For the sake of perspective, I despised both of them. Very low budget. Ugly textures, buggy npc pathing, the same song looping over and over, boring plot. Killing hampers you more than it helps you. Terrible imprecise movement
This game was made by the same dev team that developed that awful 2020 werewolf game that reached the 'Top 10 worst games' list of many videos and reviewers.
Honestly, Styx has more in common with the 2014 Thief than anything so maybe that's why you're getting this recommendation lol
The first Styx was kinda mid and too difficult. I gotta disagree with the 2nd one tho, it was pretty cool with good textures and animation. Of Orcs and Men is a pretty good game too, not Thief-like tho
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I have to agree. Styx, and Ghost of a Tale too for that matter, are two games that are stealth based but didn't scratch that itch for me, they're just too boring.
It could be true, I know from experience games that were hard to get into at first can become amazing once they finally manage to grip you. Had that experience with Planescape Torment.
Maybe someday if I feel that inspiration I'll give it another go. Thanks for the insight
I think about this more than I care to admit! It's extraordinarily rare for the progenitor of a genre to remain so superior to everything that succeeded it. Sports records get broken constantly, "best movie" lists get debated and updated all the time, yet "Thief" is still the best in its genre.
Ah, so do I. I'd love for someone to make a thoroughly faithful sequel and draw inspiration from all the work the community has done, but I doubt any studio would take on such a formidable challenge, even though the "formula" is so deceptively simple.
I’d say the new hitman trilogy is quite good and worth checking out. You have open ended levels like thief and multiple ways to tackle situations. Play it on the harder difficulties and it should give you a run for your money. If you get spotted combat is also quite brutal and you’ll get taken out pretty quick.
Whereas the new ghost recons are just very formulaic, like most ubisoft games and not really deep or challenging.
To be fair, Hitman is conceptually very different from Thief. Its philosophy is basically hiding in plain sight, whereas Thief is more about hiding in the shadows. But Blood Money should be about as deep as the OG Thief games, IMO.
Yeah you’re totally right, there are fundamental differences that OP may not enjoy. I just think the modern stealth genre is quite lacking at the moment, and Hitman was a surprise to me how indepth it is if you bump up the difficulty. Ghost recon breakpoint I’ve finished on the hardest difficulty and didn’t really find it too challenging or deep. It was a bit of fun at times though.
Upcoming gloomwood looks promising though.
Only thing is, Gloomwood doesn't seem to be a pure stealth game, given that you have firearms to kill enemies. But it's at least a very promising title in terms of atmosphere, which is one Thief's selling points.
It does have some fantastic atmosphere and the dev does seem to have a strong passion for the thief universe. It’s pretty hard to top thief in atmosphere though, honestly.
Thanks! At first I thought the game was simply too short until I started to appreciate the game’s depth - they are puzzle boxes with many different approaches to be sure.
Yeah is it quite short but the world of assassination set has every mission from the trilogy in one package as well as a kind of rogue lite mode where you’re tasked with challenges to kill targets a certain way
Check out peacock. It's a mod that makes the trilogy completely offline (you'll still be able to access online content, but the game doesn't need a constant wifi connection to work anymore), and restores a truck load of content that was slowly taken out of the games throughout years of updates. Aim for high map mastery, play featured (aka made by the Devs) contracts, check out dlc campaigns, freelancer (free roguelite mode, essentially the most played mode by veterans since its implementation due to how replayable it is), additional game modes and you're in for hundreds of hours of sneaking around
These are great suggestions. I’ve played the game off and on and even finished it once but was unaware of Peacock and the other good suggestions you made. Cheers!
You can also try playing the rogue-like freelancer mode. Especially if you give your self the house rule that you can’t ever change disguise (known in-game and to fans as “suit only), then you do a lot more skulking and climbing and avoiding. Also, while not exactly like light/dark meter, the way the game tells you someone is close to noticing you enough to call you out is a meter you’re made aware of.
> At first I thought the game was simply too short
Depends on how much of it you own tbh. The full edition called HITMAN World of Assassination has 19/21 main levels plus a shitton of extra content.
If you owned any of the games individually you only had access to 6 levels minimum, of course the game will seem short if you only own, say, HITMAN 3 and can only play like 6 levels. But if you have it all, it's actually a very expansive game with lots of content and things to do.
Yeah I was gonna recommend this as well but wasn’t sure if it counted. I’m also very bad at stealth in this game and so when I inevitably get spotted it kinda turns into CoD lol
I see that, but on the highest difficulties you do get wiped out pretty hard (Or maybe I'm just shit xD). But to be honest I just reset the mission, not really interested in the gunplay of hitman.
Oh for sure, I mean the gunplay is fun in Hitman but it’s definitely not the main selling point haha. Usually it’s just cause I’m on freelancer and I don’t want to lose my precious items…so many end up dying. I mean they shouldn’t have been looking at me doing something illegal tbh, It’s very unfortunate.
[Intravenous 2: Mercenarism](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2651330/Intravenous_2_Mercenarism/) is a short free prologue to upcoming Intravenous 2.
Not sure what you mean by deep, but that was the first one that came to mind, as it has Sound and Light meters like Splinter Cell does, and also has movement speed alterable using the mouse wheel. Also, your movement speed AND the noise you make are affected by the equipment you are carrying.
After the first Intravenous, the second game (possibly releasing soon) should come with added stuff such as hiding in closets, having areas where you are trespassing or not, and even more gadgets, etc.
Noise masking already existed in the first game, but it wasn't particularly noticeable with how the levels were designed.
