The stealth genre has somewhat faded into the shadows as more and more games integrate stealth mechanics without fully embracing what makes the genre so special. Plenty of the best FPS games and best horror games all give you the option to be sneaky but also give you plenty of ways to fight back or ignore stealth entirely. True stealth games make it either impossible or prohibitively difficult to get through them without staying silent, unseen, and unnoticeed. All your tools and skills revolve around concealment, awareness, distraction, or incapacitating guards. There’s no greater feeling than infiltrating an area, completing your objective, and slinking back out without there being a single shred of evidence you were ever there. These are the best stealth games of all time that deliver that feeling like nothing else.
While not as common, there are a few stealth titles on our list of upcoming video games that could end up on this list in the future.
Recommended Videos
Note: We will only include one entry per franchise.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
85%
Platforms
PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360, Xbox One
Genre
Shooter, Tactical, Adventure
Developer
Kojima Productions
Publisher
Konami
Release
September 01, 2015
Picking the one best Metal Gear Solid game to put on this list was more difficult than choosing all the other entries. In the end, it came down to Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. We can’t ignore what the original did for not only the stealth genre but cinematic storytelling in games as a whole. It is easily one of the best PS1 games and one of the most important games ever made. That said, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the better stealth game. It is just impossible for the first to compete with the mechanical depth, range of options, and amount of interactions possible in this game. It is nearly an immersive sim for how enemies react to your tactics, such as wearing night vision goggles if you tend to infiltrate at night. It is the ultimate stealth sandbox that has yet to be topped.
Thief: The Dark Project
87%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows)
Genre
Simulator, Adventure
Developer
Looking Glass Studios
Publisher
Eidos Interactive, Activision Value
Release
November 30, 1998
We take for granted some of the basic mechanics in stealth games, primarily the ways NPCs are able to detect you. Thief: The Dark Project blew our minds back in 1998 as the first game to incorporate light, darkness, and sound as stealth systems. These are systems we almost can’t imagine a stealth game releasing without. All of a sudden we had to worry about how fast we moved across different surfaces or a guard would hear our footsteps, or targeting light sources to hide in the shadows. It took things even further and allowed us to use sound to our advantage and lure guards away with noises. It is very rough to look at now, but it can’t be ignored for how influential it was.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
83%
Platforms
PlayStation 2
Genre
Platform, Adventure
Developer
Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher
Sony Computer Entertainment
Release
September 14, 2004
The one negative about stealth games is that they all tend to be aiming for the same general tone. The settings, characters, and plots are all different, but almost all are grim and serious. Sly 2: Band of Thieves makes being a thief fun. The first game was a great introduction to a more comic book or Saturday morning cartoon take on stealth games, but the sequel was able to fully capitalize on that idea. Levels are now fully explorable instead of linear, you can play as the entire Cooper gang, and the grand heists are riveting and diverse climaxes to every stage. Sly 2: Band of Thieves isn’t trying to be a hardcore stealth game, but it gives you all the tools and abilities you need to make stealth fun. Some prefer the third game, but we feel it strays a bit too far from its stealth core with so many new playable characters that are more direct fighters.
Dishonored 2
85%
Platforms
PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One
Genre
Shooter, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Developer
Arkane Studios
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Release
November 11, 2016
Another sequel, this time we look at Dishonored 2. The first game was a surprise immersive sim hit with fans, but the sequel really opens up the sandbox. To start, there are now two playable characters with vastly different powers to unlock and upgrade that completely change the way you can approach each mission. Dishonored 2 loves giving you dozens of options in every level, from how you infiltrate an area to whether you go for a lethal or non-lethal approach to every enemy and target. All of that is great, but what makes Dishonored 2 such a titan in the stealth genre is its level design. Ask anyone who has played this game about the Clockwork Mansion and you will know what we mean.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
83%
Platforms
Xbox, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 2
Genre
Shooter, Tactical
Developer
Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher
Ubisoft Entertainment
Release
November 12, 2002
The first Splinter Cell introduced us to the world of Sam Fischer and his iconic night vision goggles. It can almost be viewed as a future version of Thief, both in terms of graphics and mechanics as well as in-game technology. Light and shadow are once again integral to the experience, but the modern hardware (at the time) allowed for more nuance than simply being concealed in shadow or not. Being a modern game allows Sam to use all kinds of fun stealth tools, like slipping a camera under a door or camera jammers. Sadly, future Splinter Cell games only added more and more action elements rather than sticking to pure stealth to the point that the last entry is arguably most fun when you’re not sneaking around.
Hitman World of Assassination
90%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One
Genre
Shooter, Tactical, Adventure
Developer
IO Interactive
Publisher
IO Interactive
Release
January 26, 2023
Including Hitman World of Assassination is a bit of a cheat since it includes all three of the latest Hitman games, but who’s going to stop us? Some stealth games incorporate disguises, but it is surprisingly rare considering how fun a feature it is. Disguises aren’t the only tool you have in Hitman World of Assassination, but it is a key mechanic that blends perfectly with the entire structure of the game. You have hub levels here on the level of Dishonored, gadgets as cool as Splinter Cell, and the sense of humor of a Sly Cooper. What makes this game stand out, though, is how it rewards your creativity. If you think of some crazy Rube Goldberg scenario to kill a target that works in your head, it probably will work in the game. There is a little bit of clunkiness here and there, but that is a small price to pay for an otherwise near-perfect stealth sim.
