15 Best Stealth Games: Pass Without a Trace in 2025
The best stealth games offer a superb mix of swift action and preplanning while keeping the tension super high. Whether it’s skulking through back alleys, wading through crowds, or infiltrating fortified buildings through sewers, open windows, drainpipes, and roofs, stealth games give us an experience like no other.
What makes stealth games unique is that they’re both action and puzzle games. Enemies, gadgets, and the game environment are your pieces, and it’s up to the player to use everything available to create a solution.
Our Top Picks for Stealth Games
Even among top lists, there are games that go above and beyond, and these games stand out from their peers:
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015) – less espionage and more commando work make this MGS entry tons of fun.
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage (2023) – a return to a simpler time for the series.
- Dishonored 1 & 2 (2012 & 2016) – magic assassins overturning plots.
- Hitman: World of Assassination (2021) – take out targets in any way you please.
- Ghost of Tsushima (2020) – honor or pragmatism? The choice is yours in this gorgeous open world game.
But while those are the best, every game on this list is certainly worth looking over. Keep scrolling to see my full list of games!
12 Best Stealth Games – Sneak, Stalk, Survive
Stealth games offer a different kind of satisfaction. With methodical planning, observation, and sometimes panicked improvisation, the stakes are always high. The cherry on top of all this is that there are many ways to overcome challenges in these types of games!
Whether you like playing as a burglar, an assassin, or just plain old running and hiding for your life, here’s a list of some fantastic stealth games that’ll test your cunning and inventiveness!
1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
| Platforms | Release Year |
| PC, PS3/4, Xbox 360, Xbox 1 | 2015 |
Let me put this out there: MGS V is a great game, but it’s definitely a departure from the series. Many were understandably wary of the shifts in the series: less tactical espionage and more gung-ho commando “stealth” when attacking enemy facilities, a base-building aspect, and a story that’s seen as weaker than its predecessors.
However, this doesn’t take away the fact that MGS V is really fun. Sure, you can play it as classic Snake, but you’re also given a ton of guns, explosives, and other gadgets to change things up.
Thanks to enemies adapting to your playstyle, every encounter is always fresh and guaranteed to keep you on your toes, making this one of the most unsettling open-world games I’ve ever played.
Get your copy of Metal Gear Solid V >
2. Assassin’s Creed Mirage
| Platforms | Release Year |
| PC, PS4/5, Xbox 1, Xbox Series X/S, iOS | 2023 |
This entry in the series returns players to the setting’s roots, namely, Islamic golden age Baghdad. As Basim Ibn Ishaq, you’ll need to juggle your assassin missions with your quest for the past, which, funnily enough, usually involves stabbing someone.
Mirage returns to the roots of the series: less leveling up, more tool upgrades, a smaller and more intimate location, and (of course), lots of tools, gadgets, and unexpected entryways for enterprising Hidden Ones.
While many will agree that the story and characters aren’t amazing, AC Mirage’s nostalgic gameplay makes it one of my picks for the top Assassin’s Creed games.
Nab a great deal on Assassin’s Creed: Mirage >
3. Dishonored 1 & 2
| Game | Platforms | Release Year |
| Dishonored 1 | PC, PS3/4, Xbox 360, Xbox 1 | 2012 |
| Dishonored 2 | PC, PS4, Xbox 1 | 2016 |
Magic assassins running through Steampunk not-London, shooting and stabbing bad guys while foiling their plans and saving the country from EVIL vermin. That about sums up both main Dishonored games.
The Dishonored series is particularly notable for just how many methods there are to accomplish your missions. It’s true that most stealth games do that, but the addition of magic on top of the huge selection of upgradeable weapons, tools, and gadgets makes this game really stand out.
Whether it’s a frontal assault with magic, creeping through sewers, or darting through Dunwall’s rooftops, Dishonored always lets you play however you wish!
Get your copy of Dishonored 1 and Dishonored 2 >
4. HITMAN: World of Assassination
| Our Score | Platforms | Release Year |
| 10/10 | PC, Switch, PS4/5, Xbox 1, Xbox Series X/S | 2021 (trilogy conclusion) |
Sure, anyone can be a killer for hire. All anyone needs is a weapon and an opportunity. But it takes skill, finesse, and class to send the right message. Enter Agent 47, a consummate professional who brings death on delivery – guaranteed. Getting to your targets is a lot easier than it sounds, as you’ll need to sneak around both innocent bystanders and guards.
Not that that’s going to stop you, as you’ve a lot of tools at your disposal: stealing uniforms will help you get into restricted areas, distractions are easily created, and there are a lot of creative ways to get your mark, like throwing a fish at their face.
It’s this unique blend of stealth, puzzle, and action that makes this game one of the most challenging TPS you can play right now.
Get your copy of the HITMAN: World of Assassination trilogy >
5. Ghost of Tsushima – Director’s Cut
| Platforms | Release Year |
| PC, PS4/5 | 2020 |
Under the threat of imminent destruction, will you choose to stay true to your code, or save Tsushima at the cost of your honor? That’s the question that confronts samurai Jin Sakai in Ghost of Tsushima.
As the sworn guardian of the gorgeous Tsushima Island, it’s your job to ensure that it survives the Mongol invasion. How you go about your missions is up to you: adhere to bushido and face enemies in open combat, or become Japanese Batman as you use stealth, ambush, and other pragmatic tactics to secure victory.
