With steam next fest starting this week, I wanted to post a list of games that I've downloaded to try and see what other games people are giving a go

List of stealth(ish) games on my radar:

1. A Deep World
2. Bauble
3. Cheesty
4. Deep Six
5. Gatos Adventure
6. Honey, I'm an Agent
7. Hood
8. KNIGHTS OF THE FALL
9. LATITUDE OF THE CULT
10. Mana Expel
11. Nemorsys
12. Pale Incense
13. Polemista
14. Quiet in the Keep
15. Red Recon: 1944
16. Ribbit Robber
17. The Maze: In Dark
18. Vaulted
19. Whispers of Orange Island

Sadly, I cannot vouch for the quality of any of these games as I haven't yet gotten to dive in and honestly, I can't even say how stealthly these games actually are

This list is just games that were either already on my wishlist or found by scrolling the next fest page with it filtered to stealth games

Unfotunatley, the stealth tag on steam isn't very reliable, but all of these games do have it so I decided to at least give them a shot.

I usually end up finding a lot of janky indie games during next fests and I'm expecting the same this time

I know there are some other demos like The Citadel Project, Dead Reckoner, or SeverLink, but I played them before next fest started so I didn't include them in my list

I'm sure there's probably more as well

Anyway, these are the stealth games I'll be trying out this week with probably some more additions to come

Please let me know if there are any other stealth(ish) demos that I need to try. I am always looking for more upcoming stealth games to keep an eye on with a list that is already comfortably over 100 games and always growing

Happy steam next fest everyone and go play The Citadel Project because it's sick and probably a day one game for me

We've been busting our butts the past few months quietly getting the game ready for launch - and keen eyed folks will notice a ton of cool new levels, music, and tools that aren't in the current open beta on itch.io :)

If you're not aware, Keepsake County is a roguelike immersive sim set in the fictional midwestern state of Frikota. You're a petty house burglar trying to steal enough to pay off an enormous debt.

The easiest way to learn more about it is our steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1162860/Keepsake_County/

Feel free to ask anything about it, I'm happy to answer.

Was curious if you guys already found some cool gems on the next fest?

I'm working on a heist game where a job can go quiet or go very loud, and I keep going back and forth on how the police response should ramp up.

Right now heavier response (more patrol cars, then a chopper, then the really big stuff) is tied to what you actually do: crashes, explosions, wrecked cop cars all push the heat up. Stay clean and the response stays small.

The alternative I'm weighing:

A) Escalation tied to noise. Your choices decide how bad it gets. A careful run stays manageable, a messy one snowballs. Feels fair, but a skilled player can stay at low heat forever, and the late game can lose its pressure.

B) Escalation on a clock. The longer you're out, the worse it gets, no matter how quiet you are. Keeps every run tense and stops players from camping, but it can feel like the game is punishing you for being patient and careful.

(Or some mix: noise sets the level, time slowly pushes it up, and going quiet lets it decay.)

For people who like stealth that can fall apart into chaos: which version feels more honest to you? Any games that got this balance right, or badly wrong?

(Dev note, not a pitch: this is for Heistfest, our small heist/getaway game on Steam. Feedback on the mechanic is the point.) https://store.steampowered.com/app/1451220/?utm_source=reddit&utm_campaign=community&utm_content=ext-stealthgames-1019

In Starfield they have the Mantis, and in Cyberpunk 2077 they had Murk Man, so I was wondering if there are any other sci-fi games that allow you to become a vigilante like in those games? And if there are please let me help me find it because I love the concept, masked crime fighters flying around in spaceships and going to other planets or in a technological wild filled with cybernetics and advanced weaponry. So if you know of any please let me know.

Are you familiar with other stealth games besides the series SC, MGS, Thief and Thief Simulator relevant as inspiration for an audio crime/drama/thriller with real detailed elements of stealth (lockpicking, thief/ cat-burglar gear)? I'm currently playing TDM mostly because it seems endlessly rich. But it's set in a steampunk past. I'm working on an audio series I started a few years ago, set in present day Europe ...for now.

The script is inspired by places I visited and I'm trying to keep the descriptions as close to the real places as possible. Although I have experience as a locksmith, I feel that stealth games have spicy stealth mechanics fit for a thriller novel. Are you familiar with any other modern stealth games?

This is the series on YT https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLElJuG1Knnwk&si=GlI7FhxGLn7wHp2z

P.S. I also played Alpha Protocol but I think that one is too futuristic

Hey everyone!

For the past four years, my friend and I have been pouring our hearts into a 2D stealth game. Today, we’re thrilled to share our updated playable demo as part of Steam Next Fest starting October 19th.

We wanted to move away from flat, predictable patrol loops and simple vision cones to build a deeper, more demanding stealth experience:

Light & Shadow as a Core System:

In this game, darkness isn’t just a hiding spot it’s a world mechanic. It dynamically governs your visibility, the strength and behavior of your abilities, and various in‑game effects.

Realistic & Unpredictable AI:

Instead of following simple scripted paths, enemies remember your last known location and actively hunt you. They never cheat ,they randomly look around, they must see or hear you. If you break line of sight, they coordinate through sound cues and search the surrounding area where you were last spotted, forcing you to constantly improvise and reposition. Beware frontal assaults are fatal.

Play the demo during Steam Next Fest (Oct 19 -26) and let us know what you think: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3517930/Nemorsys/

$29.99

Free Switch upgrade until November 5th, then $9.99 to upgrade.

