The player controls Garrett, a master thief, through a series of missions, most of which are focused around stealing from the rich. As with the previous games in the series, players must use stealth to overcome challenges, while violence is left as a minimally effective last resort.
There are a variety of routes through each level and the player is able to utilize a variety of playing styles to traverse them.[11] The game offers many ways to distract or kill guards, such lighting barrels of oil, for example. Levels contain coins and valuable objects which Garrett can steal; these are converted into money which can be spent on equipment and upgrades. Garrett can pickpocket guards and other characters.[12] The player may evade guards by hiding in shadows or around corners and is able to peek around edges and through keyholes to track the movements of enemies. Once Garrett is spotted, guards and other non-player characters will attempt to hunt him down. The developers have stated that the game's artificial intelligence is aware of the level design, and as such, guards will know in advance of potential hiding spots that the player may utilize.[12][13]