The best stealth games on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC

Since its inception in late 1990s, the stealth genre has evolved and changed. Thief. In reality, it may be fair to say that most stealth games now are not fully about stealth — most are immersive-sim-adjacent games that give you the Option Stealthy is the key. It is entirely up to you how you go about completing a level and what you do with each encounter.

It was no easy task to reduce the number of stealth-oriented games to only nine, given this evolutionary process. But we attempted the task nonetheless: The list below is a compilation of games that skew toward the “pure” side of the stealth genre, but it also includes phenomenal examples that allow for open-ended solutions, and it reflects the malleability of one of gaming’s most intense genres.

9. Thief 2, The Metal Age

Image: Looking Glass Studios/Eidos Interactive

Thief This is the origin of all stealth gaming. Thief 2, The Metal AgeIs Thief perfected. This game was released by Looking Glass Studios in 2000. It sees Garrett uncover the plot of a shadowy religious organization. It was the foundation for many other stealth first-person (and possibly third-person!) games.

Sneaking past guards, knocking them out with Garrett’s blackjack, killing them with his bow, and exploring the game’s large levels never gets old, even by today’s standards. Although the level and its visual design are sometimes confusing, they can be viewed as timeless. It still looks downright incredible, but then again, I’m partial to the graphics and visual design of the late 1990s/early 2000s era of PC games. It’s difficult at times, and it can be very frustrating when you break your cover. Thief 2, The Metal AgeIt is stealthy to the core.

Thief 2, The Metal AgeIt is also available for PC.

8. Mark of the Ninja

Image: Klei Entertainment/Microsoft Studios

Klei Entertainment’s side-scrolling stealth game, Mark of the NinjaOne of the most popular games from the Xbox Live Arcade era is ‘, It’s a stealth-focused 2D platformer with a wonderfully inspired art style. The game is both simple but more complex than one might think. Mark of the Ninja is a stealth game focused on being quiet and staying out of the enemy’s line of sight in a way that is uniquely represented in the game’s HUD. If you remain stealthy, all your hits on enemies will be stylized “one-hit kills.”

This is to say, the game will make you feel like an ninja cinematically. Your cool blade allows you to glide across rooftops and use the darkness against your enemies. It rules. Oh, and there are “terror tactics” akin to the brutal finishers inShadow of Mordor: Middle-earth. To terrorize your enemies, you can use fear to your advantage. You can stealth play it very easily. Really leans into the “ninja” nature of it all.

Mark of the NinjaThis app is also available for Windows PC and PlayStation 4 as well as Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch.

7. Splinter Cell: The Blacklist

Image: Ubisoft Toronto

Splinter Cell: The BlacklistIt is modern stealth in every possible sense. It offers multiple play options. You can play the game as a third-person shooter with a lower difficulty. Yes, it is possible. You can play the hardest difficulty level and get past all the enemies. You can, of course.

Although this approach is not for everyone, it was a popular choice in 2013. I still love the freedom that it gives me. It is the most difficult and stealthiest route that I choose, which I find rewarding. It is rewarding. It feels good like a true Splinter Cell experience, and that’s all that matters. It’s a stealthy title that stands out because of its global campaign, dynamic player toolkit and cover system. There are also some amazing co-op moments. That’s the cherry on top. Blacklist Reintroduced the multiplayer Spies vs. Mercs mode.

Splinter Cell: The BlacklistThis feature is also available for Windows PC as well as on Xbox One (and Xbox Series X) via backward compatibility.

6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Image: Eidos-Montréal/Square Enix

Deus Ex: Human RevolutionThe reboot of one among the greatest immersive sims is here, and it lives up to its name. The setting is unforgettable with its noir undertones and futuristic clothing. Considering that it’s an immersive sim, it lets you choose between a guns-blazing philosophy and a subtler approach. Because of its rigid shooting mechanics it can be used as a stealth mode.

It’s a great stealth game. If you configure protagonist Adam Jensen for stealth (through the game’s skill tree and cybernetic augments), then it becomes a tense, open-ended romp through wonderful sandbox missions. Many stealth games show the best way to approach a level and then telegraph it to the player. Human RevolutionThe stealth gameplay does not accomplish this, and it is a unique experience that allows for continuous discovery.

Deus Ex: Human RevolutionThis feature is also available for Windows PC as well as on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox One via backward compatibility.

5. Assassin’s Creed

Image: Ubisoft Montreal

It’s weird to see Assassin’s Creed now, knowing that it started as a sleeker action game with an emphasis on social stealth and parkour. In my opinion, the series has taken a turn for the worse — so it’s fun to look back on where it all started.