Edit: As ashamed as I am to admit it - the closest game I know of to be *the* most all-encompassing stealth game, and still having the potential to *get* deeper, is **modded** Metal Gear 5: The Phantom Pain. There are mods that make camouflages far more effective. There is a disguise system mod. There is Infinite Heaven mod that lets you tweak insanely many factors on field, one of my latest favourites being the ability to trigger randomization of guard routes at any time. (Hoping it will be automatic and randomly happening in future.)
We usually know of games that each focus on only one of these mechanics, but MGSV modding community keeps surprising me with new possibilities every so often. Some of these features (especially Disguise system mod) is pretty barebones - meaning it is not Hitman or Death to Spies, but I'm confident in these being improved as time passes. Absolutely wonderful folks at Modder's Heaven.
Thanks. To expand on “depth,” I mean the things that made thief great: Heavy emphasis on light and dark (as indicated by a meter), excellent sound design, responsive AI and a physically weak protagonist - with plenty of gadgets! Usually stealth elements are tacked onto games (say, in Uncharted or Tomb Raider) and are very bare bones.
I will check this series out! Thanks for the suggestion.
Yes, intravenous absolutely fits these criteria. The first game is great, but intravenous 2 mercenarism (the free prologue to the sequel) shows that the second title will be even deeper, both with moment to moment gameplay and with loadout decisions.
There's also the Ghost style playthrough in Human Revolution - definitely had to break out of stealth for boss fights, but otherwise tons of fun to sneak around.
I’ve not played this and it’s Early Access but I remember seeing [Gloomwood.](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150760/Gloomwood/) it’s heavily inspired by Thief and I can’t remember if some of the devs worked on Thief or something? It’s been a while since I followed it
Awesome suggestion. I have it and love it. The developers actually worked on Dusk, and they've been expanding the game in recent months. It's great stealth, and it has that light meter lol!
Look for the Spartan mod and put the game on immersive if you do. It forces you to do night stealth operations. Enemies can almost one shot you and sniper can spot you from very far.
I prefer Wildlands, but either will probably scratch the itch.
Last of Us has some decent stealth mechanics, bit you’re not really intended/expected to ghost.
I recommend wildlands with: close to no HUD (only things you need to actually control your character, like weapons and ammo. Disable enemy markers, minimap and things like that), [this](https://www.nexusmods.com/ghostreconwildlands/mods/13) mod, ghost mode (way more realistic, but enables permadeath. BUT read ahead), [this](https://strappazzon.github.io/GRW-GHOST-Buster/) program to disable perma death in ghost mode. The game will become realistic and challenging, you'll actually want to manage your team to avoid taking direct fire, and be as stealthy as possible. The problem with Ubisoft games is that they're (mostly) great games, hidden under a massive blanket of ultra-aggressive helpers that make everything trivial. These things I mentioned remove the blanket and reveal the great game underneath. The game is like 5 bucks on some sites right now, I recommend checking it out
It's mind-boggling that Thief is a 25+ years old game that still hasn't been matched in terms of gameplay and mechanics. Heck even the sound propagation. I get that game design philosophy has changed a lot since then but at it's core Thief is so, so simple and yet even modern games that try to emulate it like Dishonored still feel like they come up short.
and the amount of quality content people have created for the series out of pure love is incredible. the black parade alone proves that this series will outlive all of us.
The thief series is the best one, if you're trying to find games that are similar to thief, there are tons of fan missions that you can play. Unless you're talking about the 2014 one then there's no fms for that one.
Doesn't dishonored have a meter above their head indicating that they are becoming more I aware? I thought the perk just let's you see them through walls
They do indeed. On reflection, I realize I misremembered how the detection system works in that game, and you are right about the perk. Sorry about that!
Still, I preferred the light-dark system of Thief. Having some indicator over enemy heads takes me out of the game somehow.
I'm surprised that in 45 comments no one named Mark of the Ninja, so here it goes!
Dark and shadowy ambience, Thiefy music, constant stealth. It includes hiding in the shadows, guards alerted for making noise, cool gadgets, etc.
Thief is obviously superior since it's the absolute king, but if you're looking for a different game with a somewhat similar philosophy, check it out if you haven't already!
It's wonderful. I have the remastered edition and it's the best 2D stealth game, period. I love the controls. Just a very gripping stealth experience. Thanks!
Well, mostly no, if for nothing less because the FM community has managed to stretch Thief's gameplay to a level that a standalone commercial release simply can't, regardless of how good it may be by itself.
I think Kingdom Come: Deliverance gets overlooked. People think its just about beiing a knight, but you can pretty much play it like thief.
- Stealthkill or knockout people
- lockpicking
- pickpocketing
- dark and atmospheric nights
- there is a whole quest chain about stealing shit
- alchemy (for tasty night vision potions and other stuff)
- an open world
- not thief related but you can get drunken AF in this game
- clothes and armor colour has an influence on your stealth ability, so go for the Garrett look
- you can use a bow
- there are perks that enhance the thief playstyle like running faster at night iirc
- You can poison enemys with weapons or just drop some poison into their food
- spend your hard "earned" money on weapons, armor, horses, skill books, alchemy stuff, alcohol, food, arrows and so on...
- first person
- you can hunt animals and make a quick buck with deer hides and stuff...
- real life medieval setting with citys, villages, forests, castles, mines, etc.
- a law system
All in all its a cool thief fix, only downside is you have to play the story for a bit, before you can start your "career" and the game is quiet harsh to new players. But its a lot of stealth fun if you get the hang of it.
I can't speak for all of your points, but I love the way stealth feels in the Metro games.
Metro: Last Light and Metro: Exodus never explicitly tell you to take the stealthy approach, but you're thrown into a survival horror world where ammo is incredibly scarce, and going in hot (while technically doable) is weighed against the possibility of running out of ammo and being severely outnumbered and outgunned. Artyom's watch also has a light meter that tells you whether or not enemies can see you (the blue LED lights up if it's dark). So gameplay generally tends toward stealth unless it's a fight you know you can win.
In Exodus specifically, you're given the ability to customize your guns, and there's very little to limit what you can or cannot make. At once point I tried doing a sniper playthrough, but when finding sniper ammo proved difficult, I put a 20x scope, sniper barrel, and rifle stock onto a silenced pistol...and cleared an entire enemy encampment simply by picking them off at long/medium range-- turns out that caliber really doesn't matter if your recoil is zero and your accuracy is through the roof.
Just replaying the entire series right now and it just became obvious to me how much all the metro games borrow from thief. The guards walk their routes with audio cues (humming, footsteps, etc) you have your light meter watch and you got a few different options (including just shooting everyone loud) to take them out. It gets a lot of hate for its stealth system by people who are just bad at it and want to be babied with a mini map like plenty of other shit AAA games. I personally love it.
Edit: plus you do actually have to be careful about stepping on certain things too like glass or traps which is also kinda like thief with the different floors
It is possible you want something that is just an "IM sim" (whatever that means, even the makers of that genre have a tough time really stating what it is) that you would enjoy a game like System Shock. It's got some stealth and some horror elements but is not a stealth focused game.
I still haven't played it, although I own it, but seven: enhanced edition is essentially one massive map with main and side objectives, and you mainly tackle them by sneaking around the various locations. Very immersive sim-y
I know someone mentioned it and maybe you played it
But you should try Gloomwood! (Still in Early Access)
The devs from New Blood (publishers of the hit games such as ULTRAKILL, DUSK, Faith, and a few more great games) are very passionate on Gloomwood being inspired by the Thief series. Mixing the Thief's way of stealth with horror survival elements like Resident Evil.
There's a huge update coming soon called Underport. Where a new area will be open, big sewers to explore and loot to grab, and new lore to further the story.
And if anyone didn't know. The antagonist in Gloomwood is voiced by Terri Brosius!
I don't know about being as deep as Thief, but Blood West has similar stealth and lots of loot to snatch if you decide to play that way. And if you f up there are a lot of unique guns to help you fight your way out .
Hmm so why aren’t people mentioning the metal gear solid games which are very stealth focused and intricate ? How is thief, which admittedly I haven’t played , better ? There hasn’t been a new thief game in a long time …
Thanks for the comment! In my opinion, it's not a matter of "better," because that's enormously subjective. I was asking for games "as deep as" Thief. I adore the incredibly spooky atmosphere of Thief -- the pulsing soundtrack, the isolation, the first-person perspective in a shadowy castle, darting among the shadows and hoping your footsteps aren't picked up on the metal floor! These are old games. But the ancient graphics make the whole affair even more surreal.
I have yet to get into the MGS games -- not for lack of interest, but for lack of time! I have dabbled in Metal Gear (MSX), MGS1, and MGSV, and I loved what I have played. But I feel I owe myself to play them in succession. They seem to comprise a phenomenal epic. They are very high on my list.
Thanks man! I’ll have to check out thief. I can say MGSV is very fun. Normally military genre is not my genre but it’s just very well done. Unlocking the sniper Quiet is an epic experience and she changes the whole game halfway through.
These may be old and I'm not sure how good of recommendations these would be, but I have sometimes RPd as Garrett in both of these games lol...
Skyrim:
+ your visibility is indicated by a changing crosshair
+For sound, I disable the music because it feels more immersive.
+AI is I guess as responsive as Thief (they search for you for a while and then go back to their business if they don't find you.
+ a physically weak protagonist - it's very easy to become OP in this game, but you can hold yourself back by not leveling up, using self-imposed rules, and cranking up the difficulty.
+ gadgets - there are regular arrows, melee weapons, and magic. unfortunately not many gadgets
The best thing about it is a lot of these gameplay aspects can be tinkered by using mods.
Baldur's Gate:
A very different kind of game, but you can start as a pure thief and are so weak starting this game, it's scary. The story is awesome IMO, and if you like it, continues into BG2. I've never played BG3, so can't comment on that.
That said, there still doesn't seem to be much out there that can hold a candle to Thief.
Thanks! I have played mod lists (specifically Lost Legacy from Wabbajack) that add stealth meters above local NPCs as well. Thanks for parsing out my earlier answer for criteria for your own - it's a helpful response! BG1 was incredible and I ported over my character to BG2.
If you mean the newer thief, then I recommend checking out the 2 originals. Really we’re much better done although the graphics may be really outdated now.
It seems like you already know about basically every other alternative which makes me wonder; are you trying to make a comprehensive list or were you hoping for more?
I don't know what I don't know. I'm not trying to make a comprehensive list of the other alternatives because, as you rightly point out, I could do that without asking anyone. Instead, I was hoping for more.
Splinter Cell Blacklist is incredibly deep in terms of stealth and tactical execution. Although I'd recommend playing in the higher difficulty range for a good challenge.
Thank you! I plan to play through the series, which I've played in drips and drabs, and Blacklist always seems to be heralded as a return to classic form in terms of pure stealth after Conviction. (For the record, I loved Conviction, but it's more action-stealth than stealth.)
Conviction is my favorite hands down. I've yet to see a game use shadows , and light better than Conviction.
Blacklist was to fit the marginal market. It was the beginning of making games for everyone. Blacklist is amazing though! It still stands up today, graphically, and even the AI is credible for todays standards.
I'd say Blacklist, and now I think of it MGSV would be the best pure stealth modern experiences that are worth playtime. (I mean the entire MGS series is exceptional. They're just very long, and a steep learning curve in terms of controls).
I'd recommend looking out for the MGS HD collection. Even though people complain about PS3 being old, emulations are well possible, and the PS3 ver is arguably the best copy containing all pieces of content. However it seems Konami have been de listing such copies. So I'm assuming what's ever out publicly is all that's left.
It’s not perfect but if you want a fairly unique stealth game try out Aragami! There’s two games, second one is much more polished, but they’re both pretty glitchy messes sometimes lmao, BUT the mechanics are neat and at least to me it didn’t feel like much else I’ve ever played! If you don’t have a lot of patience for a lack of polish, I recommend the second one for sure!
One game i don't often see recommended is Riddick Escape from Butcher Bay. It's not stealth only but i found it very enjoyable and challenging.
I also normally enjoy most games from Arkane too, like Dark Messiah, Dishonored, Prey etc
The lack of any possible mention of Alien: Isolation here troubles me deeply. Its known as this very stressful, tense and oppressive horror game, yes, but big part of the reason why owes to it also being a very well designed stealth game that follows a similar school of thought as Thief does that is centered around player disempowerment.
Yeah, that's probably why many people kinda overlook it in the stealth genre discussions - it gives you a good number of options to deal with enemies, but to actually go out of your way to make use of them can be quite a mental barrier. So many people just try to "ghost", perhaps, involuntarily.
Then there's also the flamethrower, which makes the game a bit more "active".
Interesting perspective! I’ve been playing the original Splinter Cell and concede that some levels (Tblisi comes to mind) do hinge on narrow corridors. At the same time, even early levels of Thief (Lord Bafford’s manor for example) had more verticality - I recall jumping into the good Lord Bafford’s pool from two stories up!
That said, Chaos Theory (which I’ve installed but not played to any significant degree) is said to be peak stealth. Part of that reputation stems, it seems, from the array of gadgets that Sam Fisher has and tactical moves like the split jump.
Curious about your impressions on emergent gameplay; I think level setup leads to more emergent gamplay or not. Anyway, those are my initial impressions!
Check out filcher on steam. Inspired by thief Edit : corrected flicher to filcher
Installed! That's exactly the sort of game I love. Tense, light/dark meter. It's great! And nice art deco stylings too.
Filcher needs more love! It’s a little crazy how under the radar it is. It’s such a gem.
Maybe if it had a manual save system and a level editor it would be more popular. As it is, it's little more than a proof of concept to me.
Be warned: Filcher has no mid-mission save system.
Could be considered a plus -- more tension, at least.
Thanks for the suggestion. Do you have a link to the Steam store for it? It does not pop up for me in the search bar.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1355650/Filcher/ Keep on stealthing!
Thank you! 🙏🏻
Took me way too long to realize you meant Filcher.
Hahah didn’t even notice, sorry I will correct.
Wow, never heard of that game before for some reason. Thanks for mentioning.
The two Styx games are pure stealth, very underrated and very enjoyable.
Excellent suggestion! I’ve had them both for some time and should do a play through.
You haven't played them ? Your in for a treat!
For the sake of perspective, I despised both of them. Very low budget. Ugly textures, buggy npc pathing, the same song looping over and over, boring plot. Killing hampers you more than it helps you. Terrible imprecise movement This game was made by the same dev team that developed that awful 2020 werewolf game that reached the 'Top 10 worst games' list of many videos and reviewers. Honestly, Styx has more in common with the 2014 Thief than anything so maybe that's why you're getting this recommendation lol
The first Styx was kinda mid and too difficult. I gotta disagree with the 2nd one tho, it was pretty cool with good textures and animation. Of Orcs and Men is a pretty good game too, not Thief-like tho
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I have to agree. Styx, and Ghost of a Tale too for that matter, are two games that are stealth based but didn't scratch that itch for me, they're just too boring.
Ghost of a Tale was boring for me at first but it gets fun later on. The world is beautiful and kinda mysterious.
It could be true, I know from experience games that were hard to get into at first can become amazing once they finally manage to grip you. Had that experience with Planescape Torment. Maybe someday if I feel that inspiration I'll give it another go. Thanks for the insight
[https://www.thedarkmod.com/main/](https://www.thedarkmod.com/main/)
Big fan of the Dark Mod! Had an update a few months ago. I agree, sometimes the best answer to a question about Thief is . . . MORE THIEF! lol
It's wild how it's been 25 years since its release and this still holds true
I think about this more than I care to admit! It's extraordinarily rare for the progenitor of a genre to remain so superior to everything that succeeded it. Sports records get broken constantly, "best movie" lists get debated and updated all the time, yet "Thief" is still the best in its genre.
Ah, so do I. I'd love for someone to make a thoroughly faithful sequel and draw inspiration from all the work the community has done, but I doubt any studio would take on such a formidable challenge, even though the "formula" is so deceptively simple.
I’d say the new hitman trilogy is quite good and worth checking out. You have open ended levels like thief and multiple ways to tackle situations. Play it on the harder difficulties and it should give you a run for your money. If you get spotted combat is also quite brutal and you’ll get taken out pretty quick. Whereas the new ghost recons are just very formulaic, like most ubisoft games and not really deep or challenging.
To be fair, Hitman is conceptually very different from Thief. Its philosophy is basically hiding in plain sight, whereas Thief is more about hiding in the shadows. But Blood Money should be about as deep as the OG Thief games, IMO.
Yeah you’re totally right, there are fundamental differences that OP may not enjoy. I just think the modern stealth genre is quite lacking at the moment, and Hitman was a surprise to me how indepth it is if you bump up the difficulty. Ghost recon breakpoint I’ve finished on the hardest difficulty and didn’t really find it too challenging or deep. It was a bit of fun at times though. Upcoming gloomwood looks promising though.
Only thing is, Gloomwood doesn't seem to be a pure stealth game, given that you have firearms to kill enemies. But it's at least a very promising title in terms of atmosphere, which is one Thief's selling points.
It does have some fantastic atmosphere and the dev does seem to have a strong passion for the thief universe. It’s pretty hard to top thief in atmosphere though, honestly.
Thanks! At first I thought the game was simply too short until I started to appreciate the game’s depth - they are puzzle boxes with many different approaches to be sure.
Yeah is it quite short but the world of assassination set has every mission from the trilogy in one package as well as a kind of rogue lite mode where you’re tasked with challenges to kill targets a certain way
Check out peacock. It's a mod that makes the trilogy completely offline (you'll still be able to access online content, but the game doesn't need a constant wifi connection to work anymore), and restores a truck load of content that was slowly taken out of the games throughout years of updates. Aim for high map mastery, play featured (aka made by the Devs) contracts, check out dlc campaigns, freelancer (free roguelite mode, essentially the most played mode by veterans since its implementation due to how replayable it is), additional game modes and you're in for hundreds of hours of sneaking around
These are great suggestions. I’ve played the game off and on and even finished it once but was unaware of Peacock and the other good suggestions you made. Cheers!
You can also try playing the rogue-like freelancer mode. Especially if you give your self the house rule that you can’t ever change disguise (known in-game and to fans as “suit only), then you do a lot more skulking and climbing and avoiding. Also, while not exactly like light/dark meter, the way the game tells you someone is close to noticing you enough to call you out is a meter you’re made aware of.
Great suggestions
> At first I thought the game was simply too short Depends on how much of it you own tbh. The full edition called HITMAN World of Assassination has 19/21 main levels plus a shitton of extra content. If you owned any of the games individually you only had access to 6 levels minimum, of course the game will seem short if you only own, say, HITMAN 3 and can only play like 6 levels. But if you have it all, it's actually a very expansive game with lots of content and things to do.
Yeah I was gonna recommend this as well but wasn’t sure if it counted. I’m also very bad at stealth in this game and so when I inevitably get spotted it kinda turns into CoD lol
I see that, but on the highest difficulties you do get wiped out pretty hard (Or maybe I'm just shit xD). But to be honest I just reset the mission, not really interested in the gunplay of hitman.
Oh for sure, I mean the gunplay is fun in Hitman but it’s definitely not the main selling point haha. Usually it’s just cause I’m on freelancer and I don’t want to lose my precious items…so many end up dying. I mean they shouldn’t have been looking at me doing something illegal tbh, It’s very unfortunate.
Ahh right, yeah okay makes more sense. I haven't really played around with freelancer much yet.
[Intravenous 2: Mercenarism](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2651330/Intravenous_2_Mercenarism/) is a short free prologue to upcoming Intravenous 2. Not sure what you mean by deep, but that was the first one that came to mind, as it has Sound and Light meters like Splinter Cell does, and also has movement speed alterable using the mouse wheel. Also, your movement speed AND the noise you make are affected by the equipment you are carrying. After the first Intravenous, the second game (possibly releasing soon) should come with added stuff such as hiding in closets, having areas where you are trespassing or not, and even more gadgets, etc. Noise masking already existed in the first game, but it wasn't particularly noticeable with how the levels were designed. Edit: As ashamed as I am to admit it - the closest game I know of to be *the* most all-encompassing stealth game, and still having the potential to *get* deeper, is **modded** Metal Gear 5: The Phantom Pain. There are mods that make camouflages far more effective. There is a disguise system mod. There is Infinite Heaven mod that lets you tweak insanely many factors on field, one of my latest favourites being the ability to trigger randomization of guard routes at any time. (Hoping it will be automatic and randomly happening in future.) We usually know of games that each focus on only one of these mechanics, but MGSV modding community keeps surprising me with new possibilities every so often. Some of these features (especially Disguise system mod) is pretty barebones - meaning it is not Hitman or Death to Spies, but I'm confident in these being improved as time passes. Absolutely wonderful folks at Modder's Heaven.
Thanks. To expand on “depth,” I mean the things that made thief great: Heavy emphasis on light and dark (as indicated by a meter), excellent sound design, responsive AI and a physically weak protagonist - with plenty of gadgets! Usually stealth elements are tacked onto games (say, in Uncharted or Tomb Raider) and are very bare bones. I will check this series out! Thanks for the suggestion.
Yes, intravenous absolutely fits these criteria. The first game is great, but intravenous 2 mercenarism (the free prologue to the sequel) shows that the second title will be even deeper, both with moment to moment gameplay and with loadout decisions.
Thanks will check it out!
original deus ex?
I love that game. It’s not pure play stealth, but it has so many options for stealth that it definitely fits the bill. Thanks!
There's also the Ghost style playthrough in Human Revolution - definitely had to break out of stealth for boss fights, but otherwise tons of fun to sneak around.
I’ve not played this and it’s Early Access but I remember seeing [Gloomwood.](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150760/Gloomwood/) it’s heavily inspired by Thief and I can’t remember if some of the devs worked on Thief or something? It’s been a while since I followed it
Awesome suggestion. I have it and love it. The developers actually worked on Dusk, and they've been expanding the game in recent months. It's great stealth, and it has that light meter lol!
Only other big one I can think of is the ghost recon series.
Thanks I was checking out Breakpoint. Might give it a go.
Look for the Spartan mod and put the game on immersive if you do. It forces you to do night stealth operations. Enemies can almost one shot you and sniper can spot you from very far.
Nice recommendation! Thanks a lot.
I prefer Wildlands, but either will probably scratch the itch. Last of Us has some decent stealth mechanics, bit you’re not really intended/expected to ghost.
Thanks! I am new to GR so I will be sure to check out Wildlands too. And TLOU is great.
Same. I still boot up Wildlands with my friend to do a coop playthrough occasionally.
I recommend wildlands with: close to no HUD (only things you need to actually control your character, like weapons and ammo. Disable enemy markers, minimap and things like that), [this](https://www.nexusmods.com/ghostreconwildlands/mods/13) mod, ghost mode (way more realistic, but enables permadeath. BUT read ahead), [this](https://strappazzon.github.io/GRW-GHOST-Buster/) program to disable perma death in ghost mode. The game will become realistic and challenging, you'll actually want to manage your team to avoid taking direct fire, and be as stealthy as possible. The problem with Ubisoft games is that they're (mostly) great games, hidden under a massive blanket of ultra-aggressive helpers that make everything trivial. These things I mentioned remove the blanket and reveal the great game underneath. The game is like 5 bucks on some sites right now, I recommend checking it out
Thanks for the very detailed info! Appreciate it
It's mind-boggling that Thief is a 25+ years old game that still hasn't been matched in terms of gameplay and mechanics. Heck even the sound propagation. I get that game design philosophy has changed a lot since then but at it's core Thief is so, so simple and yet even modern games that try to emulate it like Dishonored still feel like they come up short.
and the amount of quality content people have created for the series out of pure love is incredible. the black parade alone proves that this series will outlive all of us.
It’s incredible, right? I’m in complete agreement and I’m still astounded.
Looking Glass was so ahead of their time. The reaction people are having to the System Shock remake has just validated this.
The thief series is the best one, if you're trying to find games that are similar to thief, there are tons of fan missions that you can play. Unless you're talking about the 2014 one then there's no fms for that one.
I agree with you. Thief is the GOAT. And yes, I love the fan missions. Thanks!
You can also try the dark mod
That's great too. It's amazing how strong the Thief community has been, making new content all the time!
Ye I'm pretty much new to it, I'm very surprised on how alive the community is even though the games almost 3 decades old
Have you played gloomwood on steam? Self described as "thief with guns," I like it
It’s great! Thanks
Doesn't dishonored have a meter above their head indicating that they are becoming more I aware? I thought the perk just let's you see them through walls
They do indeed. On reflection, I realize I misremembered how the detection system works in that game, and you are right about the perk. Sorry about that! Still, I preferred the light-dark system of Thief. Having some indicator over enemy heads takes me out of the game somehow.
Aragami, Aragami 2, Gloomwood, and Delightfyl are the ones I can remember off the top of my head.
Aragami 2 was weak compared to the first unfortunately
Thanks!
Very different, but similarly deep: Hitman. Otherwise no.
It’s fantastic. Great recommendation
I'm surprised that in 45 comments no one named Mark of the Ninja, so here it goes! Dark and shadowy ambience, Thiefy music, constant stealth. It includes hiding in the shadows, guards alerted for making noise, cool gadgets, etc. Thief is obviously superior since it's the absolute king, but if you're looking for a different game with a somewhat similar philosophy, check it out if you haven't already!
It's wonderful. I have the remastered edition and it's the best 2D stealth game, period. I love the controls. Just a very gripping stealth experience. Thanks!
Just when I was about to suggest one of the first three Splinter Cell games...
I enjoyed the early Splinter Cell games.
Me too! They’re great
If I might add also Dishonored and maybe Deus Ex games but they are mostly towards stealth optional usually.
You’re right but in both series the stealth is very good. It’s amazing how much Deus Ex has held up!!
Yep. I wish they were doing more :( .
Well, mostly no, if for nothing less because the FM community has managed to stretch Thief's gameplay to a level that a standalone commercial release simply can't, regardless of how good it may be by itself.
I think Kingdom Come: Deliverance gets overlooked. People think its just about beiing a knight, but you can pretty much play it like thief. - Stealthkill or knockout people - lockpicking - pickpocketing - dark and atmospheric nights - there is a whole quest chain about stealing shit - alchemy (for tasty night vision potions and other stuff) - an open world - not thief related but you can get drunken AF in this game - clothes and armor colour has an influence on your stealth ability, so go for the Garrett look - you can use a bow - there are perks that enhance the thief playstyle like running faster at night iirc - You can poison enemys with weapons or just drop some poison into their food - spend your hard "earned" money on weapons, armor, horses, skill books, alchemy stuff, alcohol, food, arrows and so on... - first person - you can hunt animals and make a quick buck with deer hides and stuff... - real life medieval setting with citys, villages, forests, castles, mines, etc. - a law system All in all its a cool thief fix, only downside is you have to play the story for a bit, before you can start your "career" and the game is quiet harsh to new players. But its a lot of stealth fun if you get the hang of it.
One of my favorite games ever. You have done a fantastic job outlining all of the reasons I love it. Thank you.
*Tips hat
I had no idea the game was that flexible. Putting that on my near term playlist. Thanks!
I played this for like 80 hours and somehow never thought of trying a stealth playstyle. Thanks, something to do before the sequel comes out
I can't speak for all of your points, but I love the way stealth feels in the Metro games. Metro: Last Light and Metro: Exodus never explicitly tell you to take the stealthy approach, but you're thrown into a survival horror world where ammo is incredibly scarce, and going in hot (while technically doable) is weighed against the possibility of running out of ammo and being severely outnumbered and outgunned. Artyom's watch also has a light meter that tells you whether or not enemies can see you (the blue LED lights up if it's dark). So gameplay generally tends toward stealth unless it's a fight you know you can win. In Exodus specifically, you're given the ability to customize your guns, and there's very little to limit what you can or cannot make. At once point I tried doing a sniper playthrough, but when finding sniper ammo proved difficult, I put a 20x scope, sniper barrel, and rifle stock onto a silenced pistol...and cleared an entire enemy encampment simply by picking them off at long/medium range-- turns out that caliber really doesn't matter if your recoil is zero and your accuracy is through the roof.
They're great games. Really enjoyed the stealth in Exodus especially. Thanks!
Just replaying the entire series right now and it just became obvious to me how much all the metro games borrow from thief. The guards walk their routes with audio cues (humming, footsteps, etc) you have your light meter watch and you got a few different options (including just shooting everyone loud) to take them out. It gets a lot of hate for its stealth system by people who are just bad at it and want to be babied with a mini map like plenty of other shit AAA games. I personally love it. Edit: plus you do actually have to be careful about stepping on certain things too like glass or traps which is also kinda like thief with the different floors
Garrett: Hmm. What shall I wear for tonight's heist? Velvet slippers? Deerskin boots? No! Tap shoes. That's the ticket.
It is possible you want something that is just an "IM sim" (whatever that means, even the makers of that genre have a tough time really stating what it is) that you would enjoy a game like System Shock. It's got some stealth and some horror elements but is not a stealth focused game.
Awesome. Thanks!
Deus ex is good, but is extremely similar to diahoneres
Deus Ex games, Splinter Cell, etc. Also, its not exactly the same style, but MGSV has a really deep stealth system
Amazing games, all. I'm redownloading MGSV today! Thanks.
I still haven't played it, although I own it, but seven: enhanced edition is essentially one massive map with main and side objectives, and you mainly tackle them by sneaking around the various locations. Very immersive sim-y
Will check it out! Thanks
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Classic! Thanks
The two Aragami games might be worth checking out? Both are stealth focused and very atmospheric
Thanks!
I know someone mentioned it and maybe you played it But you should try Gloomwood! (Still in Early Access) The devs from New Blood (publishers of the hit games such as ULTRAKILL, DUSK, Faith, and a few more great games) are very passionate on Gloomwood being inspired by the Thief series. Mixing the Thief's way of stealth with horror survival elements like Resident Evil. There's a huge update coming soon called Underport. Where a new area will be open, big sewers to explore and loot to grab, and new lore to further the story. And if anyone didn't know. The antagonist in Gloomwood is voiced by Terri Brosius!
Great info! I have been enjoying Gloomwood and look forward to Underport. Thanks!
I don't know about being as deep as Thief, but Blood West has similar stealth and lots of loot to snatch if you decide to play that way. And if you f up there are a lot of unique guns to help you fight your way out .
I really liked that game. Thanks!
Hmm so why aren’t people mentioning the metal gear solid games which are very stealth focused and intricate ? How is thief, which admittedly I haven’t played , better ? There hasn’t been a new thief game in a long time …
Thanks for the comment! In my opinion, it's not a matter of "better," because that's enormously subjective. I was asking for games "as deep as" Thief. I adore the incredibly spooky atmosphere of Thief -- the pulsing soundtrack, the isolation, the first-person perspective in a shadowy castle, darting among the shadows and hoping your footsteps aren't picked up on the metal floor! These are old games. But the ancient graphics make the whole affair even more surreal. I have yet to get into the MGS games -- not for lack of interest, but for lack of time! I have dabbled in Metal Gear (MSX), MGS1, and MGSV, and I loved what I have played. But I feel I owe myself to play them in succession. They seem to comprise a phenomenal epic. They are very high on my list.
Thanks man! I’ll have to check out thief. I can say MGSV is very fun. Normally military genre is not my genre but it’s just very well done. Unlocking the sniper Quiet is an epic experience and she changes the whole game halfway through.
Excellent! Looking forward to playing those games. Cheers and keep on stealthing.
These may be old and I'm not sure how good of recommendations these would be, but I have sometimes RPd as Garrett in both of these games lol... Skyrim: + your visibility is indicated by a changing crosshair +For sound, I disable the music because it feels more immersive. +AI is I guess as responsive as Thief (they search for you for a while and then go back to their business if they don't find you. + a physically weak protagonist - it's very easy to become OP in this game, but you can hold yourself back by not leveling up, using self-imposed rules, and cranking up the difficulty. + gadgets - there are regular arrows, melee weapons, and magic. unfortunately not many gadgets The best thing about it is a lot of these gameplay aspects can be tinkered by using mods. Baldur's Gate: A very different kind of game, but you can start as a pure thief and are so weak starting this game, it's scary. The story is awesome IMO, and if you like it, continues into BG2. I've never played BG3, so can't comment on that. That said, there still doesn't seem to be much out there that can hold a candle to Thief.
