The 35 Best Stealth Games of All Time

A stealth title tasks players with staying hidden in the shadows, which is obviously very different from how most action games are played. There’s no running and gunning here–players are encouraged to stay out of sight instead of engaging in head-to-head battles against the enemy. Many stealth games score the player on various measures of stealthy play after each level, like how often the character was detected or how many enemies were dispatched. We’ve managed to come up with a definitive list of our picks for the best stealth games of all time. Now, it’s time to get sneaky.

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There are plenty of video games out there that want you to “run and gun” and not think about the consequences of your actions until you die. But there just as many games that want you to think like a stealth expert so you can get around danger instead of running into it. Here are some of the best stealth games to ever be made!

#35 Mafia: The Old Country

Steam | Xbox | PlayStation

Are you ready to head to where it all began? In Mafia: The Old Country, you’ll be in the early 1900s, when the old ways were dominant, and families steeped in blood and tradition ruled the lands. You are trying to work your way up in the family, and to do so, you’ll need to complete various tasks at the behest of the family. To that end, you’ll need to be stealthy, as not everything is solved by going in guns blazing, despite some others in the family thinking that is the path. Be mindful of your surroundings and use them to your advantage to come out on top!

#34 Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox

It’s interesting talking about stealth in a game like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, mainly because one of its protagonists doesn’t exactly “do stealth.” However, while Sasuke plays things a bit more “nobly” by taking things head-on, his fellow assassin, Naoe, does things in the style of the ninja.

That means you’ll get to use her incredible acrobatic skills and work your way around the various areas to see if you can come up with clever ways to kill your targets. Think like a true assassin and use the environment to your advantage, and don’t be afraid to hide so that your enemies never know where you are as you walk right by them.

#33 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Steam | Xbox

While Indiana Jones often gets discussed in the sense of being an “action hero,” and he is, he’s not above using stealth and cunning to get him out of certain situations. After all, why fight a guy with a sword when you can just shoot him with a gun? Exactly.

Anyway, in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Dr. Jones finds himself on yet another hunt for a mythical relic. The problem here is that the Third Reich is after it, too, and they outnumber him greatly. So, instead of just rushing in and seeing what happens, be smart, use the environment to your advantage, and sneak your way to victory!

#32 Still Wakes The Deep

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox

What do you do when you know there’s a monstrous threat lurking all around you, and you need to get out of where you are immediately? Stealth might not seem like the right answer, but the phrase “rushing to your death” does come to mind here.

In Still Wakes The Deep, you’re an oil worker on a rig that is going through all sorts of trials. Things are falling apart around you; there’s a storm keeping help away, and you can’t communicate with the outside.

Plus, there’s a monster destroying everything. Fun times! You’ll have to sneakily get through sections of the rig to find a way out, all the while hoping that the monster doesn’t get to you first.

#31 Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut

Steam | PlayStation

Many might think that one man, no matter how skilled, can take on an army. However, in Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, you’ll prove them wrong. After all, you’re not a man, you’re a “Ghost.”

As the last remaining Samurai on the island of Tsushima, it falls onto you to prevent an invasion that could decimate your homeland. The game prides itself on its exploration and combat, but stealth is a key metric in your style. After all, to secure victory, you must let go of your many honor-filled tactics and embrace the life of a ghost that will do anything to see the island’s people to safety.

#30 The Last of Us Part II Remastered

PlayStation | Steam

There are plenty of action titles out there where stealth isn’t a “necessity.” But in The Last of Us Part II Remastered, if you don’t use stealth, you’re going to die.

The newly released title by Naughty Dog has not just upgraded the graphics but also helped refine things within the gameplay and world to ensure that you don’t just go in guns blazing. If you do? You’ll die. Simple as that.

So, with that in mind, slowly go through each area, look for ways to gain the advantage of foes, and THEN take them out with extreme prejudice! As they say, it’s better to be safe than dead.

#29 Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox

The best RPGs give you plenty of options for dealing with a situation. Not everything must be about going in “guns blazing” and hoping you’ll survive the battle. In Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, you’ll get to work your way through the outlaw location known as Dogtown.

In here, nothing is above board, and everything can be shady and dark depending on where you look and who you talk to. With so many volatile elements, it might be best for you to sneak around and see if you can get what you want without firing a shot.

Plus, some new items and armaments will help you be even stealthier and deadlier, should you desire. 

#28 Baldur’s Gate 3

Steam | Playstation

Stealth is a curious thing in video games because you either entirely build a game around it or try to make it something “available” to players but it isn’t necessarily a necessity. But in Baldur’s Gate 3, you can make it your bread and butter.