Playing as Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, players climb, sneak, and stab their way through Jerusalem, Damascus, Acre, and Masyaf during the Third Crusade. Assassin’s CreedIt is arguably the best stealthy-forward title in the series. The players can use multiple methods to sneakily assassinate their Templar opponents. There are many ways to hide from prying eyes on parks benches and slink across rooftops. Assassin’s CreedThis game offers players an extensive range of stealth options. It’s a 2007 game that still works today. It is my favourite game of the series. No. It is, however, the most stealthiest. I keep returning to it for pure assassination fun.

Assassin’s CreedThis feature is also available for Windows PC as well as on Xbox One (and Xbox Series X) via backward compatibility.

4. Chaos Theory: Splinter Cell

Image: Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Milan

Ah yes! The best Splinter Cell game. Chaos Theory in Splinter Cell sees Sam Fisher and his stealthy, night-vision-goggles-wearing self at the peak of his “hide in the shadows” powers. Chaos Theory The game is very challenging, as it’s a stealth-based game that leaves little room for error. But that’s what helps make it so special.

Sam isn’t a great gunfighter or bullet sponge in this game. Sam is skilled at hiding and avoidance of conflict. When things don’t go according to plan, it is up to you to come up with a solution. It’s all about regaining and maintaining invisibility in the shadows, on the periphery of any given conflict. Although the story has all of Tom Clancy’s usual jargon, Sam is immersed in memorable level designs and situations.

Chaos Theory: Splinter CellThis feature is also available for Windows PC as well as on Xbox One (and Xbox Series X) via backward compatibility.

3. Hitman 3

Image by IO Interactive

Hitman 3 This is an excellent stealth game that has a delightful sense of humor. It is not cringey or borderlands-esque. It’s also kind of a cop-out answer because you can play Hitman 1And 2In Hitman 3If you have the entire trilogy, Also, Hitman 3It has everything, and it is open to experimentation that’s unmatched in this genre. The franchise also has some of its best levels (in particular, Agent 47’s Berlin level. Here Agent 47 can go from hunter-to-hunter).

You can play Hitman 3 however you’d like — throw a screwdriver at someone’s face before dropping a chandelier on a detective in order to steal his clothes, for instance — but I always find it most thrilling to play the role of stealthy assassin. You don’t need explosions and bombast to have fun — sometimes it is more rewarding to sneak into a crowded party and poison some evil billionaire without anyone even being aware that there’s a hitman in their midst. What if they go wrong? There are always more levels.

Hitman 3It is compatible with Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X.

2. Metal Gear Solid 5, The Phantom Pain

Image: Kojima Productions/Konami

Metal Gear Solid 5, The Phantom PainIt forces us into the eternal war to face its brutality, scars, and never-ending violence. You are introduced to the most engaging gameplay loops, and the most sophisticated physics system in this medium. Just like every Hideo Kujima video game. Phantom PainIs doing a lotThematically and in this instance, the wraps 1980s Cold War conflict that actually are quite hot. Also, there are mechs as well as a highly trained dog.

Big Boss uses stealth to make the world responsive and change its approach. Do you want to slink around taking out guards using headshots? That’s great, but maybe the next guard rotation will be kitted out with helmets. This is In Phantom Pain the stealth gameplay rarely gets old because you’re always tweaking your approach as the world reacts to the pressure(s) you put on it. You can even make your horse vomit while listening to Joy Division while on an active battlefield. That’s art.

Metal Gear Solid 5, The Phantom PainThis feature is also available for Windows PC and Xbox One as well PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 via backward compatibility.

1. Dishonored II

Image: Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks

Arkane Studios’ Dishonored III consider ‘the best stealth game ever written’. This game builds on the foundation laid by Thief and steers it in an incredibly compelling direction — whalepunk in the first game and windpunk in Dishonored IIThe source from which each world obtains its energy. It fits perfectly. Dishonored’s visual style can be summed up as: “What if we had these British and Italian industrial revolution towns, made them as layered and grimy as possible, and introduced whaling and weird wind-turbine-fueled electricity into the mix as the core means of power?” It’s very cool.

Even cooler is how you navigate these locations. Corvo, the main character of DishonoredPlayers then embark on an egregious revenge trip through Karnaca. Your powers help you both traverse and manipulate the world around you while you sneak through environments to assassinate specific targets in any manner of your choosing (though there is often a “cinematic way” of doing so). Dishonored IIIt looks incredible, sounds amazing, and feels great. It’s a stealth game designed by a studio at the peak of its game. It’s a confident, thrilling, challenging, and utterly enrapturing experience that asks players to engage in stealth mechanics across some of the best-designed levels in all of video games.

Dishonored IIIt is compatible with Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.