"Robbing the Cradle" is a level in the 2004 game Thief: Deadly Shadows, developed by Ion Storm. Unlike other levels in the game, it features a strong survival horror theme, in addition to the stealth gameplay typical of the Thief series. Players traverse an abandoned, haunted orphanage and mental asylum called the Shalebridge Cradle, while attempting to free the soul of a young girl from the building's captivity. The level was designed by Jordan Thomas and Randy Smith, with a soundscape composed by Eric Brosius. Using theories of interactive horror design developed by Smith in 2000, the team sought to create the scariest level ever to appear in a game. They took influence from works such as House of Leaves, Session 9 and the Silent Hill series, and they studied mental asylums and reportedly haunted buildings for inspiration. "Robbing the Cradle" was widely praised, and it has been described by publications such as Computer & Video Games, PC Gamer UK and Bloody Disgusting as one of the scariest levels in the history of video games. Jordan Thomas went on to create the "Fort Frolic" level in BioShock, and to serve as creative director for BioShock 2. The positive reception of "Robbing the Cradle" inspired Eidos Montréal to create a similar asylum level in Thief (2014). Overview "Robbing the Cradle" is the penultimate level of Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004), a video game developed by Ion Storm. In addition to the stealth gameplay typical of the game, the level features a strong survival horror theme. "Robbing the Cradle" takes place inside the Shalebridge Cradle, a conscious, malevolent and abandoned orphanage and mental institution. It is patrolled by creatures called "Puppets", the reanimated bodies of former inmates. Protagonist Garrett enters the building in hopes of solving a mystery related to a supernatural murderer, the Gray Lady. Once inside, he encounters the ghost of a deceased orphan, Lauryl, who was killed by the Gray Lady. She is trapped within the Cradle because it "remembers" her. The Shalebridge Cradle is divided into two sections: the "Inner Cradle" and "Outer Cradle". The player begins in the Outer Cradle, which is designed to terrify players, but which secretly contains no dangers or enemies. The Inner Cradle is roamed by Puppets. The building's backstory is unveiled in a nonlinear fashion, via clues scattered within the level. The player must free Lauryl by locating and disposing of artifacts that