Thief: The Dark Project - Gameplay

Gameplay

Thief takes place from a first-person perspective in a 3D environment. Its gameplay emphasizes evasion over confrontation, and the player character has limited combat proficiency and damage resistance. Shadows may be used to avoid notice; a monitor on the heads-up display (HUD) indicates the player character's visibility level. The player character may lean, crouch, climb, swim and run, among other actions. Surfaces cause varying amounts of noise; for example, carpet is quiet and ceramic tiles are very loud. The player receives information about non-player characters (NPCs) through sound, such as the surface on which they are walking, their proximity and suspicion level. The player may use sound, such as a thrown object, to distract NPCs. Each of the game's 12 levels has objectives, such as the theft of a specific item, that must be completed before another level is reached. The game's three difficulty settings alter objectives, paths through the level, and other aspects. Levels are largely unscripted, and allow for emergent gameplay.

The game's NPCs feature artificial intelligence (AI) systems that detect unscripted visual and aural cues; if a NPC sees or hears the player character, it becomes suspicious. Depending on its level of suspicion, a NPC might ignore the cue or begin to actively seek the player. NPCs detect clashing swords, other NPCs' voices, and changes to their environment, such as blood stains, opened doors and fallen bodies. The game contains both "guard" and "servant" NPCs, who vary in their reactions to the player character: guards call out an alert and attack, while servants will run for help. If a guard is significantly injured, it will try to escape. The game features non-human characters, such as zombies, and certain levels contain survival horror elements.

The player character possesses a blackjack and a sword, which incapacitate and kill NPCs, respectively. The game features a sword-combat system for direct confrontations; it contains three directional attacks and the ability to parry. Fallen bodies may be picked up and hidden. The game's bow may be used for ranged attacks or as a tool; for example, "water arrows" extinguish torches while "rope arrows" lower a climbable rope. Other tools include lockpicks, "flashbombs" and speed potions, among other things. Weapon and item inventories are displayed in the bottom corners of the screen; the player cycles through them to select objects. Equipment may be purchased between levels.