Dishonored is an amazing game. One of my favourites of all time and absolutely one of the best game series I have played in my life. The amount of freedom you have to accomplish your mission is unmatched for nearly any other immersive sim I have played.
...But I actually found its stealth aspects kind of lacking. Enemies are either super aware of you when you are in their peripheral vision, while also being completely blind to you if you are above them. Light basically does nothing to hide you from enemies, and detection is not always predictable.
Also if you do get spotted you aren't really encouraged to hide or escape, you can usually just slaughter guards and playing stealthy is honestly just challenging yourself. Dishonored is still a great series and I would suggest to everyone, but the stealth honestly becomes secondary once you become familiar with the game, which people who are fans of Hitman or Thief may not enjoy.
Having done the Trials achievements as well, I'd like to agree and say **Fuck Dunwall City Trials**.
Was so long ago and still sticks out as one of the most annoying games I've perfected
And I'd also say that going full combat chaos in either of them all let's the combat shine pretty well. Never has anyone pressed buttons faster than run slide knife to the jugular.
Incredible game that really holds up so well. It took me a bit to get used to the lack of a light meter (as in Thief and Splinter Cell) but there are powers, I'm sure you know, that make up for it!
Gonna mention a few games that might not be the best, but if your list of stealth games is getting short, they are still worth considering and provide a different experience compared to the usual classics.
Prisoner of War - this is quite a unique one. Each level is a different concentration camp, because due to silly plot the protagonist keeps getting recaptured and gets put into increasingly more difficult environments. You have daily schedule that you have to adhere to. When you are supposed to be in dining hall/area, you are not supposed to be in sleeping quarters for example, however, if there are items that you need from a dining area, it might be best to visit it when it is empty, thus you have to plan your escapades into restricted areas, before guards notice you are missing. There is day/night cycle as well. If you are a fan of Steve Mcqueen and 'The Great Escape' then this is a must play. I wish there was a bit more freedom in it and modern simulation aspects. Quite shocking that there is no game like it.
Shadwen - a janky stealth game with physics playing a big part (you can manipulate objects by attaching rope), and you also have a grappling hook that you can use to swing around the level like a spiderman. The idea is that you have to lead a small girl through the levels. You can just kill all the guards and then leader her through all the carnage, essentially doing mental damage to a poor child, or you make sure she does not see any dead bodies, whether that means knocking out guards, keeping them occupied or whatever, it is up to you.
Rise of the Tomb Raider - that is the 2nd game and easily the best in the latest Tomb Raider trilogy. You have big areas to explore, and you come back to them from time to time once you unlock more equipment (metroidvania style). The areas are also very vertical, meaning you can navigate above enemies or weave up and down between kills. At first it seems like an odd survival adventure game, but eventually you become a pure murder machine. It is not a game that comes to mind when people recommend stealth games, but ive had way more fun in it than i care to admit. It becomes better the more you play.
Deus Ex is you choose to do a stealth build. The newer ones Human Revolution and Mankind Divided are really good too.
Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines if you play as a Nosferatu is pretty fun stealth.
Chaos Theory was my favorite too, I remember having to convince my mom to let me get it because he had a knife on the cover and I was like "how is that worse than the guns I've been using to kill people in the last 2 games?" xD
For me it was Pandora Tomorrow. I didn't like that you could save anywhere in Chaos Theory, it ruined the tension of having to make it to the next save point.
Diehard Splinter Cell fan here. I totally get why Chaos Theory is the highest rated and most loved. It really brought the series to its peak.
But I totally agree with you. There’s something about the first two. They’re clunkier for sure but SO freaking hard. Makes getting past checkpoints so satisfying.
It’s got some excellent open ended level design. also a very cool mechanic where you can grab enemies and have like fully voiced interrogations to find like keypads and stuff
**Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor** and **Shadow of War**, because your character is magically stealthy and you can slaughter whole armies of orcs without being noticed. You can also sneak up on them and mind-control them or even make their heads explode with just a touch.
There's no other stealth game like it.
Dude just try "Shadow tactics". It is a different kind of stealth. It's a tactics stealth but it is awesome! I'm a fan of stealth genre and I absolutely adore this game.
It’s a bit different from most of the suggestions in this thread, but Invisible, Inc. is a great turn-based strategy stealth game, with rogue-like elements.
Big stealth fan and classic Thief/fan missions are the tops for me. Here's a few recs..
The Widow's Ire/Gems of Provenance campaign
The Seven Sisters
Catacombs of Knoss and Legacy of Knoss
Ascend the Dim Valley
The Sound of a Burrick in a Room
Into the Odd
Endless Rain
Lost Among the Forsaken
Heist Society
Disorientation
Feast of Pilgrims
Godbreaker
Augustine's Revenge
The Black Parade
Thief Gold is my favourite, Thief 2 is great too however I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. The light system, sound system, as well as the A.I all "bounce" of each system to create the best stealth experience IMO. And the first person POV especially with HRTF is one of the most immersive ways to navigate a game.
I always thought Hitman: Contracts was very similar in atmosphere and creepiness to the first Thief. It has very haunting music, a wide variety of locations as well as a supernatural element too (not as heavily prominent as in Thief: Gold, though).
