving Challenges
    • Northcrest Manor
    • House of Blossoms
    • DLC: Moira Asylum
  • Introduction
    • Cast of Characters
  • Checklists
    • Introduction
    • Collectibles
    • Documents
    • Shady Merchants
    • Focus Points
    • Safe Combinations
  • How to Play
    • Introduction
    • Interface
    • Basic Actions
    • Stealth
    • Thievery
    • Tools of the Trade
    • Shady Merchants
    • Focus Abilities
    • Loot
    • The Journal
    • Combat
    • End-of-Mission Screen
  • Walkthrough
    • Introduction
    • Prologue: The Drop
    • Chapter 1: Lockdown
    • The City, Part I
    • Chapter 2: Dust to Dust
    • The City, Part II
    • Chapter 3: Dirty Secrets
    • The City, Part III
    • Chapter 4: A Friend in Need
    • The City, Part IV
    • Chapter 5: The Forsaken
    • The City, Part V
    • Chapter 6: A Man Apart
    • The City, Part VI
    • Chapter 7: The Hidden City
    • Chapter 8: The Dawns Light
  • Client Jobs
    • Introduction
    • Garrett's Clients
    • Client Job Walkthroughs
    • Client Job 1: Hand Tailored
    • Client Job 2: Happy Medium
    • Client Job 3: Silence Is Golden
    • Client Job 4: The Carnal Connoisseur
    • Client Job 5: Sideshow Attraction
    • Client Job 6: Heartbroken
    • DLC Client Job: Bank Heist

Thief Guide › How to Play

Interface

With so much action occurring in Garrett’s world, it’s helpful to have a firm grasp on the many common indicators and HUD (heads-up display) elements that can appear onscreen.

Light Gem: The Light Gem indicates whether or not Garrett is standing in light or darkness. Rely on this vital HUD element to determine whether Garrett is easily visible to enemies or cloaked in shadow.

Health and Focus: Garrett’s current health and Focus energy are measured by the two curved meters near the Light Gem. These meters shrink as Garrett suffers damage and employs his innate Focus ability. Food items restore Garrett’s health, while poppies replenish his Focus. Read on to learn more about restoring Garrett’s health and using Focus.

Area Name: The name of the current area appears here whenever Garrett moves from one area to another. This helps you keep track of where you’ve been and where you’re going. The walkthrough refers to these in-game area names to help you keep your bearings. To verify the name of the current area, call up the Journal and select the “View Map” option (read on for details).

Objective Marker: Garrett is a man of purpose and almost always has an objective to fulfill. It could be a precious bauble that he must steal or a certain location that he intends to reach. Whatever his objective, this onscreen indicator points toward its location, helping Garrett track it down. Open the Journal to discover details about the current objective.

Minimap: The minimap is a useful tool that helps keep you oriented. Visit the Options menu to either let the minimap rotate as you move or lock it in place so that north is always “up.” If you need a more complete view of your surroundings, open the Journal to view the complete map of the current location.

Threat Icons: These icons appear whenever a person begins to take notice of Garrett. Threat Icons are dynamic and change in real time to indicate a person’s current state of awareness toward Garrett. When no status icon is present, the person is completely unaware of Garrett. The following table details the various status icons and their meanings.

Weapon & Ammo: This indicates the current weapon you have equipped (arrows, throwable, or flash bomb) and the amount of ammo you have left for that weapon.

Threat IconStatusDetails
Unaware This icon appears when a person begins to take notice of Garrett. The eye slowly fills with white coloring, and if it becomes solid white, the person becomes curious.
Curious People become curious if they believe they’ve seen something move in the shadows or if Garrett makes an unexpected but soft or distant noise. The more pips you see above the eye icon, the greater the person’s curiosity. Curious people will walk over and inspect the disturbance without much suspicion. Making people curious is a useful tactic for luring guards away from their posts and has no effect on your end-of-mission Playstyle (read on for details).
Suspicious If a person’s curiosity continues to grow, they’ll eventually become suspicious. Striking a person with a nonlethal projectile or making loud noises close to a person will instantly raise their suspicions. Suspicious people believe there’s a prowler about, but they have no actual proof and haven’t yet detected Garrett. Suspicious persons will search the environment more swiftly and thoroughly than curious persons, opening cabinets in which Garrett can hide. Raising suspicions is a tracked stat, but it won’t affect your end-of-missing Playstyle.
Cautious If a person’s suspicions are confirmed by a second noise or nonlethal projectile attack, they’ll become cautious. This state is very similar to the suspicious state, but the person’s movements are more swift and unpredictable. Making people cautious does not affect your Playstyle.
Alarmed If a person discovers proof of an intruder, such as an unconscious or dead body, they become alarmed. This state is very similar to the cautious state, and your Playstyle rating is not affected. This is the highest threat level that a noncombative person can reach.
Alerted This icon appears when a person has detected Garrett—a worst-case scenario. Alerted guards will chase after Garrett, hunting him down without mercy. It’s fight or flight once you see this Threat Icon. Flee to a dark, remote location, or take a stand and battle the threat directly. Being detected isn’t the end of the world, but it does cause you to fail certain Thieving Challenges and will lower your chances at achieving the “Ghost” Playstyle (read on for details).

Keep reading with a free account

The first 3 sections of Thief are open to everyone. An account opens the rest of it, and every other guide in the archive. It's free, and there's nothing to buy.

Bought guides on the old Prima Games site? Your account and every guide you own moved here, so there's nothing to buy again. Sign in.

Create a free account Or browse our free guides

PreviousIntroduction NextBasic Actions