Gloomwood: 10 Easter Eggs & Thief Series References You Need to Find

1. The "Keepers" Library

Location: Manor, second floor library

In the Manor's library, there's a bookshelf that looks slightly different from the others. The books on this shelf are darker, and there's no dust on the edges. Interact with the bookshelf and it swings open to reveal a hidden room. Inside, you'll find a desk with a half-written letter referencing "The Keepers" — a direct nod to the secretive organization from Thief: The Dark Project. The letter reads: "We watch. We record. We do not interfere. But sometimes, we nudge."

There's also a unique quill on the desk that you can pick up. It doesn't do anything mechanically, but it's a nice collectible. The quill is one of 12 hidden collectibles in the game, and collecting all of them unlocks a secret ending slide.

2. Garrett's Hat

Location: Theatre, costume room

This one's for the Thief fans. In the Theatre's costume room — it's the room with all the mannequins dressed in period clothing — there's a hat on a stand that looks exactly like Garrett's iconic headwear from Thief. It's the same shape, same color, same everything. If you equip it, your character model now sports the hat. No stat bonuses, no special effects, but you now look like a proper master thief.

The funny thing is that the hat clips through some doorways because of its brim. The developers knew this and left it in anyway. There's even a note in the room that says: "Hat may cause issues in tight spaces. Worth it though."

3. The "Too Dark" Joke

Location: Manor, basement

In the basement, there's a note pinned to a support beam. It reads: "It's too dark. I can't see anything." Below it, in different handwriting: "That's the point. It's a horror game." Below that, in a third handwriting: "But seriously, can we add more lights? The playtesters are complaining." And finally: "Fine. I'll add one more lantern. Happy?"

This is a real exchange from the game's early access development. The developers included it as a nod to the playtesting process. If you look around, you'll notice there's exactly one lantern in the basement that looks like it was added as an afterthought — it's hanging from a hook that was clearly hammered into the ceiling after the room was built.

4. The Hammerite Reference

Location: Church, main hall

In the Church, there's a large stone statue holding a massive hammer. The design is unmistakably inspired by the Hammerites from Thief — the same bulky proportions, the same hooded face, the same two-handed hammer grip. If you examine the statue, your character says: "They sure do love their hammers around here."

But there's more. If you return to the statue after completing the Church section, the hammer is gone. It's lying on the floor nearby, and there's a note under it: "Sorry. Needed this for something." The note is signed with a symbol that looks like a gear — the symbol of the Mechanists from Thief 2. It's a deep cut that only the most dedicated Thief fans will appreciate.

5. The Developer's Office

Location: Theatre, backstage area

Behind the Theatre's main stage, there's a door that's slightly ajar. Most players walk right past it because it looks like a storage closet. Push the door open and you'll find a small office with a computer monitor showing the game's development build. The screen has a sticky note that reads: "Fix AI pathfinding before launch. — Dilmer"

Dilmer is one of the lead developers at New Blood Interactive. The office is filled with other fun details: a coffee mug that says "World's Okayest Developer," a stack of pizza boxes, and a whiteboard with scribbled game mechanics that didn't make it into the final build. One of the scribbles says "Rope arrows?" with a question mark — a reference to the cut rope arrow mechanic.

6. The Secret Piano

Location: Manor, ballroom

In the Manor's ballroom, there's a grand piano. If you interact with it, it plays a short tune. The tune is the first few notes of the Thief main theme — specifically, the opening motif from "The Dark Project" soundtrack. It's subtle enough that you might not recognize it if you're not familiar with the original, but Thief veterans will pick it up immediately.

What's less known is that the piano has a second interaction. If you interact with it again after the first tune finishes, it plays a different melody — this one is from the Gloomwood soundtrack, but played in a minor key. It's a nice touch that shows the developers put extra care into this easter egg.

7. The Crate Stack

Location: Streets, near the pharmacy

In the Streets, there's a suspicious stack of crates near the pharmacy's back wall. The crates are stacked in a way that looks deliberately placed — like a player built them to reach a high ledge. If you climb the crates, you reach a rooftop with a single gold coin and a note. The note reads: "For the loot goblins. — A fellow thief."

The coin is just a regular gold coin, but the real reward is the view. From this rooftop, you can see the entire Streets area laid out below you. It's a great vantage point for planning your route, and it's also a safe spot to hide during the night cycle — enemies can't reach you up here.

8. The Ghost NPC

Location: Church, bell tower

This is the hardest easter egg to trigger in the entire game. In the Church's bell tower, there's a ghostly NPC that appears only if you meet specific conditions: you must have zero kills AND zero detections when you enter the Church. If you've been seen even once, or if you've killed anyone, the ghost won't appear.

When the conditions are met, the ghost appears at the top of the bell tower stairs. It looks like a translucent figure in old-fashioned clothing. It says: "You walk the path of shadows. I walked it before you. The path is long, but the reward is worth it." Then it vanishes. The ghost is a reference to the original Thief protagonist — Garrett, or at least a spiritual predecessor.

There's no gameplay benefit to finding the ghost. No item, no achievement. It's purely a narrative reward for playing the game the way it was meant to be played. I've only triggered it twice in over 100 hours of playtime.

9. The "Rope Arrow" Reference

Location: Docks, warehouse area

In the Docks, there's a high ledge with a rope hanging from it. The rope is just out of reach — you can't grab it no matter how you jump. A note nearby reads: "Wish I had a rope arrow." This is a direct reference to Thief's iconic rope arrow mechanic, which was cut from Gloomwood during development.

The developers have confirmed in interviews that rope arrows were originally planned but were cut because they caused too many physics issues. The rope hanging from the ledge is a remnant of that cut feature — it's the actual rope arrow model, just placed there as a decoration. If you use noclip to reach the ledge, you'll find a developer message carved into the wood: "Maybe in the sequel."

10. The Community Shrine

Location: Streets, behind the waterfall

In the Streets, there's a waterfall that looks like it might hide something. Swim behind it and you'll find a hidden cave. Inside is a shrine dedicated to the game's Kickstarter backers. Their names are carved into the walls — hundreds of them, covering every surface. There's a chest in the center that contains a unique hat for each backer tier: a top hat for the basic tier, a crown for the higher tier, and a halo for the top tier.

The shrine also has a guest book where you can leave a message. The messages are stored locally and persist across playthroughs. It's a small touch, but it makes the world feel lived in. Some of the messages left by other players are genuinely touching — people thanking the developers, sharing their favorite moments, or just leaving silly jokes.