Don’t we all love sneaking without letting the other person know a thing? Quietly entering the room and observing what the other person is doing or hiding behind a curtain and then catching a friend off guard, Well, I definitely do whether be it in gaming or in real life, sneaking is always fun. Taking inspiration from that idea today we have curated a list of the best stealth games that you can play.
Table of Contents
Best Stealth Games Of All Time
Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain
| Release Date | September 1, 2015 |
| Developer(s) | Kojima Productions |
| Platforms | PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC |
Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain is the ninth main installment of the Metal Gear series. In Phantom Pain, the player assumes the role of Punished “Venom” Snake. The game is set in 1984 Soviets invaded Afghanistan and takes place 9 years after the events of Ground Zero (prequel to Phantom Pain).
The game is played from a 3rd person’s perspective. While the main genre of the game is stealth it doesn’t punish you for not following what you were actually intended to, there is always some room for improvisation. If you want to progress stealthily, you can do it or if you want to go with all the guns blazing, boom, you can do that too. But the game generally encourages you to use non-lethal weapons ( like tranquilizers) to make your way through.
The protagonist in the game has a variety of weapons, binoculars, explosives, and other items that will help you progress in the game stealthily. There are so many stealth elements in MGS5 that make it a perfect stealth game.
Dishonored 2
| Release Date | November 11, 2016 |
| Developer(s) | Arkane Studios |
| Platforms | PS4, Xbox One, PC |
Just like MGS5, Dishonored 2 has non-linear gameplay and you can pave your way either stealthily or by intended violence, whatever suits your style. You play this stealth game from a first-person perspective. You play the game either as Corvo Attano (the protagonist in Dishonored) or as Emily Kaldwin (daughter of Corvo Attano).
The game has incredibly real stealth elements, for example, it features both daytime and nighttime scenes and darkness can aid the player in staying hidden, but that works only up to a certain distance, if you make some noise (by hitting your sword on a wall, by breaking a bottle, etc.) the patrolling troops will go out on an investigation and you can use this feature to lure them into traps.
Other stealth elements include peeking through the keyhole into the room before going inside and leaning to get a view of the field without exposing your whole body. All these things make Dishonored 2 a perfect stealth game.
Hitman Series
| Release Year | 2000 – 2021 |
| Developer(s) | IO Interactive |
| Platforms | PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC |
We cannot talk about the stealth genre without mentioning the Hitman series. This Hitman title can easily be spotted in the top stealth games list of all time. The games in this franchise have great stealth mechanics and elements and it has won many awards.
Hitman has great stealth mechanics and there are numerous ways in which you can carry out the assigned task of assassination. Players take on the role of an undercover assassin known as Agent 47 who is assigned to eliminate different targets for a high amount.
If you mistakenly blow off your cover, you have enough weaponry that you can still defend yourself and progress further. Hitman Games has everything that is needed to make a top stealth game.
The Last of Us: Part 2
| Release Date | June 19, 2020 |
| Developer(s) | Naughty Dog |
| Platforms | PS4 |
This PS4 exclusive developed by Naughty Dog is a classic example of what a great stealth game looks like. The game takes place 5 years after the events of The Last of Us (2013) in the post-apocalyptic USA. The two playable characters in the game are Ellie and Abby. You have to progress through the stages while dealing with hostile humans and zombie-like cannibalistic creatures.
The game includes new stealth mechanics in the game, unlike its predecessor, this title allows you to crawl in a prone position to sneak past your enemies. The most preferred way of playing this game is to be offensive and go on with your guns-blazing, but another approach to finish the missions includes sneaking past the enemies stealthily.
Through a heightened sense of hearing, the “Listen Mode” of the game helps the player to locate enemies and then allows them to take decisions accordingly. There are several other mechanics that make this game one of the top stealth games ever made. The Last of Us: Part 2 won the Best Game of The Year award at the Game Awards 2020.
Mark of the Ninja
| Release Date | September 7, 2012 |
| Developer(s) | Klei Entertainment |
| Platforms | PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC |
Who said you can’t make a side-scrolling 2-D stealth game, Mark of the Ninja is not just a 2-D stealth example but rather an example that stands out apart from the others. The game is based on 2-D stealth platforming, you climb, jump, crawl, crouch, hide, and do everything possible to stay out of sight of the guards.
You can execute enemies by “one-hit kill”, and you can fuse the light sources, hide behind objects, etc. You are rewarded with points if you do a good job by performing a variety of kills, sneaking past guards without blowing up your cover, not letting the dead guard’s body gets discovered, etc. However, if your cover is blown off and the guards become aware of your presence, you will lose some points.
Depending on how you performed in the previous stages, you can unlock various new styles of killing, weapons, and various other costumes. Several other mechanics like throwing a dead guard’s body at the other live guard to instill fear in him and the usage of distraction and attack items in the game make Mark of the Ninja one of the finest stealth games ever made.
Ghost of Tsushima
| Release Date | July 17, 2020 |
| Developer(s) | Sucker Punch Productions |
| Platforms | PS4, PS5 |
Ghost of Tsushima is a PlayStation-exclusive game in which the player controls the character of Jin Sakai, a samurai who is fighting to protect the island of Tsushima during the Mongol invasion of Japan. Players have two ways of playing the game: getting involved in direct confrontation with the Mongols or opting for stealth mode and quietly assassinating the Mongol soldiers.
