Thief: The Dark Project invented the first-person stealth genre in 1998. Looking Glass Studios built a game where the player was deliberately underpowered in direct combat, forcing them to use shadows, sound, and environmental awareness to survive. The sound design was groundbreaking; different floor surfaces produced different footstep sounds, and guards would investigate noise realistically. Playing as the thief Garrett in a dark fantasy medieval city, players learned to respect the darkness as their greatest weapon. The game demanded patience and observation in an era when shooters rewarded aggression.