After all, this is a D&D-style world, which means you can grow your character and their powers to be what you want them to be. So if you want them to be a stealthy assassin character, go ahead and do that!

You can use stealth to infiltrate places, steal items, and kill enemies before they know your presence! Sneakiness can work if you’re good at it.

#27 The Outlast Trials

Steam

When you’re part of a twisted game that wants to see you driven mad and suffer as much as possible, being sneaky might be the only way to get out alive. In The Outlast Trials, you are forced into a human experiment that affects your mind, and the only way out is to complete the trials! However, that isn’t always easy, considering that everyone you could consider a “friend” might betray you at the drop of a hat.

As such, you’ll have to be careful and methodically plan out how to complete the challenges so you can get free. Rushing in isn’t always the right answer, so sneaking might be a better way.

#26 A Plague Tale: Requiem

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox

For Amicia and Hugo, they thought their journey had ended. They thought they were safe, that the swarms were gone, and they could finally have peace in their new home in the south.

But such fates were not for them.

Hugo’s powers return, and so too do the rats. Their only hope is to find a mysterious island that might have a cure for them. But will they be able to make it there with so many people after them? How far will Amicia go to save Hugo? What sacrifices will she make along the way? Will Hugo even survive the trip?

Play A Plague Tale: Requiem and find out.

#25 Sniper Elite 5

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox

Sniper Elite fans received a fifth mainline entry in 2022. Karl Fairburne makes another action-packed adventure as he heads to a meeting with a French Resistance. The year is 1944, and Karl learns of a new Nazi project that could potentially end the war in their favor. You’ll need to hunt down the Nazis and stop this secret plan from progressing.

If you’re familiar with the previous Sniper Elite games, then you know what’s in store here. Players will have a lot of stealth mechanics to sneak around enemies with a focus on finding a decent vantage point. You’ll head up, take out your rifle and carefully aim down the sights to eliminate the Nazi targets. 

#24 Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach

PC | PlayStation

The Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise became a massive horror hit. Players are locked in a building made for kid’s birthday parties. Filled with different animatronics, it’s soon discovered that these machines turn murderous at night. Players must fight to survive the night until the building’s doors unlock once again.

In Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach, players can engage in free-roaming combat to deal with the animatronics. It’s a very stealth-based survival horror experience. You’ll have to manage your devices which require batteries. However, these devices prove crucial as they can either be a means to fight back against an enemy or even hack into the camera system to see where everyone is located in the building. Furthermore, this game installment features multiple endings depending on your decisions.

#23 Stray

PC | PlayStation

Stray is a third-person adventure game where players control a stray cat (yes, you heard that correctly). You must traverse this underground city that the cat has fallen into by leaping across platform and climbing various obstacles – you know, things a cat would do. Players can interact with the surrounding environment, solve all kinds of different puzzles, and complete various tasks that help this little feline with its end game. You will not be alone though because helping you along the way your new little drone companion called B-12, and with this drone’s help, escaping this crazy android filled world will be a walk in the park, or a climb up a tree.

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#22 Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is the latest title in the series and one which builds upon the premise of the three previous titles without changing too much about what made the series popular in the first place.

Thieves in Time is a strong return to form for the series and one that has a strong place in any list of games—not just this one. The gameplay is as fluid as ever, and something about playing a thieving raccoon has never felt so right. Here’s hoping that this one is brought to current gen consoles. (We’d take a new game too.)

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#21 Alien: Isolation

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

Alien: Isolation is set fifteen years after the events of the film Alien, and players will take on the role of Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Ellen Ripley, who is on an investigation to track down her mother after she mysteriously disappeared. Much like old school survival horror titles, Alien: Isolation has an emphasis on avoiding the hostile alien enemy. Instead, gamers must rely on some stealth mechanics to maneuver around the game and solve the mystery before it’s too late.

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#20 Assassin’s Creed Origins

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

Assassin’s Creed Origins was released in 2017 and was the tenth major installment in the Assassin’s Creed series. Players are taken to the end of the Ptolemaic period in Egypt as they witness the origins of the conflict between the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Templar Order. Being an Assassin’s Creed game, you can expect a heavy emphasis on stealth, with Origins offering a larger open world to explore during your game progression.

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#19 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

The eleventh installment of the hugely popular Assassin’s Creed franchise takes players back to ancient Greece. Set during an era of war between Athens and Sparta, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey delves more deeply into historical mythology than some of the other games in the series, making for an enormous, lore-rich world in which players can explore freely. While it is possible to take the fight to your opponents loudly, players can also enjoy some incredible stealth combat if they so choose. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is visually stunning and draws players in with its use of naval exploration and combat as well as its main use of open-world traversal. This is definitely a game for lovers of Greek mythology.