While approaching your objectives using stealth you will be able to evade and strike your enemies quietly. You can hide under buildings, on rooftops, in the grass, and take out the Mongols easily. Jin can use ‘Focused hearing’ to detect and locate his enemies. Jim has access to items such as smoke bombs, wind chime bells, and firecrackers, to create distractions and weapons such as Katana, kunai, and explosives.
Ghost of Tsushima is an excellent example of a game that has both offense and stealth elements in it. If you haven’t tried this game we strongly recommend playing this authentic game. If you guys are into Indie games then don’t forget to check out the 10 Best Indie Stealth Games of all time.
Assassin’s Creed
| Release Date | November 13, 2007 |
| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Montreal |
| Platforms | PS3, Xbox 360, PC |
The next entry in the list of the top stealth games is Assassin’s Creed (2007). Assassin’s Creed takes place during the “Third Crusade” in the year 1191. Players assume the iconic character of Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad. The game features elements of combat, stealth, and parkour.
Assassin’s Creed was one of the first video games to make use of the social stealth feature, due to the hardware limitations in the past, simulating large crowds was not possible but by the time Assassin’s Creed was being developed, technology had taken a leap and now featuring up to 120 people in one frame became possible and that led to the rise of the feature of social stealth.
This leap in tech added a new element to the stealth genre, now you could mask yourself in public and remain hidden from your enemies. The game features the cities of Acre, Damascus, Masyaf, and Jerusalem which Ubisoft depicted quite originally. You will not be disappointed after playing Assassin’s Creed if you’re looking for some really good stealth games to play.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
| Release Date | August 23, 2011 |
| Developer(s) | Eidos-Montreal |
| Platforms | PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC |
The next entry in the list of best stealth games is the Deux Ex: Human Revolution. The Deus Ex franchise primarily focuses on stealth, FPS, and RPG. In Deus Ex: Human Revolution, players take up the role of Adam Jensen, a security officer of the Sarif industries. After an attack on Sarif Industries by a shadowy organization, Adam starts investigating the organization behind the attack.
The game makes use of both first-person and third-person views. First-person view is employed during the action and combat sequences and while exploring the environment but it also switches to third-person when Adam takes cover or while conversing with the NPCs.
Like some previous entries in the list, you can shoot your way through the stages or you can also opt for a stealth approach. Adam can hide the bodies to prevent an alarm from going off which can make the nearby guards on high alert. The development team of Eidos-Montreal took Metal Gear Solid and the Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay as the reference.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is one of the greatest stealth games with a strong story arc that has ever been developed.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist
| Release Date | August 20, 2013 |
| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Toronto |
| Platforms | PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC |
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist is a perfect blend of both action and stealth. The game heavily focuses on stealth mechanics and encourages players to use an aggressive stealth approach. You can even complete the missions, remaining unnoticed by the enemies using various tactics.
Sam Fisher, the protagonist in Tom Clancy’s video games series, is equipped with several items that help him progress stealthily and take out his enemies quietly. If enemies see the dead body of any one of their companions they get into an alert mode, but the player has the ability to hide the corpses. Players can also destroy nearby light sources and create a dark environment for stealth play.
Sam Fisher is equipped with night-vision and sonar goggles that aid him in the dark, allowing him to see better and look through the walls to trace his enemies. He is also equipped with a Tri-Rotor drone that allows him to create distractions, spy on adversaries, electrocute enemies, and also kill them by self-destruction. Blacklist is a proper stealth game with so many stealth elements that give you numerous ways to kill or sneak past your enemies.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
| Release Date | September 14, 2018 |
| Developer(s) | Eidos-Montreal |
| Platforms | PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, PC |
The last but definitely not the least entry in our list of finest stealth games ever made is Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Don’t we all love Lara Croft, a brilliant archaeologist and the main protagonist of the Tomb Raider franchise? Shadow of the Tomb Raider finishes the Survivor Trilogy and is the 12th main entry in the Tomb Raider video game series.
The game takes place in the regions of Mexico and Peru and some regions of the hidden city of Paititi. While traversing these regions, Lara comes across various types of enemies that she has to go up against using either firearms or stealth.
Lara can camouflage herself in the mud or hide in the bushes or densely vegetated surfaces to sneak past or hide from enemies. The game’s stealth elements like camouflaging and other elements like the use of fear tactics drew inspiration from the movies like Rambo and Predator. The stealth combat of this title Tomb Raider is definitely better than its predecessors.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is one of the best Tomb Raider games made to date, if you haven’t tried it then you’re missing some really good stuff. This was it for Tomb Raider and now we will answer some FAQs down below for you guys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are stealth games?
Games that emphasize utilizing stealth to overcome or avoid enemies rather than engaging in direct confrontation fall under the stealth genre.
Are stealth games dead?
The answer to this question is a big NO. The stealth genre is not dead, there are several good stealth games that are really popular including Hitman and Tom Clancy’s. There are many players that love the stealth genre and because of them, the genre is and will not only survive but bloom.
What are some popular stealth games with female protagonists?
Tomb Raider, The Last of Us, and A Plague Tale: Innocence are some of the prime examples of popular stealth games with a female protagonist.
What are the three best stealth games ever made?
In our opinion, the top three stealth games ever made would be Metal Gear Solid V, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and Hitman III.
Conclusion
This was our list of the top stealth games of all time and we hope you guys now know which stealth game you’re gonna play next. If you guys have any doubts regarding the information that we have provided about the games above then feel free to let your heart out in the comments.
