In Tiny Thief, the goal was to steal a certain object placed in an area of the level. Players control a thief by tapping on an accessible area. Players could guide the thief into a ladder, door or anything other paths to access more areas. Players could also let the thief pick up objects to help with the mission. Some levels required stealth, so if a guard or a person saw the thief, the level would restart to a certain point. The game used the three-star rating format. The first star was earned by picking up hidden treasures, the second one was earned by stealing the key item, and the third one was awarded when the thief's pet ferret is found.