Parents' Guide to

Thief

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Hard stealth game stars thieving antihero on a dark journey.

Game PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox 360 , Xbox One 2014
Thief Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Thief Game: Screenshot #1
  • Thief Game: Screenshot #2
  • Thief Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 11 parent reviews

Gamersnews32
Gamersnews32 Adult
August 20, 2023
age 15+

A Stealthy Experience That Feels Unrefined

Thief, as a franchise, was always known for its innovative stealth systems and game changing presentation. This Thief reboot, as a standalone game and as an installment in the franchise, doesn't really do anything innovative or anything interesting within the stealth genre. The first few hours are pretty good and intriguing, but near the halfway mark is where things fall apart. Violence is optional, but not penalized. Players can use a blackjack as a melee weapon, as well as arrows to fire at enemies. There is very mild blood seen throughout the game within cutscenes and gameplay. Language is infrequent but strong. Use of "f#!k", "$h!t", "p!$$", "wh*re" and "b#!ch" are heard in dialogue. Sexual content is largely present during one chapter of the story, where players must visit a brothel where topless women are seen in sexual acts. Drugs or use of alcohol are also mildly present. During the brothel segment, mentions of opium and the ability to use it on enemies is available. Some characters are seen drinking alcohol or passed out drunk.

This title has:

Too much sex
da zink27
da zink27 Adult
June 3, 2020
age 18+

An interesting game for Adults. Contains sexual content.

Thief (2014) is a game that follows Garrett through a story surrounding mysticism and darkness. Players will steal, climb and sneak their way through the streets of a rotting city. The game features excellent gameplay and mechanics. The story seems easy as you begin, but gets ramped up as the heat would to a real thief. The levels are well designed, but this game features a lot of sexual content: Naked paintings of women, prostitutes, and brothels are featured in the game. One level features Garrett sneaking through a one of the brothels itself. Throughout the level, you can hear the couple on the other side of the room engaging in sexual activity. This content is never directly experienced (Though the choice was definitely prescribed to you), so I had to mute my screen and remove my precious subtitles in order to ignore it; which for a stealth video game, is like diving underwater without goggles. Other than the extremely unnecessary sexual content, the story is really good! Unfortunately, the sexual content cannot be ignored or avoided. There is a lot of drug references to smoking and alcohol as well. For your children, I say stay away!

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much sex
See all 11 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Players take on the role of a master burglar in THIEF, a reboot of the classic stealth-action series from the late 1990s. Garrett has spent his entire life pilfering from the people of a dark and fantastical city with a corrupt aristocracy. But when a night of prowling goes wrong and ends in a strange, quasimagical explosion, he finds himself waking up a year later with no memory of what happened after the blast. All he knows is that he needs to find out. So begins a 20-plus-hour journey that sends Garrett thieving his way through pitch-black streets, from a library and a mansion to a madhouse and a steaming bordello. Players will need to complete primary chapter objectives as well as dozens of smaller side missions scattered around a mostly open, free-to-explore world, upgrading Garrett's equipment and abilities using money earned from his purloined treasures along the way.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11 ):
Kids say (5 ):

Though it's certainly not for kids, older players may find Thief's challenging stealth-action seductive. The game is set in a stunning world filled with dark and beautiful architecture that feels real and inhabited. And while Garrett is an antihero whose actions and motives often are suspect, it's hard to deny the fun of the mechanics involved in sneaking around the city undetected and filching valuable loot. Looking for hidden levers amid tomes on bookshelves and searching for clues in random notes that give a hint to private safe combinations make for undeniably tantalizing play that more often than not will leave users feeling smug and clever.

That said, Thief does run into the occasional hitch. Glitchy sound design makes it hard to hear the direction from which nearby conversations are taking place and how far away the speakers are. Also, although most of the levels are cleverly designed and memorable, one of the main chapters descends into a tedious journey through a maze of random rooms. Still, adults with a taste for sneaky games and who like a serious challenge are in for a treat.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stealing. How does thievery hurt people? Do you think thieves typically consider their victims? Can true thievery ever be morally justified?

  • Families also can discuss the impact of violence in media. This game discourages violence by ensuring there are realistic consequences and also by offering rewards for successful stealth. Do you think this makes the action more interesting?

Game Details

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