Some gamers like to go in guns blazing, some like to hide behind an army that crushes their foes, and some like to approach from the shadows without leaving a trace. This page is for those fans of stealth games, who move in silence while achieving their objective. Sure, things might occasionally get out of hand, but it’s still darkness where these players feel most at home.
Here we’ll look at 7 of the best stealth games of all time, from AAA games to indie titles. Whether sneaking into bases and dropping NPCs or avoiding monsters without ever making a single attack, these titles will scratch the itch for those of us who prefer the cover of darkness.
What Is a Stealth Game Anyway?
Like most video games, the term stealth game isn't enough to tell you everything you need to know about a genre. In a general sense, stealth games are those whose main focus is on being undetected by your opponents. Sometimes stealth games involve no combat, other times they can turn into combat-focused games if you get spotted, or they can be anything in between.
Stealth games have considerable overlap with other gaming genres. It’s rare for titles today to be entirely stealth games. Some can also be MMOs in space, action games, adventure titles, and much more. The term stealth games really just lets you know what the focus is, and how you'll spend your time when you're playing.
Our Top 7 Stealth Games Right Now
1. The Last of Us
The Last of Us Part II is excellent, but we’d have to recommend the new players to the world of The Last of Us start with the first game in this story-focused series. TLOU is set in a world ravaged by a deadly infection that turns nice folks into a vicious horde of hungry hungry humans. Join Joel and Ellie on their quest to find a cure, or at least try to make it through the next day.
Whether facing humans or the infected in TLOU, stealth is often the best approach. Going loud means getting overwhelmed, and limited resources mean you have to pick your battles carefully. Take out as many as you can before getting spotted, and then clench your teeth and try to survive.
The third game in TLOU is just a matter of time, we just hope it will be a little less miserable and persistent than the sequel. Did you know that revenge is bad? If not, TLOU2 will surely let you know.
2. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The last Metal Gear game from creator Hideo Kojima, MGS5 is set in the past as Snake builds a private military force to take on the world. Defending Mother Base and uncovering the secrets of a mysterious illness is a difficult task, but thankfully this is one of the stealth games that has the leader take a hands-on approach.
While featuring aspects of base building and even RTS games in its DNA, most of the gameplay in MGS5 is spent sprinting and driving around the map. Once you find action, the stealth games approach takes over, as you sneak, shoot, steal, and even kidnap soldiers to brainwash into your army.
Without Kojima at the helm, we’re not sure of the future of one of gaming’s biggest stealth games series. It’s too famous to disappear, but whether Konami can capture lightning in a bottle again remains to be seen.
3. Dishonored 2
One of the best first-person action and stealth games, Dishonored 2 has you select one of two characters as you work to save the other from a shadowy conspiracy. With far better stealth tools than its predecessor, Dishonored 2 is one of the stealth games that embraces creativity. Let's just hope developer Arkane gets the green light to start work on the third entry soon.
4. Hitman 3
The Hitman reboot was a revelation in stealth games, incorporating the best aspects of the series while removing the frustration and fluff. Hitman 3 is a culmination of Agent 47’s adventures, and even better, it lets you download the levels and content from the prior two games. It’s beautiful, it’s imaginative, and unlike most of the other games on this list, there’s a practical guarantee of a new entry not too far away.
5. Alien Isolation
The game that best demonstrates the feeling of horror of the first Alien film, Isolation places you in a space station stalked by the xenomorph menace. Without the ability to kill the alien, you'll have to use all your stealth game skills to distract and avoid the creature, and shoo it off with fire when possible. No taking this thing out with a hitscan sniper rifle!
While we have a lot of Alien games out there, we’re yet to see a direct sequel to Isolation. The success and legacy of the game hopefully means this is just a matter of time though.
6. Mark of the Ninja
A 2D game featuring history’s most famous stealth assassins, Mark of the Ninja stands as one of the best in a competitive pack. Stealth games don't get much more stylish than this title, with it fusing classic ninja mythology with futuristic tech. Unfortunately, we don't see a sequel for this on the horizon, but we can always hold out hope.
7. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex had a lot to live up to after the first game, and Human Revolution managed to recapture what Invisible War let get away. HR lets players take their own approach, with the stealth route offering some of the best stealth gameplay around. Cool guns, cool augments direct from a fantasy name generator, and an intriguing story make this game a must-have. It also has a sequel in Mankind Divided, and hopefully a new title in the works.
FAQs
Is The Last of Us a stealth game?
The Last of Us could be considered one of the PS4 stealth games, or PS5 and PC stealth games too for later releases on other gaming platforms, but it’s not entirely stealth. Like many stealth titles, TLOU adopts many different genre trappings, including action and adventure.
What does 'stealth horror game' mean?
A stealth horror game is one of the stealth video games that also has a strong emphasis on scares. Alien Isolation and Amnesia: The Dark Decent are great examples, where you're hiding from a monstrous horror thanks to your ability to hit beingly roughly that of a Nerf gun.
Which game has the best stealth?
The game with the best stealth depends on you as a player, and what you like from stealth games. Some stealth games also include a lot of action, while others offer no combat at all. There are no wrong answers here, it's all a matter of personal taste!
