The stealth genre has grown and evolved since it first came into prominence with the release of Thief in 1996? Stealth games are all about plotting a grand escape or figuring out the best way to execute an undercover assassination without detection. They require players to use their critical thinking skills, with consequences if the player blows their cover, and that is part of why the stealth genre is so unique.
Many stealth games have their own intricate storyline, characters, and beautiful settings to add to the player's experience and immersive atmosphere. These are some of the best stealth games with excellent world-building.
9 Mark of the Ninja: Remastered
- Available on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.
Mark of the Ninja is a 2D platforming indie game that placing players in the silent shoes of an unnamed Ninja, who is awoken by a female ninja following an attack on his clan. His Sensei explains that the power of his ninja tattoo, which grants them sharpened reflexes and senses at the cost of their mind. The ninja swears vengeance on those that attacked his clan, setting the premise of the game's narrative.
The player will infiltrate many buildings, all heavily-guarded. Players can choose to either sneak past the guards or knock them out with a variety of different tools at their disposal. Various play styles that can be employed, from the deadly assassin to an invisible ghost, adding to the game's replay value. The flowing animation and artstyle truly make Mark of the Ninja an instant stealth classic.
8 Alien: Isolation
- Available on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Switch.
Set fifteen years after the events in the original film, Alien, players are placed in the shoes of Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Ellen Ripley, who mysteriously disappeared without a trace. In Alien: Isolation, Amanda sets out on a desperate mission to unravel the truth behind her mother's disappearance. She immerses herself in the volatile world of Sevastopol on the outer rims of space with an unknown threat hunting in the shadows.
Like most old-school horror games, Alien: Isolation relies heavily on stealth mechanics to avoid the constant hostile Alien presence, as it uses its senses to hunt Amanda down and track her every move. Amanda must use her survival instincts to scavenge for vital resources and craft items. Players must improvise to survive as each situation requires different approaches: evasion, confrontation, or distraction.
7 Hitman 3
The Hitman series is one of the most recognizable stealth game franchises. Each game follows Agent 47 as he carries out a series of untraceable assassinations, using subtle techniques like poison and "accidents" to stay hidden. He must blend in and remain unseen, and to do this, he dons disguises.
He can wear outfits taken from the bodies of his victims or finds them hidden away as he scopes out his surroundings. Suspicions can be raised if he gets too close or acts inappropriately, so Agent 47 must play the part. The best kills are those that are made without arousing anyone's suspicions.
6 We Happy Few
- Available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
We Happy Few takes place in an alternative dystopian universe, where citizens must consume a daily drug called Joy that blinds them from the reality of their crumbling civilization. Set in 1960s retro-futuristic England, the players take on the role of three rebellious protagonists who refuse the drug, and they each react to the twisted world around them in different ways.
Conformity is key. While most of the world's inhabitants are Joyful, the player must either fight or blend in with the drug-addled population and uncover the dark history behind the world of Wellington Wells. Players must stay under the radar to avoid unwanted detection as they venture into the open world to unveil the truth and survive by scavenging supplies.
5 Stray
- Available on PC, PS4, and PS5.
Stray is a third-person adventure-stealth game as players control a stray cat trying to find its way back to its family. The player must find their way around this underground cyberpunk city by jumping across platforms and avoiding bloodthirsty zurgs, the game's main enemy.
Players can interact with their environment, perform cat-like activities, and inadvertently solve puzzles. There are also some stealth mechanics in place, as towards the end of Stray, players must tred carefully and avoid flying drones or face an unfortunate death.
4 Little Nightmares
- Available on PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Little Nightmares is a stealth/horror platformer game in which players play the role of Six, a child eerily similar to Little Red Riding Hood with her yellow hooded raincoat. She is trapped on the Maw, a massive ship with grotesque cannibalistic enemies galore, all baying for her blood.
She must creep past a blind Janitor, who relies on his hearing to scout her out and grab her unawares, so players must be silent in order to sneak past him. The atmosphere of Little Nightmares is eerie, and the visual environment of the Maw is larger than life compared to Six, and players can use this to their advantage to find hiding spots in the shadows and under furniture.
3 A Plague Tale: Innocence
- Available on PC, PS4, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
Fans of historical events will love A Plague Tale: Innocence as it is set in 14th century France during the Black Death and French Inquisition. Players follow the heart-wrenching tale of fifteen-year-old Amicia and her younger brother Hugo. They are relentlessly hunted by Inquisition soldiers and surrounded by plague-infected rats at every turn.
The gameplay mainly consists of stealth, as the siblings evade Inquisition guards with some action and puzzle sequences. The only weapon at Amicia's disposal is a small slingshot, so the siblings must hide in tall grass and behind buildings to survive. A Plague Tale: Innocence also features some visually stunning environments to explore, like open vistas, which show the perfect juxtaposition between vibrant life and rotting decay.
2 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
- Available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
The entirety of the Assassin's Creed franchise could have made it onto this list. Still, the eleventh installment in the series, Odyssey, takes players to Ancient Greece during an era of war between Athens and Sparta. It delves more into the historical mythology than some of the other Assassin's Creed games, making for a visually stunning and lore-rich environment players can immerse themselves in.
The best thing about the Assassin's Creed games is the diversity of the gameplay, as it is entirely up to players' discretion with how they tackle their missions. They can barge in and take the fight to their enemies or enjoy some slow and steady stealth combat.
1 The Last Of Us
- Available on PS3 and PS4.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombie-like clickers that react to sound, the best way to survive in The Last Of Us is to stay quiet. Players take control of Joel, tasked with delivering a young girl named Ellie, who is supposedly the cure to save the world from this deadly virus.
While it is possible to play The Last Of Us as a shooter, the best way to approach the game is by being stealthy. It plays similarly to a survival horror game, and is intense from start to finish. The best way to ensure survival is by quietly sneaking past clickers and humans alike and avoiding making too much unnecessary noise. Players can smash glass bottles in the hopes of creating a distraction and running past.