Thief: The Dark Project
Thief: The Dark Project is a 1998 stealth game developed by Looking Glass Studios. Players take the role of Garrett, a cynical master thief in a gritty steampunk-fantasy city, sneaking through shadowy mansions and haunted ruins to steal treasures, using tools like water, moss, and rope arrows while avoiding guards rather than confronting them head-on.
Pioneering the first-person stealth genre, it made light and sound genuine mechanics: a gem on the interface shows how visible Garrett is, and different floor surfaces betray his footsteps. Its immersive atmosphere, supernatural turns, and level design built around observation and patience rewarded evasion over combat and set a template that countless stealth games would follow.
Thief's influence endures across the stealth genre, spawned several sequels, and the original is still available through digital storefronts, allowing new players to experience the shadowy world that helped define sneaking in games.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Thief: The Dark Project, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
| Alternative | Price | Steam Deck | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dishonored 2 | € 29,99 | Steam Deck Playable | PC, PlayStation, Xbox |
| Thief (2014) | € 19,99 | Steam Deck Untested | PC, PlayStation, Xbox |
| Intravenous 2 Indie | € 19,99 | Steam Deck Playable | PC |
| Thief Gold | € 6,99 | Steam Deck Untested | PC |
| Thief II: The Metal Age | € 6,99 | Steam Deck Unsupported | PC |
Dishonored 2
€ 29,99Arkane's stealth masterpiece, built by people steeped in Thief and playable with no kills at all.
Dishonored 2 runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Switch.
Thief (2014)
€ 19,99A modern reboot with updated stealth and visuals.
Thief (2014) runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Switch.
Intravenous 2 Indie
€ 19,99A tense top-down indie stealth-action game about shadows and silence.
Intravenous 2 runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
Thief Gold
€ 6,99The definitive original edition, running on modern PCs.
Thief Gold runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
Thief II: The Metal Age
€ 6,99The sequel most fans prefer, with bigger heists and the same light-and-sound stealth model.
Thief II: The Metal Age runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
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