Whether it’s stalking prey from the shadows or getting in and out without being seen entirely, there’s a delightful power fantasy associated with the best stealth games out there. It’s a genre that complements so many others, too, combining elegantly with action, puzzle, role-playing, and even turn-based gameplay systems to give them a slightly different spin.
Of course some of the most recognizable in the genre are ones that give you the tools you need to execute your objective in a variety of ways. Nowhere else is this more evident than with IO Interactive’s Hitman series, which has traditionally given you a playground to let Agent 47 run rampant through, with a variety of different ways to take out your targets. Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell series, by comparison, lets you adopt the role of an apex predator in Sam Fisher, who is as comfortable shimmying in the dark as he is with a knife and a pistol. Arkane’s Dishonored series provides its own fantastical spin, too, with immersive sim elements letting you craft your own versions of its protagonists before guiding them quietly through increasingly complex stealth scenarios.
Stealth games aren’t all about combat, however, and are sometimes at their best when providing you with creative ways to circumvent it entirely. It’s a genre that can lean more heavily into its puzzle-solving elements with games like Stealth Inc 2, transform turn-based strategy in Invisible Inc, or provide an entirely unique co-operative experience in the heist-action game Monaco 2.
Stealth is a diverse concept that has lent itself to some of the best games out there, so we’ve selected many of the best the genre offers for you to play in 2026. If sticking to the shadows isn’t entirely your speed, you can check out our other lists for the best shooters, the best RPGs, the best racing games, and the best horror games.
Alien Isolation
- Developer: Creative Assembly
- Release Date: October 7, 2014
- Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PC, Nintendo Switch
Alien has had many video game adaptations since it arrived in cinemas decades ago, but none have truly captured the terror of the series like Alien: Isolation. Stripping back most aspects of action and making you feel relatively powerless against a Xenomorph that is stalking you coalesces into a gripping stealth-horror experience that recaptures the high points of the series it’s adapting. You’ll be staring at your motion sensor for a lot of this game, jumping at any beeps that emit from it and scrambling for the closet locker to hide in as your hunter slinks into view from a vent above. It’s a monster that learns from your actions and constantly demands adaptation in order to survive, creating a stealth experience like few others offer.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Release Date: November 16, 2010
- Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
The Assassin’s Creed series has taken a few different forms over the years, ranging from the simple social-stealth gameplay of the original to the full-on RPG of Odyssey and Valhalla. In Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Ubisoft really hit its stride by offering smooth, polished stealth–often intertwined with direct combat–and the titular Brotherhood system. Rather than conquer a mission alone, the game lets Ezio use his recruits to assassinate targets–taking out your primary foe while your buddies leap from the rooftop and eliminate the guards is a joy, and one that very few stealth games have copied since then.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Release Date: October 5, 2023
- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X| S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, iOS
As Assassin’s Creed moved more towards action role-playing games set in larger and larger open worlds, a desire for smaller, tighter adventures akin to the series’ roots emerged. Assassin’s Creed Mirage was an answer to those requests, removing many of the role-playing elements and focusing instead on the best aspects of the series; highpoints from Assassin’s Creed 2, Assassin’s Creed 4, and more. Playing as BasimIbn Ishaq, you’re given the freedom to explore the beautiful city of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age. The stealth action brings back the series’ “black box” approach to stealth, encouraging you to study your environment to reveal new ways to reach and eventually execute your targets. It’s a return to form for the series if you’ve not enjoyed its diversion, and one that should hopefully return with Assassin’s Creed Hexe in the future.
Dishonored 2
- Developer: Arkane Lyon
- Release Date: November 11, 2016
- Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
While the first Dishonored established its captivating setting of Dunwall and introduced players to its blend of stealth and immersive sim gameplay, it was its sequel that allowed its ideas to run wild. It elevates and iterates on the super-powered stealth focus of the original, beefing up options by introducing Emily Kaldwin as a second playable protagonist, but truly finds its footing in the elaborate levels you’re unleashed in. From the twisting rooms of The Clockwork Mansion to the time-hopping antics of A Crack In The Slab, Dishonored 2 consistently presents you with intriguing spaces for you to have your stealth prowess challenged, and there’s been nothing truly like it since.
Gunpoint
- Developer: Suspicious Developments
- Release Date: June 3, 2013
- Platforms: PC
Some of the best stealth games blend other genres together to create something that would simply be impossible in the traditional action-adventure framework. That’s the case with Gunpoint, a retro-style puzzle-platformer that is more about finding the solution to a problem than it is avoiding enemies and traps on the fly. The primary way you’ll do this is with the Crosslink tool, which lets you change security systems for your own benefit. But just because it’s a puzzle game doesn’t mean there is only one solution, giving you incentive to replay levels and figure out the cleverest ways to make it through each challenge.
Hitman: World of Assassination
- Developer: IO Interactive
- Release Date: March 11, 2016
- Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, PC, Mac, Android, iOS
IO Interactive has been behind Hitman for decades, but it’s the studios’ latest entry that has both endured and excited more than anything that came before it. Compiling three game’s worth of content under one banner, the World of Assassination offers a wealth of inventive and distinct levels for you to navigate through as Agent 47. Each level has so many layers to it, letting you peel them away as you pursue more crazy and complex objectives with a variety of modifiers (from weapon selection, entry points, and more) keeping you on your toes. Hitman: World of Assassination is like a chest of toys that lets you create your own stories with whatever you pull out and decide to run with, taking the series’ action beyond its strictly stealthy origins and redefining the genre in the process.
Invisible Inc.
