Summary
Stealth mechanicshave long been present in all manner of video games. Sneaking around dangerous enemies and avoiding detection provides players with rising anticipation that’s often thrilling, and the stealth genre takes full advantage of this. From old-school classics likeMetal Gearto later editionssuch asTom Clancy’sSplinter Cell, the stealth genre has a variety of experiences on offer.
However, theMetal Gearfranchise eventually evolved with the times, taking on a 3D aesthetic and launching theMetal Gear Solidseries. Many games followed suit, providing players with immersive 3D environments and characters. In spite of this,top-down stealth gamesare still being made, primarily as lower-budget indie titles, many of which take full advantage of their unique perspective.
6Serial Cleaner
Unique Stealth Gameplay That’s Atmospheric And Easy-To-Read
Serial Cleaneris a top-down action stealth game that plays like a stealth-focused take onHotline Miami, with a clean, angular art-style that’s both stylish and easy to read. This allows each encounter to feel fair, while remaining consistently pleasing to look at. More importantly, however,Serial Cleanerfeatures slick stealth gameplay that’s consistently fluid and frequently fast-paced.
Serial Cleanerfeatures a rich, 1970s setting and music to match, making the game surprisingly atmospheric despite its top-down perspective. Players are tasked with removing bodies and other evidence from crime scenes, cleaning up each location while avoiding the police. This results in a unique gameplay loop that’s light on action and heavy on strategy, but maintains a brisk pace thanks to its real-time gameplay.
The Escapists 2is a largely-improved version of the original top-downprison escape game, featuring the same emergent gameplay and sandbox elements that allow players to formulate a variety of escape plans.The Escapists 2features all manner of gameplay mechanics and systems, all in the name of player choice, allowing players to naturally develop strategies as they play.
Stealth, while not essential to the moment-to-moment gameplay, is an important aspect toThe Escapist 2’soverall loop. While players will spend much of their time in plain sight, plotting their escape, executing their plan will often require them to sneak around guards. To be successful, players will have to carefully plan each and every part of their route, leaving no stone unturned.
Top-Down Heisting With Stylized Shadows And Online Co-Op
Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine
Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine is a single player or co-op heist game. Assemble a crack team of thieves, case the joint, and pull off the perfect heist.The Locksmith: Blue-collar infiltration expert. The Lookout: She can see and hear everything… a natural leader. The Pickpocket: A hobo with a monkey and a penchant for crime.The Cleaner: A silent psychopath… Jack The Ripper in pink. The Mole: Big and dumb… likes to tunnel. The Gentleman: He doesn’t always wear a disguise, but when he does, he looks fantastic.The Hacker: Armies of viruses shut down security… a modern day warlock.The Redhead: Manipulative and murderous… a lady always gets what she wantsPlay with up to four people online or on the same screen. Compete with others via daily leaderboards
This top-down indie game featuresa unique aestheticthat takes full advantage of its stylized shadows to provide players with a one-of-a-kind challenge.Monaco: What’s Yours Is Minetasks players with pulling off all manner of challenging heists in single-player or, preferably, in online co-op.Monaco:This game is a careful combination of strategy and chaos, and although it gives players plenty of room to be strategic, they will need skilled teamwork to succeed when playing in online co-op.
Monacoalso features a variety of playable classes that improve the gameplay variety and add a level of strategy to the game. This allows players to strategize over team compositions and ensures everyone has a distinct role to fulfill during each heist.
A Clever Combination Of Immersive-Sim And Action-Stealth
Heat Signature
Break into spaceships: Fly your pod up to any spaceship in the galaxy and dock with its airlock to sneak inside. From there, you’ve got to sneak up on the crew, outshoot them in slowmo gunfights, or outthink them with clever gadgets. Take missions to steal loot, assassinate VIPs, or rescue friends.Take your time: Get out of impossible situations by pausing at any time and taking as long as you need to figure out a clever plan. You have a wide range of gadgets with clever uses, and you can switch, aim and fire them with no time pressure at all, letting you pull off ridiculously cool tricks without needing twitch skills.Liberate the galaxy: All your missions get you closer to liberating new space stations from the empires that control them, and this unlocks new gadgets to buy in your shops, and special challenge characters to play.Emergent gameplay: Use gadgets like teleporters, stealth shields and subverters to invent your own solutions to tricky situations.
Developed by Suspicious Developments (the studio behind games such asGunpointand the upcomingTactical Breach Wizards),Heat Signatureis a clever combination ofimmersive-sim gameplaywith action-stealth mechanics and a roguelike structure. This results in a fast-paced experience with heaps of emergent gameplay that constantly gives players decisions to make, and an abundance of tools with which to enact their plans.
Heat Signatureputs players in the shoes of several randomly generated characters, each with their own personal mission to complete. These missions are often difficult, however, and players will need to gather stronger equipment through breaking into ships and completing side missions. During these missions, players are often outnumbered, so brute-force action is almost never the right way to go about things. Instead,Heat Signaturerewards strategic thinking and cautious stealth, only occasionally giving players the room to let loose with high-powered weaponry.
Arguably improving on the original in more ways than one,Metal Gear 2: Solid Snakeset the standard for futureMetal Geargamesby seamlessly blending action and stealth, with a focus on the latter.
With a useful mini-map that allows players to plan ahead, and the ability to run andhide from enemies(rather than battle it out in a gunfight),Metal Gear 2: Solid Snakeis a frequently rewarding stealth game that’s surprisingly lacking in frustrations despite its age. However, some of the game’s puzzles and trial-and-error design have arguably aged worse than its action-stealth gameplay, making it a game that’s best for patient players and existingMetal Gearfans.
1Intravenous
Gritty, Hyper-Violent Action-Stealth From A Top-Down Perspective
Featuring a gritty, albeit cliché narrative centered around a plot for revenge,Intravenousis a dark and hyper-violent action-stealth game with an aestheticakin toHotline Miami. However, though the character designs, perspective, and action are similar,Intravenoustrades out the bright, vivid colors ofHotline Miamifor a dark, drab, and shadowy look.
Intravenousrewards slow, methodical players who approach each encounter cautiously. However, the game also features slick top-down shooter mechanics, allowing players to enjoy each and every chance at a firefight. They can approach encounters from an action-focused angle, but the game becomes tremendously challenging if players ignore the old-school stealth mechanics.
