Summary
- Arkham Asylum's fear-based stealth sets it apart from brute force, making players feel like the hunter.
- Styx: Master Of Shadows offers a unique experience with deception, agility, and methodical stealth gameplay.
- A Plague Tale: Innocence emphasizes improvised stealth, with light and darkness playing a crucial role in gameplay.
Stealth games are a special breed. They demand patience, precision, and the kind of quick thinking that turns a botched attempt into a barely salvaged success. The best of them don’t just make players feel like ghosts in the shadows; they weave tension into every step, every breath, every decision to take the risk or wait for the perfect moment.
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These seven games are the best of the best when it comes to third-person stealth, each offering its own unique take on silent takedowns and unseen escapes.
7 Batman: Arkham Asylum
The Bat Is Always Watching
Batman: Arkham Asylum
- Released
- August 25, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
Gotham’s criminals are terrified of Batman, and Arkham Asylum makes sure players understand why. Rocksteady’s take on the Dark Knight isn’t about brute force; it’s about fear. Every encounter is a puzzle, where sneaking through vents, perching above unaware thugs, and picking them off one by one is more satisfying than any brawl. The game’s Predator sections are peak stealth design, letting players systematically dismantle rooms full of enemies until the last one is spinning in circles, panicking, and firing into the dark.
But Arkham Asylum doesn’t just give players a random assortment of tools—it makes them feel like a hunter. The gargoyles hanging over enemy-infested rooms, the explosive gel that can be planted in advance, the silent takedowns from above or below, all reinforce the idea that Batman is the one in control. And when that fear kicks in, and armed enemies start checking their backs every second, the game’s stealth shines.
6 Styx: Master Of Shadows
Short, Green, And Deadly
Styx: Master of Shadows
- Released
- October 7, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Cyanide Studio
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Stealth, Adventure
Stealth games often cast players as highly trained assassins, but Styx: Master of Shadows throws that idea out the window and replaces it with a foul-mouthed, four-foot-tall goblin. Styx isn’t built for combat—he’s weak, fragile, and goes down in a single hit. But what he lacks in durability, he more than makes up for in agility and deception.
Using the environment to his advantage, Styx can climb, hide, and slip through spaces larger enemies can’t. His real ace, though, is his ability to spawn clones—perfect for distractions, baiting guards into traps, or even sneaking through areas in tandem. And unlike most stealth games that eventually let players brute-force their way through, Styx punishes carelessness. It’s methodical, unforgiving, and more rewarding because of it.
5 A Plague Tale: Innocence
The Shadows Hide More Than Secrets
A Plague Tale: Innocence
- Released
- May 14, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Asobo Studio
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Unlike most stealth protagonists, Amicia de Rune isn’t a trained assassin or a hardened soldier—she’s a teenager trying to survive. A Plague Tale: Innocence trades high-tech gadgets and elaborate takedowns for desperate, improvised stealth. The game is built around avoidance rather than aggression, where sneaking past soldiers and Inquisition forces is more nerve-wracking than any direct confrontation.
But the real wildcard is the rats. Swarms of them, flooding streets and filling rooms like a living tide. They fear light but devour anything in darkness, turning every torch and lantern into a potential lifeline or weapon. Players use this to their advantage, forcing enemies into the rat-infested dark or snuffing out their only protection. The game presents its stealth with a crude irony; where the stealth sections require Amicia and Hugo to stick to the shadows, the rat-infested levels require them to stay in the light. It’s this yin-yang duality of the game’s stealth sections that makes the game feel different from the rest.
4 Hitman
Blend In, Walk Away, No One Saw A Thing
Hitman (2016)
- Released
- March 11, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- IO Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Stealth, Third-Person Shooter
Stealth in Hitman isn’t just about staying hidden—it’s about never being suspected in the first place. While most games have players slinking through shadows, Agent 47 turns stealth into an art form, using disguises, social stealth, and the environment itself to eliminate targets without anyone realizing he was even there.
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What sets Hitman apart is its freedom. The game doesn’t just give players a mission—it gives them a playground filled with opportunities. A "silent assassin" might slip poison into a drink, rig an "accident," or snipe a target from a mile away. The best players don’t just complete objectives; they vanish, leaving behind a crime scene that looks like a bizarre string of coincidences. It’s not just about being unseen—it’s about being unnoticed.
3 The Last Of Us
The Last Thing They Hear Is Nothing At All
The Last of Us
- Released
- June 14, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
Stealth in The Last of Us is about survival, plain and simple. Every encounter feels like it could go horribly wrong at any second, forcing players to move carefully, use resources wisely, and avoid unnecessary fights. Joel and Ellie aren’t trained operatives—they’re people trying to make it through a brutal world, and the game’s stealth reflects that.
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The AI is ruthless, especially in the recent remake of the game, with enemies calling out to each other, flanking, and adapting to the player’s actions. A single mistake can turn a quiet approach into a frantic scramble.
And then there are the Clickers—blind, infected horrors that track movement and sound. Against them, stealth isn’t just an option; it’s a necessity. Taking one down means risking everything, so sometimes, it’s best to just stay still, breathe, and pray they pass by.
2 Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
You Don’t See Sam, But He Sees You
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
- Released
- March 28, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Annecy
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox (Original), Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Stealth, Action
Few games understand stealth as well as Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Sam Fisher isn’t just sneaking past guards—he’s controlling the space around him. Light, sound, and timing all matter, and the game makes sure players feel the weight of every move they make.
Chaos Theory, often dubbed as the best game of the franchise, introduced mechanics that would define the stealth genre, from dynamic lighting to an AI that reacts to partial detections rather than instantly going into full alert. Enemies remember disturbances, forcing players to think several steps ahead. And when everything clicks, when players use darkness, gadgets, and split-second decisions to move unseen, it’s perfection.
1 Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain
A Ghost On The Battlefield
Metal Gear Solid 5 The Phantom Pain
- Released
- September 1, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Hideo Kojima’s masterpiece, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, is stealth on a grand scale. Unlike most games in the genre that focus on confined spaces and tight corridors, Phantom Pain throws players into massive, open-ended environments where every mission can be approached in countless ways.
What makes Phantom Pain so special is its adaptability. Guards learn from the player’s tactics—overusing headshots means enemies start wearing helmets, and relying on night raids makes them deploy more spotlights.
And then there’s the freedom. Creep through the shadows or go full "no kills, no alerts" ghost mode. Call in distractions, sabotage equipment, or turn an enemy camp into an ally base through sheer manipulation. There’s no wrong way to play, but every decision carries weight. It’s the ultimate stealth sandbox, and no other game quite does it like this.
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