Whichever way you choose, combat is extremely rhythmic and flowing in games like Ghost of Tsushima, making this one of the best stealth games that you can get!
Nab your copy of Ghost of Tsushima – Director’s Cut >
6. Thief
| Platforms | Release Year |
| PC, OS X, PS3/4, Xbox 360, Xbox 1 | 2014 |
As the name suggests, Thief is a game where you scurry about stealing stuff. It’s not kleptomania – you’ll need the money from stealing stuff to buy upgrades and get to the heart of The Gloom, a macabre illness. Okay, maybe there’s a little kleptomania.
Thief’s stealth mechanics are amazing; light and sound are once again stacked against you, but creative players can create opportunities, navigate different types of surfaces, and use their vast array of trick arrows to stay undetected. And undetected you should remain, as combat is heavily discouraged. You’re here to steal, not make a mess.
7. Payday 2
| Platforms | Release Year |
| PC, Linux, Switch, PS3/4, Xbox 360, Xbox 1 | 2013 |
Robbing with deadly force a la Heat? Satisfying. Robbing a bank in broad daylight with the cops in the dark? Exquisite.
Payday 2 puts you in the boots of a member of the Payday Gang, a Washington D.C.-based career criminal ring. To help you perform the perfect heist, you’ll have access to an expansive skill tree, several classes, and tons of guns, attachments, and gadgets, which allow you to customize your build for both combat and stealth.
Teamwork is integral to success in Payday 2, so you’ll always have access to bots – but trust me, skulking about with your friends is much more fun.
8. GTFO
| Platforms | Release Year |
| PC | 2021 |
From an offshoot of the developers of Payday 2 comes GTFO, a tactical team-based stealth shooter.
GTFO’s premise is simple – there’s a big, nasty underground complex, and you need to go down there. But unlike the other games on this list where you can fight, GTFO’s combat is an absolute last resort.
Health packs, tool recharges, and ammo are in miserably short supply, and a single horde can spell doom for your 4-man team. Stick to the shadows, keep those lights off, don’t make a sound, coordinate your attacks, and GTFO as fast as possible!
9. Sniper Elite V
| Platforms | Release Year |
| PC, PS4/5, Xbox 1, Xbox Series X/S | 2022 |
All armies work on the idea of unity. Each person, each unit, and each platoon have a role that serves the whole. Sniper Elite V’s Karl Fairburne is no different – his role is to dive behind enemy lines, taking out key targets and providing vital support to Allied ops.
While he’s a man of many talents, Karl is by no means a super soldier. Thankfully, there’s lots of ways to go about the job; sniping spots (and those amazing X-ray kills) are numerous, traps and distractions are easily set, and if you absolutely must, there’s a wide array of weapons to choose from. They’ll never know what hit ‘em.
Get a great deal on Sniper Elite V >
10. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
| Platforms | Release Year |
| PC, Mac OS X, Linux, Switch, PS4, Xbox 1 | 2010 |
Amnesia is a masterclass in the stealth horror genre. As the title suggests, you wake up in a…place that you know nothing about. Oh, and there’s a ton of horrific eldritch creatures patrolling the corridors. Lovely.
This terrifying horror game enforces stealth, as there is nothing you can do to fight the monsters but run and hide. But while stealth is your weapon, it’s also used against you. Thanks to the game’s amazing level and sound design, every minute in the game is fraught with tension, along with the certainty that something is watching you…
Nab your copy of Amnesia: The Dark Descent >
11. Mark of the Ninja: Remastered
| Platforms | Release Year |
| PC, Linux, Mac OS, PS4, Xbox 1 | 2018 |
If 2D stealth is more your thing, then Mark of the Ninja: Remastered is probably the game for you.
This stealth platformer from developer Klei (the Don’t Starve team) prides itself on showing players “what it truly means to be a ninja” – a promise that it more than delivers on.
MotN: stealth mechanics that revolve around sight and sound, lots of shadows, ledges, and platforms to strike from, deadly foes that require you to plan devastating first strikes, marvelously brutal melee takedowns, and most importantly, an artstyle straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon!
Nab your copy of Mark of the Ninja: Remastered >
12. Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
| Platforms | Release Year |
| PC, Linux, Mac OS, PS4, Xbox 1 | 2016 |
If you’ve ever played any of the Commandos games, Shadow Tactics is basically a feudal Japanese version of it. In this picturesque medieval game, you’ll command five of the shogun’s elite warriors on several missions to unearth Kage-sama’s identity.
Each of your soldiers has a very specific set of skills, so it’s your job to learn how to best utilize each of them (and their loadouts) to set up ambushes, quick kills, and distractions – lest the alarm be rung and you get an entire army coming at you.
And if you’re a hard strategist, don’t worry: the game’s badge system requires extremely careful planning and complete mastery of its systems!
Get a great deal on Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun >
FAQs
What is a stealth game?
A stealth game is any game where you need to heavily rely on being undetected. Combat is usually heavily discouraged in these games, forcing players to rely on subterfuge.
Who is the father of stealth games?
It’s Hideo Kojima, whose Metal Gear for the NES (1987) was the first “real” stealth game.
What game has the best stealth gameplay?
This one’s up to you, though I do like stealth/action hybrids like Hitman, Payday 2, and any Sniper Elite game!
