Welcome to Thief: The Dark Project, a groundbreaking stealth game from Looking Glass Studios where you step into the shadowy boots of Garrett, the Master Thief. In this 1998 PC classic, you’ll master the art of infiltration, moving unseen through dimly lit manors, treacherous ruins, and more. Your goal is simple: acquire valuable loot and complete objectives without alerting the guards. It’s a game that rewards patience, observation, and clever use of your environment.
This guide is your ultimate resource for navigating Garrett’s perilous world. We’ll cover optimal looting strategies to ensure you snag every last treasure, from Lord Bafford's opulent manor to the darkest corners of the city. Learn essential tips for staying hidden, overcoming challenging encounters, and successfully completing every mission.
2.1: Best Times
Discover best mission times for Thief: The Dark Project, including specifics for Lord Bafford's Manor. All treasure collected.
Note: The best time for a mission does not necessarily reflect the methods used in this walkthrough. For instance, the best time for Lord Bafford's Manor was achieved by mostly running, without hiding bodies, and without closing doors. However, each mission was completed with all possible treasure collected.
- Best times are often achieved through different playstyles than a standard walkthrough.
- Focus on collecting all available treasure to meet the criteria for best times.
2.3: Experimentation
Thief: The Dark Project experimentation notes, including Lord Bafford's Manor guard strategy and points of no return.
Occasionally, areas are noted where more experimentation could be done. In some cases, circumstances did not permit further experimentation, and some experiments were thought of in hindsight, long after the point of no return for that area was passed. If anyone cares to experiment in the noted areas, the author is interested in hearing the results.
Example: In Lord Bafford's Manor, a specific guard was sometimes taken out as a precaution against a future endeavor. However, it was not certain that this was actually necessary, and it had not been tried to complete the mission without doing so. Upon replaying the mission, this guard was left alone, and it was found to be unnecessary to take him out, improving the walkthrough for that mission.
- Consider experimenting in areas where optional actions are noted.
- Report any interesting findings from experimentation, especially regarding necessity of certain actions.
- Be aware of the point of no return for areas when planning experiments.
2.4: Objectives
Learn about Thief: The Dark Project mission objectives, including Simplified Objectives for the Expert level.
Each mission in Thief: The Dark Project displays objectives for Normal, Hard, and Expert difficulty levels. This walkthrough specifically covers the Expert level objectives.
The Simplified Objectives are presented within the mission itself. They are more concise and direct compared to the detailed objectives shown before a mission begins. While the examples provided are from the Expert level, players on Normal or Hard difficulty can still identify which objectives apply to their current game.
2.5: Recommended Purchases
Thief: The Dark Project recommended purchases are listed at the end of each 'Before The Mission' section and do not necessarily cost all your funds.
- 1At the end of each "Before The Mission" section, you will find a list of recommended equipment for completing that specific mission.
- 2These purchases generally will not consume all of your available funds.
- 3You can use any remaining money as you see fit.
- 4Note that the recommended purchases are not always strictly necessary to complete the mission.
- 5In some cases, the recommended items will make the mission easier for you.
- 6In other cases, there may be nothing available to buy that directly helps, but the recommended item is the best option available.
- Consider the recommended purchases as a guide to make missions easier, rather than strict requirements.
- Use your leftover funds to purchase items that suit your playstyle or address any challenges you anticipate.
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