Thick As Thieves Game Guide: Beginner Hub, Contracts, Chameleon, Guildhouse, and Security

Thick As Thieves Game is a stealth heist game set in the Victorian-style city of Kilka. You play as a guild thief, take contracts, follow clues, steal required targets, stash valuable loot, and escape before the run collapses.

This page is a hub, not a full walkthrough. Use it to learn the basic loop, then jump to the focused guide that matches your problem.

If You Have Not Played Yet

Read these three rules first:

1. Contracts are not just loot runs. A required item, file, gem, or clue chain usually matters more than random valuables.
2. The Thief’s Den is your progression room. The Electrogram gives guild calls, the Ledger points to contracts, the Wardrobe handles loadout, and the Black Market sells tools, perks, maps, and cosmetics.
3. A clean escape is part of the objective. If you complete the target but get knocked out while carrying loot, the run can still go badly.

The Thief’s Den is where you check guild calls, contracts, wardrobe changes, and progression-related purchases.

Start Here: Pick Your Problem

If you are stuck on…	Go here
Chameleon is locked or you do not know where to check it	How to Unlock Chameleon
Exfil is not opening, objective text is not updating, or you do not understand contract progress	Contracts, Exfil, Clues, and Objective Progress Guide
Staff of Edinburg gems, Gem of Strength, Gem of Arcana, or Vistara Files	Constables Guildhouse Map Guide
Hauntstables, turrets, magic eyes, trap lines, Slithersap, or tool combos	Hauntstables, Turrets, Magic Eyes, and Security Tools Guide
Solo vs co-op route planning	Start with the mode notes below; a dedicated co-op page can be added later if more route data is confirmed.

The Heist Triangle

Every run comes down to three things:

Clue → Stealth → Exfil

If one side is missing, the heist becomes unstable.

Side	What it means
Clue	Know what the contract actually wants before looting randomly.
Stealth	Move through light, sound, guards, turrets, and magic security without starting a chain reaction.
Exfil	Leave after the objective is complete instead of turning a finished job into a failed escape.

Use clues, stash points, health pickups, ammo caches, and exits to plan the heist instead of wandering room by room.

Solo vs Co-op

Your mode changes how you should play.

Mode	Beginner priority
Solo	Move slower, save one recovery tool, and avoid routes that require two actions at once.
Co-op	Split roles: one player scouts clues or switches while the other handles objective pickup, stash timing, or exfil calls.

A clean co-op run is not two players looting different rooms. It is two players solving one route without creating two alert chains.

Key Terms

Term	Meaning
Kilka	The Victorian-style city where the heists take place.
Thieves Guild	The organization that gives you guild progression and contract work.
Thief’s Den	Your hub room between runs. Use it for guild calls, contracts, tools, loadout, and purchases.
Electrogram	The guild call device that points you toward new guild work.
Ledger	The place to check active contracts.
Wardrobe	The loadout and character-check screen. This is where you check whether Chameleon is still locked.
Black Market	The shop for tools, perks, maps, and cosmetics. Cosmetics do not always mean playable character access.
Stash	A way to send carried loot back to your hideout before taking more risk.
Exfil	The escape route after objective progress is complete.

Difficulty, Tools, and Failure Basics

This hub keeps the details short because each topic has its own guide.

System	Beginner answer
Difficulty	Start on the easiest available difficulty until you understand clue routes, stash timing, and exfil. Higher difficulty can make security layouts and routes less forgiving.
Tools	Buy or equip tools through the Den systems. Smoke Bomb is the easiest recovery tool to understand early; Pickpocket Fairy and Slithersap are more route-specific.
Getting knocked out	Carried loot and immediate route progress can be at risk. Stash valuable loot before entering a dangerous route.
Objective updates	Required items should update the objective text or indicator. If nothing updates, you probably picked up optional loot.

For deeper details, use the contracts and security guides below.

Main Guide Paths

Contracts and Exfil

Contracts can overlap with mission goals, clue chains, optional loot, stash points, timers, and exfil. If you only read one focused guide after this hub, start here.

Go to: Contracts, Exfil, Clues, and Objective Progress Guide

Chameleon Unlock

Chameleon is locked at the start. The unlock path is tied to guild progression, not tutorial replay or random loot farming.

Go to: How to Unlock Chameleon

Constables Guildhouse

Constables Guildhouse is the best early map for concrete route learning. Use this page if you are stuck on Gem of Strength, Gem of Arcana, Vistara Files, floor switching, or the Guildhouse exfil flow.

Go to: Constables Guildhouse Map Guide

Hauntstables and Security

Hauntstables, turrets, magic eyes, and trap lines are route problems, not normal guard problems. Use this page for tool combos, annotated danger routes, and recovery rules.

Go to: Hauntstables, Turrets, Magic Eyes, and Security Tools Guide

FAQ

I am completely new. Which guide should I open first?

Start with the Contracts, Exfil, Clues, and Objective Progress Guide if you do not understand objectives. Open the Constables Guildhouse Map Guide if you are stuck on early gems, files, or map routing.

What does it mean if the objective is not updating?

It usually means you picked up optional loot instead of the required target. Check the contract clue chain and confirm the pickup prompt.

What should I do if I keep getting knocked out?

Stop carrying valuable loot into unknown routes. Use stash before risky paths, save one recovery tool, and avoid entering security-heavy rooms without an exit plan.

Should I play solo or co-op first?

Solo is easier for learning slowly. Co-op is stronger once both players split roles and communicate the objective route.

How do tools and cosmetics differ?

Tools affect your run. Cosmetics affect appearance. Character access, including Chameleon, should be checked in the Wardrobe rather than assumed from Black Market cosmetics.

What is the most important beginner rule?

Do not loot blindly before understanding the contract. Optional loot is valuable, but it does not replace the required objective.

Version Note

This hub is written for the current captured build and available gameplay material. Some exact mechanics, unlock thresholds, enemy interactions, and map routes may change with later updates. When a detail is not fully verified, the focused guide marks it clearly instead of inventing a fixed number.