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#18 Invisible, Inc.

PC | PlayStation | Nintendo

Set in the year 2074, Invisible, Inc. is a turn-based tactics title in which the world has been taken over by megacorporations. Inspired by X-COM, players take on the role of an agent handler who must conduct espionage.

The game is played in a turn-based tactics style where players must take control of two agents as they navigate throughout each level gathering intelligence and other valuable items without being captured.

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#17 Hitman

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

Hitman is a return to the series’ roots. Players once again step back in the well-polished shoes of Agent 47 as he scopes out his designated targets and kills them with flair. Sneak around undetected and kill your targets by making use of your surroundings. The best kills are those made without setting off any suspicion.

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#16 A Plague Tale: Innocence

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

A Plague Tale: Innocence is a gorgeously designed action-adventure game set in 14th century France. During the time of the French Inquisition and amidst the backdrop of the Black Death, players will go on a journey that largely incorporates stealth, survival, puzzle-solving, and occasional combat. The different areas of Aquitaine that the player will explore as Amicia, the game’s protagonist, are deeply rooted in history and give the game a realistic feel. This is an excellent game in which to immerse yourself, especially if you’re a fan of historical events.

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#15 Splinter Cell: Conviction

PC | Xbox

Splinter Cell: Conviction is a lot like its predecessors, but it comes with the introduction of new gameplay like the Mark & Execute feature, which allows the player to mark specific targets, such as enemies or objects, and shoot them in rapid succession without manually targeting each. Other features, such as Last Known Position, allow Sam, the protagonist, to track his foes, aiding in stealth. With the exception of a few open-combat missions, Conviction has a very strong emphasis on stealth and is a good addition to the series.

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#14 Thief: The Dark Project

Thief: The Dark Project was one of the first stealth games to use both light and sound, which have been used in many stealth games since. The character must stick to the shadows, with a monitor showing the current visibility level to the player. More than that, the character must be careful where he treads, as some surfaces cause more noise when stepped on than others. Sound was also used to detect the movements of NPCs or to distract them.

Released way back in 1998, this is another highly-praised game that influenced many that came after.

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#13 Rise of the Tomb Raider

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

Rise of the Tomb Raider is the second installment in the Tomb Raider series reboot and is considered by many to be the standout entry into the franchise. On this adventure, Lara works her way through a range of exciting and high-intensity environments as she survives the freezing Siberian wilderness, explores sunken temples in Syria, and hunts down the mysterious organization Trinity on a quest to discover the lost city of Kitezh. The worldbuilding and scenery in this game are fantastic, and there’s a real feeling of authenticity to the Russian and Syrian settings. This is a great game set in an engaging game world and should get you in the mood for treasure hunting and puzzle solving.

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#12 Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus

PlayStation

Stealth games don’t have to be dark and dramatic. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, the first title in the Sly Cooper series, is a far jollier affair, with cartoony graphics and plenty of humor. As a thief, Sly must be stealthy, and he spends a lot of time exploring where he’s not supposed to be. He can be defeated with one hit, so avoiding combat is the safest option.

In this game, Sly has a “thief sense” that highlights (with blue sparkles) areas that can be used for stealthy moves like shimmying along a wall. The closer Sly is to being spotted, the faster the dynamic music. As happens in many stealth games, if he’s detected, an alarm will sound. If you haven’t played this classic, you can pick up the HD remastered version on the PlayStation Store. It’s the perfect introduction to stealth for anyone not interested in adult-only games.

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#11 Tomb Raider

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

Tomb Raider has been around for years since its release on the original PlayStation. Eventually, the developers at Crystal Dynamics gave the title a proper reboot depicting Lara Croft as a vulnerable young woman trapped alone on a hostile island. It’s during this adventure title that Lara Croft becomes the famed Tomb Raider who must stop supernatural entities and opposing forces while using the element of surprise to her advantage. During your journey, Lara will need to sneak around enemy forces lurking about while learning to become the iconic heroine.

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#10 Tenchu: Stealth Assassins

Tenchu came out back in 1998 from the development studio Acquire. This franchise thrived for about ten years with new game releases coming frequently before getting shelved in 2009. The series is set in feudal Japan and follows various storylines. Players typically follow two ninjas, Rikimaru and Ayame, as they serve the local ruler Lord Gohda by gathering intelligence or taking out corruption within the land. Stealth is extremely crucial as you can easily get overtaken by enemies. Keep your blade ready but remain in the shadows and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.

