There’s something special about open world games, with their endless exploration and content to discover. Plus, when some of these open world games introduced stealth as a central mechanic, things became even more entertaining.

Open world stealth games are a unique approach to the world and even the genres for the games themselves. By being a marriage of key mechanics and experiences, players are in for a treat – even if the other characters can’t see them.

In these games, players are encouraged to take things slow and steady, and the importance of not being seen is paramount. Stealth is all about being acutely aware of your surroundings, and these games feature an abundance of surroundings to make use of. That’s for sure.

Either way, players are in for a delight when they get to explore a vast and rich world but are traversing among the shadows instead.

10 Rust

Stealth is Survival

Let’s clarify something really quickly: Rust is a survival game first, one that will consistently wipe its servers in order to keep players all in the same struggling boat. However, if players actually want a chance at survival, they can’t make themselves wholly known.

Stealth is crucial in order to stay alive, as players will need to spend a significant amount of time in the day observing everything and everyone around them, potentially hiding in bushes in order to keep this a reality.

They can observe from their base that they have spent a significant amount of time building, especially since it’s going to need to be protected. Other players online might genuinely interfere with your survival, pouncing when you’re not looking in order to take any supplies or weapons you might be carrying with you.

It’s brutal out here, which has led to many players keeping their heads down – the same way many animals would out in the wild. It doesn’t get any easier with the Console Edition, either, so players need to keep their noise at a minimum if they want to keep it together in the world of Rust.

9 Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

The Power of Misdirection

Deus Ex is an immersive sim game that understands how to use stealth as a fun mechanic. Out of all the games in the series, many point to Deus Ex: Mankind Divided as having the best stealth in the franchise.

Right off the bat, the A.I. in this game is significantly better than others in the series, with players needing to keep a careful eye on their volume and where they’re standing (or, most likely, crouching). Plus, the enemy patrols aren’t always predictable, since they can suddenly turn around without warning.

Not to mention, the remote hacking stealth is unmatched. Players are able to master the art of distraction with these hacks, or by simple instances of misdirection – such as throwing a soda can. It’s much easier to sneak up on enemies while they’re distracted, which allows players to actually stand up so they can easily strike, taking them down without a sound.

Plus, as players continue to explore the world and all that it offers, they can run into more toys they can play with for better stealth mechanics, making multiple builds possible and all the more refreshing on repeat playthroughs. Just be sure to keep the noise down while stuffing a body into a vent, otherwise the gig is up.

8 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon

Why Bother Going Guns Ablazing?

The Tom Clancy games are military titles, obviously enough, but when players take a look at Ghost Recon, the last thing they expect to find out is that it’s a stealth game as well. Sometimes, running in with guns ablazing isn’t always the best tactic.

Stealth in this game is methodical, requiring players to carefully assess their situation before making a choice. Typically, this means taking out the snipers and drones first, then focusing on the ground. Players have to be thorough, basically treating their plan as if it’s scorched earth, salting the battlefield and turning the tides.

The game rewards players for implementing stealth, too, since they get an achievement after taking down 12 different enemies without being caught. It’s not too difficult of a mechanic, but it does require players to be careful.

Many of the Tom Clancy games implement stealth in a similar way, but it’s a lot more creative in the classic Ghost Recon.

7 Watch Dogs

Embrace the Hacking

Ubisoft seems to have a deep love for stealth in their open world games, and Watch Dogs is no exception to that. This time, though, it’s wholly modern, utilizing hacks and erasing your digital footprint in order to sneak around.

Unfortunately, Aidan Pearce is a rather monotone protagonist, but the intricacies of the stealth and the parkour more than make up for it, to the point where players don’t really care otherwise. Unique and fun gameplay can definitely change a game’s experience for the better, and that’s the case with the stealth system here.

It works so well that there is a theory that Aidan is a modern-day assassin, especially since the universes are shared, and that’s exactly how players feel navigating the open world.

It’s especially cool for the majority of us that can’t navigate technology in this way – sure, I grew up with many technological advancements and I know my way around electronics, but I definitely can’t hack a car. Watch Dogs allows players to embrace all the cool and cinematic parts of hacking, it just ends up going smoother if they don’t get caught.

6 Thief

A Semi-Open Stealing Simulator

The classic Thief games are incredibly linear, playing like any other game released at this time: level by level, and that’s it. However, in the 2014 remake of Thief, the world expands and opens up much more.

It’s not a fully open world in the traditional sense, but it’s semi-open, with Garrett using the Clock Tower as his hidden home. From there, he can explore the city that surrounds the central clock tower, hiding from patrolling guards as he travels rooftops and even through open windows, using someone’s living space as a shortcut.

The only thing that prevents it from being a fully open world is the fact that some quests and assignments are closed off when players progress to the next chapter; so, that means players should explore everything (and get as much loot as possible) before moving forward.