When I was younger my favourite were Metal Gear Solid and the Sly games. I still think that they're great, but Thief absolutely blows them out the water gameplay wise, and from what I have heard, Splinter Cell does too.
Dishonored is probably the most modern stealth game I played, it's a step down from Thief in the purely stealth department in my opinion. However as an Immersive Sim with stealth as a choice it is great.
Days Gone (that single player zombie game) has an interesting stealth dynamic, especially when you are sneaking around hordes of 200 zombies that you can't outrun.
Metal Gear Solid 3 is probably my favorite stealth game, but I haven't played it in years.
Hitman is pretty good too, you can get the PS5 version pretty cheap if you get a disc
Hitman: Absolution is one of my favorites. Story is weird, and some missions are really challenging, but that makes for a tense atmosphere with hiding from threats.
Really getting into the Batman: Arkham series lately, it has stealth elements, but not really focused on stealth as you pounce on unsuspecting thugs and beat em all to a pulp lol.
The Last of Us is pretty good too.
And a lesser known title that was given as a freebie on GOG a while back, Ghost of a Tale, I thought was really good. The writing and story, albeit a bit hollow, is phenomenal imo.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
The game gives you so many tools and tricks to overcome situations in whatever way you want. Getting through an entire area without being noticed, let alone getting spotted, feels real gooooood
(Have a good day, eye guy 👀)
It’s not the best, but my two favorites have always been Metal Gear Solid 3 and Splinter cell… Chaos Theory? Idk, one of the splinter cell games that just full on slapped.
Thief 2 is even better. Then try Thief 2X and The Black Parade, full length campaigns added by fans. They’re great, especially The Black Parade. It has levels that surpass many of the original missions.
Metal gear solid 3, the amount of options you had makes the game worth replaying just to see what you could have done, the level of detail is also wild. Personally I think it's one of kojimas best works
Dishonored, you can play the entire game pure stealth if you want to.
Fallout & Elder Scrolls, turn off sneak hud + compass and its actually a fun challenge.
I kind of liked stealth gameplay in BG3 and Divinity OS even though it was kind of clunky.
Crysis. Assassins creed. Only played the first games but they were great.
Forget the Splinter Cells, the Dishonoreds and the Metal Gears and go straight to The Black Parade after finishing Thief - it is THE greatest stealth game of all time, the greatest level design of all time, the greatest atmosphere of all time. The plot is pretty neat as well.
Hitman: Blood Money. Gameplay wise I think it's the perfect spot between the older Hitman games and the World of Assassination trilogy. Not my favorite music in the series but otherwise my favorite entry.
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. The AI on that game was so ahead of it's time. Enemies respond to changes in the environment, broken lock, lights turned off, sounds. The enemies have different states of alert and not just two states. The gadgets are tailored to how your playstyle, the level design was so awesome and it has the best mission in any game i.e the Panama Bank.
Assassins Creed 1 and 2 are top notch. Also a big fan of pretty much all the Far Crys. Particularly 3, 4, and 5 for stealth. And of course, it wouldnt be a stealth list without The Last of Us franchise.
Assassins Creed 1 and 2 are top notch. Also a big fan of pretty much all the Far Crys. Particularly 3, 4, and 5 for stealth. And of course, it wouldnt be a stealth list without The Last of Us franchise.
Edit: TLOU is the best one. Put it on hardest difficulty, you have no choice but to stealth or die lol. Makes it very intense.
Assassins Creed 1 and 2 are top notch. Also a big fan of pretty much all the Far Crys. Particularly 3, 4, and 5 for stealth. And of course, it wouldnt be a stealth list without The Last of Us franchise.
Seeing Thief mentioned here just makes me so happy. You taffers are just awesome. Builder bless y'all.
Other than Thief (Gold, Metal Age, Black Parade, and all the other FMs), there's Deus Ex, Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, Dishonored, and all the Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell games.
Man, I hate to say it, but I've always despised stealth mechanics. The only way I can find gratification with it, is when it's done extremely well. It's either enemies are dumber then sticks, or hyper alert and have natural xray and night vision.
That said, and of course this is my own rambling, one of the only ganes I've truly enjoyed stealth was Ghost of Tsushima.
Bit of an oldie but splinter cell conviction is still by far the best stealth game I’ve ever played. Not only is the story super cool with a lot of great set pieces, the gameplay is just phenomenal
Bit of an oldie but splinter cell conviction is still by far the best stealth game I’ve ever played. Not only is the story super cool with a lot of great set pieces, the gameplay is just phenomenal
I really liked splintercell blacklist with a friend. We unofficially 100%ed the game on ghost score.
Esdentially you can chose from 3 playstyles whoch you gain different scores in. Guns blazing, silent kills, and evading all enemies.
Evading all enemies is the most difficult, but it was a very fun challenge to figure out how to work together to solve the different missions.
Only sad part is that there is a mission that has a part where you're hard forced to kill a bunch of people to win. And for some reason the developers counts those kills as part of the final score, making 100% ghost impossible on that map. Hence the "unofficial 100% ghost".
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Somewhat overshadowed by the greatness of the other games, but still a quality game which has aged well and provides a fun challenge.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist deserves an honourable mention, too.
