No, stealth games won’t teach you to sneak around like a ninja or pick locks like a master thief. Despite the fact that non-gamers like to believe video games are a waste of time, their misconceptions are based on stereotypes and lack of experience. Every gamer knows that various video games can teach and boost various different skills and personality traits. What about stealth games?
Stealth games can level up valuable personality traits such as:
Patience
This one’s obvious. Just like in the Guns ‘N Roses song: all we need is just a little patience, and who can be a better teacher than stealth games. Ok, sure, you can sit under a waterfall with your legs crossed until your patience bar fills up, or you can take matters into your own hands and train by playing stealth games. All that sneaking around and waiting for the perfect moment to make your move will teach you to be more patient. And if you’re a hot-head, stealth games can also help control your temper.
Success through trial and error
In other games, let’s say shooters, you die, you reload, you try again and most likely you succeed. This rule also is viable for stealth games though with an exception. Stealth games have a particular set of rules you need to learn to successfully achieve the goals. If you’re constantly failing, it just might be you’re doing something wrong. Through trial and error, you learn what works and what doesn’t. Only by failing and learning from your mistakes, you can achieve progress – that’s how you grow.
Strategic thinking and improvisation
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is titled one of the best stealth games and the best game in the Splinter Cell series for a reason. For that reason – the game pushes the player to improvise and find a solution to a tough situation.
When talking about Metal Gear Solid V open world, Kojima stated that the open-world stealth game was how he envisioned the franchise from the very beginning. He wanted players to plan infiltration routes, prepare gear, and approach the missions the way each player desired. The given freedom in games play a part in developing our strategic thinking and planning, the skills highly valuable in real-life situations. Moreover, in such games as the aforementioned MGS V, the Far Cry series, or even Assassin’s Creed things can go south in the blink of an eye, making the player improvise and adapt to the given situation.
Stealth genre may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but given what valuable real-life skills you can accommodate by playing, everyone should at least try giving the genre a chance. Patience pays off in the long run.
Don’t know where to start? Here are a few best stealth games to begin:
