Guide: Best Nintendo Switch Stealth Games

Hitman 3 is a fantastic conclusion to one of gaming’s truly great trilogies and, with this Cloud Version, Switch players get to join in the fun in an experience that delivers the goods – so long as you’ve got the bandwidth to handle it. The expected, unavoidable technical shortcomings of streaming a game over the internet – input lag, visual dips and framerate issues – are all present to some degree but, on the whole, if your broadband setup is up to the task, you’ll find that a perfectly playable version of a slick and addictive stealth title is loitering in the shadows for you on Switch.

Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection presents two excellent swashbuckling epics ported to Nintendo’s console in fine fashion. Stealth is oftentimes merely optional rather than necessary, but this deadly duo offers some quality surreptitious action if that’s what you’re after. Black Flag is a revelation in portable mode and looks and performs almost flawlessly as you blast your way around the Caribbean on Edward Kenway’s captivating pirate adventures. Rogue, although it struggles to keep up slightly here and there, is always eminently playable and together with the excellent Freedom Cry, they deliver handheld Assassin’s Creed at a standard we weren’t sure we’d see on Switch. If you’re after something with a bit less ocean, then the Ezio Collection is also a solid, if dated choice on the Switch.

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Playing Metal Gear Solid on the Switch in 2023 serves as a stark reminder of why the game is considered one of the greatest of all time, but it also highlights some of the ways it has aged in the decades since. With its release on Switch, Konami has opted to remain as faithful as possible to the original game, which means there’s certainly some room for graphical and gameplay improvements. That said, the release also includes some tasty extras, such as the VR/Special Missions expansion and the Japan-only Integral release. If you can stomach the blocky visuals and quaint gameplay, it’s a must-buy.

Invisible, Inc. is a brilliant little tactics game, right up there with Into the Breach and XCOM – if not even better. The bite-sized structure belies a deceptively complex and meaningful game, where all your decisions ultimately mean something significant for that final desperate attack. If you enjoy stealth or tactics games – or you’re simply looking for a way into either genre – then Invisible, Inc. deserves your attention.

Monaco: Complete Edition offers a solid solo experience which benefits from some excellent storytelling and multiple perspectives, as well as brilliantly-constructed heist-based gameplay focused on putting each criminal’s skills to the best use. However, it truly shines in multiplayer, whether couch co-op or online. As the servers are pretty quiet, grabbing a group of friends and forming your own motley crew is your best route into this explosive heist thriller.

Yes, you can HONK! ’til you’re blue in the bill, but if you want to pilfer prizes from its English country gardens, Untitled Goose Game forces you to perfect your stealth skills, too. House House’s game boasts more inventiveness, creativity and charm than the vast majority of titles on the Switch eShop, and offers a believable game world that’s a real pleasure to explore, investigate and – of course – cause merry havoc in. Superb physics, excellent controls, surprisingly robust AI and unique presentation all combine to make this a real highlight in the Switch’s library – it’s only the brevity of the experience that lets it down, but this really is a case of quality over quantity.

Sniper Elite 4 is the best entry yet in this long-running franchise with great big meaty missions stuffed to bursting point with Nazis to snipe and stab in glorious slo-mo X-ray vision. There’s a new-found flexibility to the gameplay, with Karl now able to shimmy and scurry vertically around levels and enemy AI that’s much more up to the task than in previous iterations. There may be some slightly rough edges, with duff writing, naff characters and gameplay that doesn’t change much from start to finish but, overall, this is playful, stealthy sniper’s paradise and a truly impressive Switch port.

Alien: Isolation is a survival horror masterpiece and straight-up one of the very best horror video games ever released. It’s a nerve-wracking affair – a slow, methodical game of cat and mouse against a brilliantly clever recreation of one of cinema’s most infamous killers – but if you’re up to the task you’ll find one of the most satisfying gameplay experiences in the genre; a brilliant and beautiful homage to one of the greatest Sci-Fi movies of all time. Feral Interactive has done a stellar job with this Switch port and the excellent motion controls and inclusion of all previously-released DLC only go to sweeten the deal. This is essential stuff for survival horror fans.

Liberated tells a rollicking tale with plenty of style and stealth (if you want it, that is). It’s far from lacking in clichés (some of the “people would rather take selfies than open their eyes” stuff is a little eye-rolling) but it’s a fantastic take on a dystopian platformer that avoids the major pitfalls that such games often fall into. With responsive controls, enjoyable shooting and strong level design, Liberated is an atmospheric, absorbing treat and far more than the sum of its parts.

Disjunction feels like a love letter to stealth games of yore, melding together tight, responsive gunplay with effective close-range combat, all wrapped up in a nostalgic, visually arresting package that calls back to the MSX2 Metal Gear titles. Taking place in a dystopian, cyber-punk version of New York City, you play as three unique characters, each with their own distinct narrative. You may rinse it in just a handful of hours, and there’s little incentive for multiple playthroughs, but Disjunction is a glorious homage to the entire stealth genre.

Mark of the Ninja: Remastered is an utterly stellar stealth game and it’s lost none of the magic that made the original such a critical darling. Strong art direction, an engaging story, well-paced open gameplay, and a slew of extra content all combine to make for a near-flawless experience that you certainly won’t want to miss out on. We’d give this game a high recommendation to all Switch owners; it’s the best stealth game money can buy in the Switch library, and one of the best ones in any console library.

Hitman: Blood Money – Reprisal is a solid Switch port that offers up several quality-of-life updates that, if you’re a newcomer, will make your first experience with Agent 47 much more palatable. Not all of it works perfectly, and there’s no denying that certain aspects of Blood Money have aged considerably since 2006. That said, once you get to grips with it, Reprisal offers up almost limitless replayability and fun as you hone your assassination skills. Minor performance glitches aside, it’s a port well worth checking out and a true highlight of the Hitman franchise.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was a landmark achievement back in 2004 and remains so almost two decades later. It represents a significant shift in gameplay style from the previous two games, which might prove overwhelming for newcomers, but ultimately makes this one of the most involving Metal Gear titles available. The 30fps performance on Switch is certainly disappointing in principle, but the gameplay holds up regardless, making this a must-play if you’re wondering what all the fuss is about.