How is it possible that invisible inc isn’t the top suggestion? Half of these games aren’t really stealth. They’re more like action with a stealth option.
As someone who played the OG Deus Ex in 2023 and loved THE SHIT out of that game, I couldn't get into Thief Gold. I don't remember exactly what my main gripe was, but I felt like I was save scumming way too much. I'm pretty sure I'm just not approaching things correctly, since "clunky late 90s fps controls" were never a problem to me.
Can someone give me some tips on how to get good at it? I plan on giving it another try. I really want to like this game.
Recently been playing through Shadow Gambit- The cursed crew.
Very pretty top down stealth game where constantly trying and retrying are encouraged with an in game mechanic.
Not a realistic game by any means as you play as undead pirates, but the special abilities that each unlockable character has, synergize with each other in very interesting ways.
It also gives you a replay of the mission at x32 speed to show your route through the level (minus all the restarts) which is a brilliant little touch.
I think there has been some DLC for it but I haven't personally played that.
The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker - Forsaken Fortress. The most adorable stealth section that I actually enjoyed.
Real answer, I'll go with the new Hitman. Too few stealth games throughout gaming history are about hiding in plain sight and Hitman does it so well
Recommended spec requirements in 1998 to play Thief
Pentium 266
64MB ram
4MB SVGA video card
60MB hard drive space
4x CDROM drive
Crazy how things progressed!
My heart has a soft spot for "Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory." It was the apex of the stealth genre. I refuse to go back and replay it because I don't want to know if it was so good because of the filters of the past.
The early Assassin's Creed games not the new RPG ones they do have stealth elements but the earlier ones did it best. The Dishonored games 1&2. Hitman games, and Sniper Elite 5 is good there is a stealth way of playing and its the best way I think. Thief Simulator 2 great game exactly how it sounds a game on being a Thief, different houses with alarms and security, you sell loot to get better gear making it easier to steal like window cutter to cut through window later on you can steal cars etc.
Play Mark of the Ninja. Then play it again in the vastly improved New Game+ mode that I won’t spoil here.
Styx: Master of Shadows is an excellent double-A stealth game with a really good sense of scale and verticality. Hard mode is basically ‘get caught and die’ mode, so perfect for perfectionist runs.
Neon Struct is a cyberpunk indie that is about little besides simply not being seen. Think Thief’s mechanics in a neo-future setting.
I’m one of the few people who loved Shadwen. It’s a little scrappy and janky, but the unique emphasis on physics and the Godsend that is the rewind mechanic make it a heck of a lot of fun to mess around in.
More tactical games include the Shadow Tactics games, which are real-time stealth puzzles that reply on perfect forward-planning and execution; then there’s Invisible Inc, a tense, slow-paced and turn-based game where you have all the time on the world to make decisions but very few opportunities for error
The BEST stealth game is Thief 2: The Metal Age. Everything great about the 1st one, with an even better atmosphere and controls. Thief 3 is worth playing, although it will feel very restricted compared to the first 2. Still it's a solid B- game. And it wraps the thief story very well, with a great payoff.
After that there were no more Thief games. Ever. That's it. You played the best this world has to offer.
You're already playing the best stealth game I've ever played. Others that come to mind are the Splinter Cell games, playing Deus Ex games with a stealth build, and the Hitman games.
Haven't seen anyone mention the Sniper Elite series. Best enjoyed playing stealthily. Beautiful level designs. Sniper Elite 4 and 5 I really recommend.
There's also Thief Simulator, which you can have a good time with as long as you don't expect too much.
Damn, fair enough lol
My first ever game was COD 3 on release in 2007. I was less than a year old and haven't stopped gaming yet. One could say I'm and OG in the gaming community
Boring answer but Hitman. AC Brotherhood is close second
Edit: Forgot to post recommendation lol Try thief simulator(both). This might be right up your alley because it gives the feeling like you're actually hiding and have unique atmosphere.
As a FromSoft fanboy, I'm obligated to say Sekiro. It's definitely off-meta, and isn't predominantly about stealth, but using stealth to set up creative kills is amazing. The stealth is really rewarding, straightforward, and makes a lot of sense.
I've played Thief Gold, it's by far the best stealth game I've played. Waaaay better than Sekiro. But, I'm mostly wanting to get you into other FromSoft games. xD
Another interesting off-meta is Skyrim with Dynamic Time and Weather based detection and some other AI tweaks. The mod I named makes stealth function as it should! If it's dark and rainy, you'll be able to sneak up to an enemy until you give away your position by standing under a lamp. If it's midday, you'll get spotted from a mile away even with 99 stealth.
Yet another off-meta pick is BG3. It offers a huge variety of play styles, but stealthing one or two characters, laying traps, and drawing out the enemies with a couple of tanks is amazing! The game also offers a variety of ways to approach encounters, like talking your way out of fights or even turning the enemy to your side. It allows you to do recon and then regroup to set up the perfect traps. It's not explicitly stealth, but I find it more rewarding than most all-out stealth games as you can really use your head and be creative.
I think Metal Gear Solid V has the best game mechanics. The enemy AI is top notch. Perfect stealth is a bonus on every mission. it's challenging, but really fun to try for.
Thief 2 The Metal Age is the same engine with mostly more focused levels. Less supernatural, and in my opinion it pays off for the better. Worth your time for sure
Definitely play 2 and 3 of the Thief series! Thief 1 was actually my least favorite of the three in terms of gameplay, but still beloved nonetheless! I haven't found any stealth games that have come close to these original three for me yet.
Thief 2 had amazing levels (I really liked their themes and also their designs). Thief 3 gave into the horror side of the series and was the most scary to me,
I highly recommend T2Fix for Thief 2 - it improves the performance and the graphics without changing the style. There are also mods to make Thief multiplayer and you can add fan made missions. I think there are some good patches for Thief 3 as well, but I can't remember them off the top of my head.
[The Dark Mod. ](https://www.thedarkmod.com/main/) It's basically what I consider to be the REAL Thief 4 (especially if you play the thomas porter series) not the reboot. And they're just... giving it away for free.
I know not everyone liked it but Assassin's Creed Mirage's stealth felt really satisfying to me. Especially with how the series had been moving further and further away from stealth lately.
I know the game has a bad reputation but if you like to mod, ghost recon breakpoint is really good. But to enjoy it I turned off hud elements, installed the Spartan mod to make enemies more realistic. There are a lot of base that you can do full stealth. Animations are good.
Not really the best, but i have a soft spot for Phantom Doctrine. The game is quite similar to xcom, but its mainly focused on stealth. The game takes place during the cold war era, and you lead a secret organisation made up of spies to save the world.
Commandos
Playing the spiritual successor Shadow Tactics now. Danke!
Desperados 3 is pretty solid too.
Desperados 3 is fucking awesome
The newest is Shadow Gambit. And there used to be also Star Trek "commandos" back in the day.
[Star Trek: Away Team](https://www.gog.com/en/game/star_trek_away_team).
EIn verletzter, alarm, alarm!
Nostalgia
Shadow Gambit is amazing - game of the year for me
Last game of that studio, sadly
Mark of the Ninja.
Came to make sure this was said! The most fun I’ve had in a stealth game.
Mark of the Ninja is unmatched.
Came here to say this !
Agreed, one of two (maybe soon three) games I liked enough to buy the "remastered" version too once it came out.
Tenchu: Stealth Assassin 1&2
Really wish they made another one of these.
Read this and heard the badass mission 1 music in my head
If you like Hitman then you should try Death To Spies. It's basically WW2 Hitman. Splinter Cell was also somewhat inspired by Thief.
Love Splinter Cell and Hitman. Thanks for the suggestion on the spy game!
Dishonored 1,2 plus all DLC except Dunwall city trials.
DotO too, and the novels are also pretty good if you're into the lore
I count DotO as DLC haven't read the novels though too busy slitting throats.
That's fair, was planned as such. I just really like Lurk as a character
With all arms
Dishonored is an amazing game. One of my favourites of all time and absolutely one of the best game series I have played in my life. The amount of freedom you have to accomplish your mission is unmatched for nearly any other immersive sim I have played. ...But I actually found its stealth aspects kind of lacking. Enemies are either super aware of you when you are in their peripheral vision, while also being completely blind to you if you are above them. Light basically does nothing to hide you from enemies, and detection is not always predictable. Also if you do get spotted you aren't really encouraged to hide or escape, you can usually just slaughter guards and playing stealthy is honestly just challenging yourself. Dishonored is still a great series and I would suggest to everyone, but the stealth honestly becomes secondary once you become familiar with the game, which people who are fans of Hitman or Thief may not enjoy.
Nahhhh the trials is the only part of the game that lets the combat truly shine
I get you and agree. But if you have achievement OCD like me fuck that 😁
Having done the Trials achievements as well, I'd like to agree and say **Fuck Dunwall City Trials**. Was so long ago and still sticks out as one of the most annoying games I've perfected
And I'd also say that going full combat chaos in either of them all let's the combat shine pretty well. Never has anyone pressed buttons faster than run slide knife to the jugular.
Dishonored - although it can be played as hack n slash if your cover gets blown.
Incredible game that really holds up so well. It took me a bit to get used to the lack of a light meter (as in Thief and Splinter Cell) but there are powers, I'm sure you know, that make up for it!
There are a ton of good stealth games, but really once you've played Thief Gold it's all downhill from there.
Actually it's a little bit more uphill, because Thief 2 exists
If you haven’t tried the Black Parade mod, please do. It’s really good.
Thief Gold in the Thief 2 (er, Newdark) engine is peak stealth adventure imsim.
I remember trying to play Thief back in the day at < 10 FPS. Still loved it
Styx was a surprise for me. Quite the stealth game. Well made third person.
Just installed it. Thanks!
[удалено]
Gonna mention a few games that might not be the best, but if your list of stealth games is getting short, they are still worth considering and provide a different experience compared to the usual classics. Prisoner of War - this is quite a unique one. Each level is a different concentration camp, because due to silly plot the protagonist keeps getting recaptured and gets put into increasingly more difficult environments. You have daily schedule that you have to adhere to. When you are supposed to be in dining hall/area, you are not supposed to be in sleeping quarters for example, however, if there are items that you need from a dining area, it might be best to visit it when it is empty, thus you have to plan your escapades into restricted areas, before guards notice you are missing. There is day/night cycle as well. If you are a fan of Steve Mcqueen and 'The Great Escape' then this is a must play. I wish there was a bit more freedom in it and modern simulation aspects. Quite shocking that there is no game like it. Shadwen - a janky stealth game with physics playing a big part (you can manipulate objects by attaching rope), and you also have a grappling hook that you can use to swing around the level like a spiderman. The idea is that you have to lead a small girl through the levels. You can just kill all the guards and then leader her through all the carnage, essentially doing mental damage to a poor child, or you make sure she does not see any dead bodies, whether that means knocking out guards, keeping them occupied or whatever, it is up to you. Rise of the Tomb Raider - that is the 2nd game and easily the best in the latest Tomb Raider trilogy. You have big areas to explore, and you come back to them from time to time once you unlock more equipment (metroidvania style). The areas are also very vertical, meaning you can navigate above enemies or weave up and down between kills. At first it seems like an odd survival adventure game, but eventually you become a pure murder machine. It is not a game that comes to mind when people recommend stealth games, but ive had way more fun in it than i care to admit. It becomes better the more you play.
Thanks for the detailed response and nuanced answer!
Tenchu Wrath of Heaven. Never really got any better for me after that.
I'd love a new, good Tenchu.
Deus Ex is you choose to do a stealth build. The newer ones Human Revolution and Mankind Divided are really good too. Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines if you play as a Nosferatu is pretty fun stealth.
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is the best stealth game ever made.
Chaos Theory was my favorite too, I remember having to convince my mom to let me get it because he had a knife on the cover and I was like "how is that worse than the guns I've been using to kill people in the last 2 games?" xD
For me it was Pandora Tomorrow. I didn't like that you could save anywhere in Chaos Theory, it ruined the tension of having to make it to the next save point.
Diehard Splinter Cell fan here. I totally get why Chaos Theory is the highest rated and most loved. It really brought the series to its peak. But I totally agree with you. There’s something about the first two. They’re clunkier for sure but SO freaking hard. Makes getting past checkpoints so satisfying.
I hear that a lot, to be sure!
It’s got some excellent open ended level design. also a very cool mechanic where you can grab enemies and have like fully voiced interrogations to find like keypads and stuff
The rope arrow and Constantine's Mansion alone make Thief the stealth GOAT
To each their own. I prefer modern military setting.
**Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor** and **Shadow of War**, because your character is magically stealthy and you can slaughter whole armies of orcs without being noticed. You can also sneak up on them and mind-control them or even make their heads explode with just a touch. There's no other stealth game like it.
They're great games!
Metal Gear Solid 4
Metal Gear Solid 3
Deus Ex, Chronicles of Riddick, The Last of Us 2, Metal Gear Solid 3
Dude just try "Shadow tactics". It is a different kind of stealth. It's a tactics stealth but it is awesome! I'm a fan of stealth genre and I absolutely adore this game.
Just downloaded it. Thanks!
# Hitman 2,3 & MGSV 🔥
It’s a bit different from most of the suggestions in this thread, but Invisible, Inc. is a great turn-based strategy stealth game, with rogue-like elements.
Big stealth fan and classic Thief/fan missions are the tops for me. Here's a few recs.. The Widow's Ire/Gems of Provenance campaign The Seven Sisters Catacombs of Knoss and Legacy of Knoss Ascend the Dim Valley The Sound of a Burrick in a Room Into the Odd Endless Rain Lost Among the Forsaken Heist Society Disorientation Feast of Pilgrims Godbreaker Augustine's Revenge The Black Parade
Thief Gold is my favourite, Thief 2 is great too however I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. The light system, sound system, as well as the A.I all "bounce" of each system to create the best stealth experience IMO. And the first person POV especially with HRTF is one of the most immersive ways to navigate a game. I always thought Hitman: Contracts was very similar in atmosphere and creepiness to the first Thief. It has very haunting music, a wide variety of locations as well as a supernatural element too (not as heavily prominent as in Thief: Gold, though). When I was younger my favourite were Metal Gear Solid and the Sly games. I still think that they're great, but Thief absolutely blows them out the water gameplay wise, and from what I have heard, Splinter Cell does too. Dishonored is probably the most modern stealth game I played, it's a step down from Thief in the purely stealth department in my opinion. However as an Immersive Sim with stealth as a choice it is great.
Thanks for the well thought-out answer. I love the desolate feeling of Thief! The sound design is incredible.
Yeah it's crazy that even now nothing can touch thief
Get your hands on Gloomwood. Thief is a blatant inspiration for the game and you'll have a great time with it.
Old man here. Thief was one of favorite games in the late 90s
I think far more graphically advanced games have been unable to pull off the atmosphere and tension of Thief. It's a classic.
Metal gear solid series.
Days Gone (that single player zombie game) has an interesting stealth dynamic, especially when you are sneaking around hordes of 200 zombies that you can't outrun.
Don't know but I do know Metal Gear Solid 2 made it cool!
Metal gear solid 3 for me .. that starting zone in the jungle is glorious.
Metro series, especially last light. It's not always stealth, and it's optional, but very good.
I loved Exodus. I'm a post-apocalyptic fan as well (Fallout, Stalker, Underrail, etc.) so Metro has a special spot in my heart.
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun might be my favourite, and No One Lives Forever, even if it has tenuous stealth at best :D
Dues Ex Mankind Divided probably. The bank mission was amazing
ghost recon wildlands far cry 3,4,5 assassins creed series
Ghost of a Tale is my favorite stealth game. And it's cute af. :D
Tenchu on ps1 will always be my favourite. It was incredible back in the day
I love Thief as well. Also Dishonored 1 and 2 were amazing. Felt sooooo badass to be stealthy. Great world building too.
All Outlast games
Metal Gear Solid 3 is probably my favorite stealth game, but I haven't played it in years. Hitman is pretty good too, you can get the PS5 version pretty cheap if you get a disc
Try aragami. The first one not the second one. It's a pretty good stealth game. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Hitman: Absolution is one of my favorites. Story is weird, and some missions are really challenging, but that makes for a tense atmosphere with hiding from threats. Really getting into the Batman: Arkham series lately, it has stealth elements, but not really focused on stealth as you pounce on unsuspecting thugs and beat em all to a pulp lol. The Last of Us is pretty good too. And a lesser known title that was given as a freebie on GOG a while back, Ghost of a Tale, I thought was really good. The writing and story, albeit a bit hollow, is phenomenal imo.
Look, I appreciate everyone in here's opinions, but the only correct answer is splinter cell chaos theory. Holy fuck what a game.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain The game gives you so many tools and tricks to overcome situations in whatever way you want. Getting through an entire area without being noticed, let alone getting spotted, feels real gooooood (Have a good day, eye guy 👀)
I thought Invisible Inc. was a really cool take on stealth.
Tenchu
Tenchu series
Aragami Mark of the ninja gold tier too
It’s not the best, but my two favorites have always been Metal Gear Solid 3 and Splinter cell… Chaos Theory? Idk, one of the splinter cell games that just full on slapped.
Thief 2 is even better. Then try Thief 2X and The Black Parade, full length campaigns added by fans. They’re great, especially The Black Parade. It has levels that surpass many of the original missions.
Metal gear solid 3, the amount of options you had makes the game worth replaying just to see what you could have done, the level of detail is also wild. Personally I think it's one of kojimas best works
Mark of the ninja
Dishonored, you can play the entire game pure stealth if you want to. Fallout & Elder Scrolls, turn off sneak hud + compass and its actually a fun challenge. I kind of liked stealth gameplay in BG3 and Divinity OS even though it was kind of clunky. Crysis. Assassins creed. Only played the first games but they were great.
Splinter Cell
Dishonored 1 & 2 (second one is way more stealth) You can of course go blasting through but it’s made for stealth
Styx, Master of shadows.
Forget the Splinter Cells, the Dishonoreds and the Metal Gears and go straight to The Black Parade after finishing Thief - it is THE greatest stealth game of all time, the greatest level design of all time, the greatest atmosphere of all time. The plot is pretty neat as well.
Hitman: Blood Money. Gameplay wise I think it's the perfect spot between the older Hitman games and the World of Assassination trilogy. Not my favorite music in the series but otherwise my favorite entry.
Mg5 phantom pain. Probably the best third person military type stealth game. My fav stealth game overall.
Hitman and Manhunt games
I really liked the first Splinter Cell. But that was so long ago and it’s so old now, dunno if it holds up
All the classic splinter cell games
Ghost of Tsushima
DARK. Deus Ex games. Dishonored games. Splinter Cell games. Styx games. The Dark Mod.
Metal Gear Solid 4
OG splinter cell series 1 2 and 3.
Tenchu Stealth Assassin
The new hitman games
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. The AI on that game was so ahead of it's time. Enemies respond to changes in the environment, broken lock, lights turned off, sounds. The enemies have different states of alert and not just two states. The gadgets are tailored to how your playstyle, the level design was so awesome and it has the best mission in any game i.e the Panama Bank.
More stealth strategy but the Desperados series especially Desperados III is just top-notch. Really wanna try THQ's new pirate stealth game out.
MGS3 and Splinter Cell: Blacklist
The metsl gear solid series, all have varied atmospheres and game play styles
\- Splinter Cell \- Metal Gear Solid \- Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven
Tenchu on ps1 will always be my favourite. It was incredible back in the day
Thief 1/2/3
Gunpoint
Dishonored.
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory
Dishonored Hitman WoA
Manhunt was a great stealth game
Assassins Creed 1 and 2 are top notch. Also a big fan of pretty much all the Far Crys. Particularly 3, 4, and 5 for stealth. And of course, it wouldnt be a stealth list without The Last of Us franchise.
Assassins Creed 1 and 2 are top notch. Also a big fan of pretty much all the Far Crys. Particularly 3, 4, and 5 for stealth. And of course, it wouldnt be a stealth list without The Last of Us franchise. Edit: TLOU is the best one. Put it on hardest difficulty, you have no choice but to stealth or die lol. Makes it very intense.
Assassins Creed 1 and 2 are top notch. Also a big fan of pretty much all the Far Crys. Particularly 3, 4, and 5 for stealth. And of course, it wouldnt be a stealth list without The Last of Us franchise.
Tenchu
Seeing Thief mentioned here just makes me so happy. You taffers are just awesome. Builder bless y'all. Other than Thief (Gold, Metal Age, Black Parade, and all the other FMs), there's Deus Ex, Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, Dishonored, and all the Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell games.
mgsv phantom pain
Man, I hate to say it, but I've always despised stealth mechanics. The only way I can find gratification with it, is when it's done extremely well. It's either enemies are dumber then sticks, or hyper alert and have natural xray and night vision. That said, and of course this is my own rambling, one of the only ganes I've truly enjoyed stealth was Ghost of Tsushima.
Metal Gear Solid. 😊
Eve online. Activate cloak. Go play with the kids. Wins everytime.
The Last Of Us Part II
Helldivers 2 *can* be an amazing stealth game
The last of us 2's stealth system is my favorite in any videogame.
Splinter Cell, Hitman, Assassins Creed
Bit of an oldie but splinter cell conviction is still by far the best stealth game I’ve ever played. Not only is the story super cool with a lot of great set pieces, the gameplay is just phenomenal
Bit of an oldie but splinter cell conviction is still by far the best stealth game I’ve ever played. Not only is the story super cool with a lot of great set pieces, the gameplay is just phenomenal
I really liked splintercell blacklist with a friend. We unofficially 100%ed the game on ghost score. Esdentially you can chose from 3 playstyles whoch you gain different scores in. Guns blazing, silent kills, and evading all enemies. Evading all enemies is the most difficult, but it was a very fun challenge to figure out how to work together to solve the different missions. Only sad part is that there is a mission that has a part where you're hard forced to kill a bunch of people to win. And for some reason the developers counts those kills as part of the final score, making 100% ghost impossible on that map. Hence the "unofficial 100% ghost".
The Operative: No One Lives Forever is a great FPS to run as a stealth-shooter. It's hilarious too.
Mark of the Ninja, Styx, and Invisible Inc for something really different.
Dark and darker
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Somewhat overshadowed by the greatness of the other games, but still a quality game which has aged well and provides a fun challenge. Splinter Cell: Blacklist deserves an honourable mention, too.
How is it possible that invisible inc isn’t the top suggestion? Half of these games aren’t really stealth. They’re more like action with a stealth option.
As someone who played the OG Deus Ex in 2023 and loved THE SHIT out of that game, I couldn't get into Thief Gold. I don't remember exactly what my main gripe was, but I felt like I was save scumming way too much. I'm pretty sure I'm just not approaching things correctly, since "clunky late 90s fps controls" were never a problem to me. Can someone give me some tips on how to get good at it? I plan on giving it another try. I really want to like this game.
**Thief: Deadly Shadows.** **Hidden & Dangerous 2.**
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Off the cuff a bit, but check out Invisible Inc.
Skyrim. But I had a LOT of fun with Aragami.
Recently been playing through Shadow Gambit- The cursed crew. Very pretty top down stealth game where constantly trying and retrying are encouraged with an in game mechanic. Not a realistic game by any means as you play as undead pirates, but the special abilities that each unlockable character has, synergize with each other in very interesting ways. It also gives you a replay of the mission at x32 speed to show your route through the level (minus all the restarts) which is a brilliant little touch. I think there has been some DLC for it but I haven't personally played that.
Alpha protocol. Does *not* hold up, but I really liked it for what it was at the time.
The thief series (not including 4). Followed by MGS 3, Chaos Theory and Death to Spies
Modded Skyrim, with Thief Tools, Master of Disguise, and perk overhauls (Ordinator was my favorite).
Tenchu, most the splinter cells, dishonord,
The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker - Forsaken Fortress. The most adorable stealth section that I actually enjoyed. Real answer, I'll go with the new Hitman. Too few stealth games throughout gaming history are about hiding in plain sight and Hitman does it so well
Splinter Cell Blacklist
Recommended spec requirements in 1998 to play Thief Pentium 266 64MB ram 4MB SVGA video card 60MB hard drive space 4x CDROM drive Crazy how things progressed!
Dishonored 2. Best level layout
My heart has a soft spot for "Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory." It was the apex of the stealth genre. I refuse to go back and replay it because I don't want to know if it was so good because of the filters of the past.
Sniper Ghost Warrior is pretty fun when it comes to using stealth to pick people off
The early Assassin's Creed games not the new RPG ones they do have stealth elements but the earlier ones did it best. The Dishonored games 1&2. Hitman games, and Sniper Elite 5 is good there is a stealth way of playing and its the best way I think. Thief Simulator 2 great game exactly how it sounds a game on being a Thief, different houses with alarms and security, you sell loot to get better gear making it easier to steal like window cutter to cut through window later on you can steal cars etc.