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#9 Dishonored 2

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

In the sequel to the critically-acclaimed Dishonored, players step into the role of Emily Kaldwin in addition to Corvo Attano, experiencing the game through two different lenses. Like the first game, you can take a stealth approach and not harm or kill any of your opponents. To shake things up, you can also choose to use the characters’ rich assortment of supernatural abilities, weapons, and gadgets to inflict massive violence.

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#8 Deus Ex

PC

Back in the heyday of stealth games–from approximately 1998 to 2002–Deus Ex was a mega-hit. Getting into combat is problematic as enemies come running once alerted to your presence. The backstory awarded for thorough exploration encourages players to take the slow and stealthy route to victory. Like the game Dishonored, which Deus Ex clearly inspired, the game lets the player upgrade their character to fit a certain play style. For stealthy play, this will mean using skill points to enhance the character’s ability to hack computers and pick locks, rather than prowess in combat.

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#7 Mark of the Ninja

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

Mark of the Ninja is a 2D platforming game that uses and refines the stealth mechanics featured throughout the growth of the genre. The unnamed ninja protagonist must stay out of sight of the guards by remaining aware of both light and sound, extinguishing lights, and staying in the shadows while keeping noise to a minimum. Mark of the Ninja also opts for the recent trend of allowing the player to upgrade the character. The player racks up points for silent kills and sneaking past an enemy undetected, and loses them for raising the alarm. Points buy seals, which can be used to purchase extra skills.

This game may not have come from an AAA team, but it has been so well-received that some critics have even awarded it a perfect score.

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#6 Splinter Cell

PC | Xbox

The first in this stealth series, the original Splinter Cell arrived at just the right time to build on the blossoming success of stealth games that were released around the turn of the millennium. The game was praised for its use of lighting, and Sam Fisher makes use of the shadows as he sneaks around various dangerous locations. He even has night vision goggles to help him on his way.

Sam Fisher and stealth go hand in hand, so much so that fans of the Splinter Cell series have been begging Ubisoft for YEARS to come back to the franchise and deliver the epic stealth actual they still love.

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#5 Dishonored

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

Both Dishonored and its sequel are the definitions of ‘satisfying.’ Gliding through each level with a blade in hand, players step into the role of Corvo Attano, the bodyguard to the Empress of the Isles. After being framed for her murder, Corvo is forced to become an assassin, dead set on taking revenge on those who conspired against him. While stealth is often the best way to get through a level, it is not the only way–and with so many swords to find, it would only behoove you to try all of them out.

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#4 Sly Cooper 3: Honor Among Thieves

PlayStation

Can you tell we like Sly Cooper and the games he’s in?

Anyway, Sly Cooper 3: Honor Among Thieves is arguably the best game in the franchise and builds up everything that the franchise has done to this point. It had plenty of stealth elements, including many missions where Sly had to be, uh, sly or else get caught.

But just as important was that you go to do all sorts of other missions via the expanded Cooper Gang! You got to battle under the sea, fight a Kraken with fireworks, destroy evil voodoo masks, and more!

It was a great way to end a trilogy, and we’re here to honor that.

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#3 Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

In Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, players assume the role of Solid Snake, now an old man aged prematurely. The game offers a new, over-the-shoulder camera view. Everything we’ve come to expect from the MGS series, including heavy stealth elements, is present in Guns of the Patriots, which makes a fine addition to the series. Released in 2008, the title received universal acclaim and was praised for its gameplay, graphics, story, characters, and emotional weight–yes, after sneaking around for dozens of hours, you’re rewarded with tears.

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#2 Metal Gear Solid

Steam | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

Hiding in boxes, crawling underneath objects, and using noise to distract enemies–Solid Snake really knows his stealth. Equipped with radar, he must avoid detection lest he set off any alarms, which puts him into ‘alert mode’ and forces him to hide. This classic title is not only one of the best stealth games of all time, but one of the best games ever made.

It proved that you can have a deep story with meaningful gameplay without having to do “just combat.”

Isn’t that right Snake? …Snake? SNAKE!!!!???

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#1 The Last of Us: Part I

Steam | PlayStation

One of the greatest games ever made was somehow made even better with The Last of Us: Part I. The team at Naughty Dog went full-tilt to remake the original 2013 title so that it could have the best graphics, the best sound design, the best accessibility to all kinds of gamers, etc.

Everything you loved about the original is there, they’ve just gone and made it better thanks to the new technology they had available to them.

Even the stealth sequences have been improved so they feel more realistic. So if you’ve never played the game before, now is the time. Unless you’re on PC, then you’ll want to wait.