And while they move, they can’t be seen. Thankfully, there are plenty of shadows and dark areas that Garrett is able to blend into and tools for distraction, letting him rummage through valuables without being seen or heard even once. While the original games are just as fun (if not more), there’s no open world element to enjoy at the same time.

5 Far Cry 3

Stay Hidden In Grass

The Far Cry series is known for its immense and immersive open worlds, but the stealth in Far Cry 3 remains top-notch for the series. You’d think that a first person shooter wouldn’t have much stealth involved, but it’s actually rather layered.

First, you have to make sure you’re using the right weapon. While rifles can work long distances, they make noise – so a bow and arrow ends up becoming your best friend. As morbid as it sounds, each kill with the bow after hiding in the grass for a while is genuinely rewarding for players.

Not to mention, the takedowns are just outright brutal, and you unlock more types of them as you level up and get better with your stealth. Players don’t have to be hiding from enemies, either, because the hunting requires just as much precision – and since it’s the foundation for the game’s unique crafting system, stealth is a good area to prioritize.

Even Far Cry fans who have preferences to other entries in the series still praise the stealth and open world in Far Cry 3, embracing the chaos their actions bring.

4 Batman: Arkham City

You Are the Night

Honestly, if Batman wasn’t stealthy, he simply wouldn’t be Batman – so, of course, stealth is effortlessly incorporated into the Arkham Trilogy. That being said, Arkham City remains the best in the trilogy with its use of stealth, and with an excellently-built open world to follow suit.

This is a comic book game that genuinely makes you feel like a superhero, but it’s in perhaps the darkest and grittiest world in the series. It’s an impeccable balance of mood and mechanics, with the world being rich and vibrantly hostile, and the stealth making you embrace the role of the shadows … and the night itself.

Instead of the inmates being stuck in Arkham Asylum, one of the most notorious gaming prisons in history, they’re allowed to roam free on a sectioned-off, lawless land – and you end up being trapped in this city with them. However, since you’re literally Batman, the reality is everyone is actually trapped with you.

Going through the Rogues Gallery in their own territories rather than confinement of a traditional prison is fun and invigorating, and it won’t be too long after you show up until the henchmen end up fleeing in terror.

3 Assassin’s Creed (Series)

The Standard for Open World Stealth

Perhaps the most infamous of open world stealth titles, the Assassin’s Creed games are more or less the foundation of the genre. Being both open world and stealth games from the very beginning, every sequel since has been new and unique in ways to revitalize gameplay mixed with historical boundaries and cultural differences.

There are many games in the series that take place all around the world, and honestly, the overarching plot ends up becoming a bit complex to really matter – so players end up only paying attention to the assassin’s story (which is why they’re here anyway).

The great thing about these games is that everyone seems to have their own personal favorites for all kinds of reasons – and while there are some recurring answers (Assassin’s Creed II, for example), everyone’s answer is distinct. It just gives players all the more reasons to try them all and see which one they like best.

As far as my personal favorite in the series? Assassin’s Creed III, easy.

Stealth Built the Franchise

It’s honestly wild that Hideo Kojima almost dipped before he could finish Metal Gear Solid, because stealth games as we know it probably wouldn’t even exist without him. Of course, this also includes the only open world game in the franchise, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

Stealth was poured into the series’ very foundation, so it’s no surprise that it would be just as fun in this game (even if the A.I. can be a bit silly at times, but not often enough to matter).

Not to mention, the open world in this game is massive, mind-bogglingly so, to the point where players will practically be lost in the exploration. Thankfully, the fast travel system makes things easier, but it’s definitely still a beast of a map to manage.

Either way, Metal Gear Solid V is everything that players expected from Hideo Kojima’s previous installments, and it makes us all the more excited to see how stealth will be revitalized once again in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

1 Ghost of Tsushima

Shed Your Samurai Armor

The island of Tsushima is broken.

The land has been torn apart by Mongol invaders, slaughtering every single samurai they’ve encountered and capturing the Jito while everyday people live in fear and starvation. It seems like there’s no way to turn things around – until a samurai returns from the dead, born again as the Ghost of Tsushima.

Sure, the Ghost is metaphorical, but most of the commoners don’t know that, especially with how you end up fighting in this game. Of course, you can go in with fun samurai combat, but stealth is not just encouraged, but prioritized, so that ends up being the main avenue of gameplay here. By the end of the encounter, everyone thinks you’re worse than a ghost – that you’re a demon.

Ghost of Tsushima remains unmatched with its breathtakingly stunning open world; with an immensely moving story, incredible acting (especially if played in Japanese), and even a satisfying loot system, it’s everything stealth players crave.

I’m just saying, I’m so excited that I’m still foaming at the mouth thinking about Ghost of Yotei so I can jump into the wonderful, open world stealth of this series.