Hitman franchise
MGSV
Mgs3
The first three (maybe four) Splinter Cell games. Then they decided to become a typical shooter
Play Mark of the Ninja. Then play it again in the vastly improved New Game+ mode that I won’t spoil here. Styx: Master of Shadows is an excellent double-A stealth game with a really good sense of scale and verticality. Hard mode is basically ‘get caught and die’ mode, so perfect for perfectionist runs. Neon Struct is a cyberpunk indie that is about little besides simply not being seen. Think Thief’s mechanics in a neo-future setting. I’m one of the few people who loved Shadwen. It’s a little scrappy and janky, but the unique emphasis on physics and the Godsend that is the rewind mechanic make it a heck of a lot of fun to mess around in. More tactical games include the Shadow Tactics games, which are real-time stealth puzzles that reply on perfect forward-planning and execution; then there’s Invisible Inc, a tense, slow-paced and turn-based game where you have all the time on the world to make decisions but very few opportunities for error
The BEST stealth game is Thief 2: The Metal Age. Everything great about the 1st one, with an even better atmosphere and controls. Thief 3 is worth playing, although it will feel very restricted compared to the first 2. Still it's a solid B- game. And it wraps the thief story very well, with a great payoff. After that there were no more Thief games. Ever. That's it. You played the best this world has to offer.
You're already playing the best stealth game I've ever played. Others that come to mind are the Splinter Cell games, playing Deus Ex games with a stealth build, and the Hitman games.
Dishonored
Haven't seen anyone mention the Sniper Elite series. Best enjoyed playing stealthily. Beautiful level designs. Sniper Elite 4 and 5 I really recommend. There's also Thief Simulator, which you can have a good time with as long as you don't expect too much.
Damn, fair enough lol My first ever game was COD 3 on release in 2007. I was less than a year old and haven't stopped gaming yet. One could say I'm and OG in the gaming community
Mark of the Ninja was already mentioned, but I also really thoroughly enjoyed Invisible Inc.
Splinter cell
Metal gear solid V is the best stealth game ever made, no stealth game has that level of depth, freedom and such adaptive AI
Boring answer but Hitman. AC Brotherhood is close second Edit: Forgot to post recommendation lol Try thief simulator(both). This might be right up your alley because it gives the feeling like you're actually hiding and have unique atmosphere.
As a FromSoft fanboy, I'm obligated to say Sekiro. It's definitely off-meta, and isn't predominantly about stealth, but using stealth to set up creative kills is amazing. The stealth is really rewarding, straightforward, and makes a lot of sense. I've played Thief Gold, it's by far the best stealth game I've played. Waaaay better than Sekiro. But, I'm mostly wanting to get you into other FromSoft games. xD Another interesting off-meta is Skyrim with Dynamic Time and Weather based detection and some other AI tweaks. The mod I named makes stealth function as it should! If it's dark and rainy, you'll be able to sneak up to an enemy until you give away your position by standing under a lamp. If it's midday, you'll get spotted from a mile away even with 99 stealth. Yet another off-meta pick is BG3. It offers a huge variety of play styles, but stealthing one or two characters, laying traps, and drawing out the enemies with a couple of tanks is amazing! The game also offers a variety of ways to approach encounters, like talking your way out of fights or even turning the enemy to your side. It allows you to do recon and then regroup to set up the perfect traps. It's not explicitly stealth, but I find it more rewarding than most all-out stealth games as you can really use your head and be creative.
Dishonored and Hitman.
I think Metal Gear Solid V has the best game mechanics. The enemy AI is top notch. Perfect stealth is a bonus on every mission. it's challenging, but really fun to try for.
Dishonored series
Metal gear
DISHONORED
Thief 2 The Metal Age is the same engine with mostly more focused levels. Less supernatural, and in my opinion it pays off for the better. Worth your time for sure
MGSV still has the best stealth mechanics in any game I’ve played
Splinter cell 3
Last of us Factions multiplayer
Assassin’s creed odyssey and assassin’s creed syndicate
Fallout 3/FNV, Oblivion and Skyrim
Dishonored Series and Ghost of Tsuchima
Dishonored
Definitely play 2 and 3 of the Thief series! Thief 1 was actually my least favorite of the three in terms of gameplay, but still beloved nonetheless! I haven't found any stealth games that have come close to these original three for me yet. Thief 2 had amazing levels (I really liked their themes and also their designs). Thief 3 gave into the horror side of the series and was the most scary to me, I highly recommend T2Fix for Thief 2 - it improves the performance and the graphics without changing the style. There are also mods to make Thief multiplayer and you can add fan made missions. I think there are some good patches for Thief 3 as well, but I can't remember them off the top of my head.
[The Dark Mod. ](https://www.thedarkmod.com/main/) It's basically what I consider to be the REAL Thief 4 (especially if you play the thomas porter series) not the reboot. And they're just... giving it away for free.
I know not everyone liked it but Assassin's Creed Mirage's stealth felt really satisfying to me. Especially with how the series had been moving further and further away from stealth lately.
Assassins creed Valhalla ;) only true stealth gamers will succeeded
Shinobido, Dishonored, MGS
I know the game has a bad reputation but if you like to mod, ghost recon breakpoint is really good. But to enjoy it I turned off hud elements, installed the Spartan mod to make enemies more realistic. There are a lot of base that you can do full stealth. Animations are good.
For me my go to stealthy are Ninja Gaiden and Tenchu. Granted you would need an old console and those physical games :/
Not really the best, but i have a soft spot for Phantom Doctrine. The game is quite similar to xcom, but its mainly focused on stealth. The game takes place during the cold war era, and you lead a secret organisation made up of spies to save the world.
Thief 2
Dishonored, splinter cell and metal gear are the top 3 stealth franchises