Show Off is a definite step up from the author's previous mission from the Thief 1 contest, but it still isn't quite there yet. The main attraction of the mission is a vast museum in the middle of town where you must steal a few trinkets while avoiding triggering the security systems.

The player starts in the city and it is quite clearly the weakest part of the mission: the streets are too wide, too blocky and just very empty. The mission would've worked better if they were greatly reduced, since the museum itself, while a bit bare, is far more interesting, with better level design all around, good patrols and good camera positioning. It suffers from the same problem as First City Bank & Trust, i.e. the basement feels tacked on and is at odds with the rest.

In terms of atmosphere, the mission is slightly above average: the museum is tense and there is an appropriate selection of sounds throughout the mission, but it lacks some spice. Story is also average, but I did enjoy one bit at the end that caught me off guard. There is also a very cryptic puzzle for you to solve but I couldn't be bothered to solve it, not because it's bad but because I just don't like puzzles.

All in all, Show Off is an average mission that is still quite nice and shows promise. Hopefully Grandmauden carries on and releases more missions!

Rating: 20/30

It's not bad mission but I prefer "Just My Luck" to both "Hunt" and "Show Off". It is small but use it's space more effectively and has more original and complete story albeit featuring linear keyhunt which is not good. With "Show Off" in particular I felt that it was too huge and vast for its own good (especially in city).

I think the mission would've worked much better had the city bits been removed altogether except the immediate surroundings of the museum. A sewer access could've been neato also. The gold standard of museum missions (Heart of Bohn) does that pretty much to perfection.

Yes, smaller but dense is better that larger but empty. I haven't played Mystic Gems (have heard about though), thanks for recomendation!