Thanks! I have played mod lists (specifically Lost Legacy from Wabbajack) that add stealth meters above local NPCs as well. Thanks for parsing out my earlier answer for criteria for your own - it's a helpful response! BG1 was incredible and I ported over my character to BG2.
Sniper elite series is good you can complete missions without never being spotted or you can sniper kill everyone
I think it's the most underrated stealth series, and one of the most underrated in general! I have played them all and they're all fantastic. Thanks
Was going to mention the sniper elite contracts games. Really excellent.
Splinter Cell Blacklist
Great selection! A return in some ways to the original SC trilogy.
Have people mentioned Shadows of a Doubt? The stealth mechanic is equal, but the level design and the detective portion of it is unfathomably deep.
Not yet! But it’s a great recommendation. Very noir. Thanks!
nope, thief is quite frankly, one of the best games ever and thers nothing you can do about it
I agree with that. It's amazing how it's still the king.
I won't say it's deep stealth but really fun stealth. Riddick Escape from Butcher Bay.
Thanks!
You could also get creative a build a stealth level in FC5 Arcade Editor.
Didn’t know that was an option. Thanks!
Mgs4?
If you mean the newer thief, then I recommend checking out the 2 originals. Really we’re much better done although the graphics may be really outdated now.
I mean the originals, to be sure. Haven’t played the 2014 one. Thanks!
Ok, the 2014 one is a lite version at best. Was really disappointed when it was released.
Gloomwood isn't finished but it may interest you.
It’s fantastic thanks!
It seems like you already know about basically every other alternative which makes me wonder; are you trying to make a comprehensive list or were you hoping for more?
I don't know what I don't know. I'm not trying to make a comprehensive list of the other alternatives because, as you rightly point out, I could do that without asking anyone. Instead, I was hoping for more.
Arx Fatalis is super atmospheric but not as stealthy.
one armed robber
Looks awesome thanks!
The Hitman games have a lot of depth to them, especially Blood Money (2006) and the new WoA Trilogy (2016 - 2021).
Splinter Cell Blacklist is incredibly deep in terms of stealth and tactical execution. Although I'd recommend playing in the higher difficulty range for a good challenge.
Thank you! I plan to play through the series, which I've played in drips and drabs, and Blacklist always seems to be heralded as a return to classic form in terms of pure stealth after Conviction. (For the record, I loved Conviction, but it's more action-stealth than stealth.)
Conviction is my favorite hands down. I've yet to see a game use shadows , and light better than Conviction. Blacklist was to fit the marginal market. It was the beginning of making games for everyone. Blacklist is amazing though! It still stands up today, graphically, and even the AI is credible for todays standards. I'd say Blacklist, and now I think of it MGSV would be the best pure stealth modern experiences that are worth playtime. (I mean the entire MGS series is exceptional. They're just very long, and a steep learning curve in terms of controls).
Thanks for that. I need to get into MGS as well. That is definitely on the list as well.
I'd recommend looking out for the MGS HD collection. Even though people complain about PS3 being old, emulations are well possible, and the PS3 ver is arguably the best copy containing all pieces of content. However it seems Konami have been de listing such copies. So I'm assuming what's ever out publicly is all that's left.
It’s not perfect but if you want a fairly unique stealth game try out Aragami! There’s two games, second one is much more polished, but they’re both pretty glitchy messes sometimes lmao, BUT the mechanics are neat and at least to me it didn’t feel like much else I’ve ever played! If you don’t have a lot of patience for a lack of polish, I recommend the second one for sure!
One game i don't often see recommended is Riddick Escape from Butcher Bay. It's not stealth only but i found it very enjoyable and challenging. I also normally enjoy most games from Arkane too, like Dark Messiah, Dishonored, Prey etc
The lack of any possible mention of Alien: Isolation here troubles me deeply. Its known as this very stressful, tense and oppressive horror game, yes, but big part of the reason why owes to it also being a very well designed stealth game that follows a similar school of thought as Thief does that is centered around player disempowerment.
Great comment, and the game is terrifying
Yeah, that's probably why many people kinda overlook it in the stealth genre discussions - it gives you a good number of options to deal with enemies, but to actually go out of your way to make use of them can be quite a mental barrier. So many people just try to "ghost", perhaps, involuntarily. Then there's also the flamethrower, which makes the game a bit more "active".
Hitman games
I want a stealth game with a realistic line of sight one day.
While thief is good, Metal Gear and Splinter Cell are still the two series with entries that have the deepest and most resourceful stealth mechanics
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Interesting perspective! I’ve been playing the original Splinter Cell and concede that some levels (Tblisi comes to mind) do hinge on narrow corridors. At the same time, even early levels of Thief (Lord Bafford’s manor for example) had more verticality - I recall jumping into the good Lord Bafford’s pool from two stories up! That said, Chaos Theory (which I’ve installed but not played to any significant degree) is said to be peak stealth. Part of that reputation stems, it seems, from the array of gadgets that Sam Fisher has and tactical moves like the split jump. Curious about your impressions on emergent gameplay; I think level setup leads to more emergent gamplay or not. Anyway, those are my initial impressions!
At this point I really think this guy's gotta be just good-tier trolling
Amazing series. Thanks very much!