The updated version includes higher resolution in both handheld and docked modes, improved animations and visual effects, and a new Performance mode targeting 60fps, plus support for Joy-Con mouse controls.

Hey all — solo dev here, just released my first game and wanted to share it.

It's called Hive Heist. You're sneaking through a sealed wasp hive built from hexagonal rooms, trying to steal hidden "broods" and get to the exit before a patrol of guards spots you. The twist: every door looks identical, but only some of them actually open — you can't tell which until you walk up and try. No two runs look the same since the hive layout changes every time.

You've got four one-shot abilities to bail you out of a bad situation — teleport to a safe cell, turn invisible, or freeze every guard in place for a few seconds. Five campaign rooms that get bigger and harder, plus a Quick Game mode if you just want a one-off run, and a tutorial if you're new to it.

It's free, no accounts, nothing to buy to actually play — just a game I wanted to make and I'm genuinely curious what people think, good or bad. Happy to answer anything about how it's built too if anyone's curious (it's running on a real procedurally-generated hex grid, not a disguised square one).

Hi r/stealthgames. Another sneak peek at Sage: Psychic Spy, our game where you play as a black ops superhero!

These are 2 WiP shots of our Casino level, it's run by a high-ranking lieutenant for the Maroz-Cardosa crime syndicate. Taking inspiration from Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, many rooms have multiple entrances/exits. There is more than one path to finish the level. You can pickpocket keycards off guards, read their minds to get door codes, or get them from notepapers you find in the level.

We're big fans of Splinter Cell and Dishonored, we can't wait for you guys to play it when the demo goes live (date TBD).

Wishlist here! https://store.steampowered.com/app/4735420/Sage_Psychic_Spy/

You can follow us here for more r/SagePsychicSpy!

I hope this is okay to share. I'm not really looking to promote yet since I don't have a Steam page or socials or anything like that, but I really love stealth games and wanted to talk to other fans of the genre to see what they think.

I know there isn't much here, but I'd really love to hear what people think would make a system like this rewarding and satisfying.

Good morning, everyone! I’m very pleased to share our demo and gameplay video with you.

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/8T3bryzum2

Demo: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZRTOBqa7-blfnJFb_wA0bEKpcmEg2edp/view?usp=sharing

I loved Spies vs Mercs and there hasn’t been anything like it for a long time, so I started making my own, called Dead Angle. For those who haven’t played it, one player is the spy, hiding in the dark, and the other is the merc hunting him with a flashlight. It’s 1v1 to begin with.

The spy is on the left and the merc is on the right.

It’s very early in development, and everything you see is a work in progress.

Which side would you rather play? And what in your opinion would make the merc fun to play?

I post devlogs on r/DeadAngle if you want to follow along.

Hey everyone!
Breixo here, solo dev of Ghost Node, I wanted to share the idea behind it with people who play a lot of stealth games!

You have a drone to scout ahead in safety and see every piece of the puzzle without the pressure of being detected.

Almost everything in a level can be wired to something else: a switch to the lights, a sensor to a door, a camera to an elevator.

Gunpoint is the main inspiration for the wiring part, Dishonored for having several solutions to solve the same problem.

Happy to answer your questions and gather your feedback!

Here's the steam page if you want to follow the game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4060200/Ghost_Node/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=stealthgames

PS: We've started a closed playtest, you can join it through our Discord!
PS2 : Don't sprint in a stealth game.

We are a little team making BALSEO: The Sea Beyond, a stealth game based on South American mythology. Here is how much the visuals have improved!

You can check out our Steam page here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4338640/BALSEO_The_Sea_Beyond/

I played most stealth games out there but My top 5 are:

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Dishonored
Deus ex HR
Hitman: Blood Money
Mark of the Ninja

Now the one stealth game I often see mentioned that I didn’t play is MGS3. I play all the other but not 3. Wasn’t really feeling the whole jungle aesthetic. Have I missed out? Do y’all see it fit amongst my top 5 ?

I'm going to preface this by saying that I understand I'm in the minority here and it's totally cool if people disagree with me, I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum. I am curious to see if anyone agrees with me and the kind of conversation we might be able to have discussing this mechanically.

Metal Gear is my favorite series. I have played every game in the series, even the turn-based card game PSP spinoffs, the non-cannon Game Boy Color game, the mgs2 skateboarding mini game. I've played most of these games many times.

I hear it repeated ad nauseam that Metal Gear Solid 5, despite its limitations in story, had "the best gameplay in the series". I hear this repeated as an uncontested fact so often and I hate it because I think it has some of the worst gameplay in the series.

Metal Gear Solid 5, undoubtedly, has the strongest of the three C's : Character, Camera and Controls. In terms of just moving snake around it controls incredibly well, it's responsive and satisfying and all of that is terrific. If that character controller was put into a game with great level design it would be one of the best stealth games ever.

The problem is everything you actually do in the game, its structure and progression.

The game sacrificed tight stealth game levels from the previous games for big open sandbox design that feels like it could have been generated by a script. Instead of presenting you with a set of tight levels that are constantly evolving, you're infiltrating dozens of samey bases over the course of the game. The different bases rarely require new approaches to stealth, the same core tactics that you can utilize at the start of the game remain incredibly efficient at the end. Even when guards start resisting certain tactics, you're constantly developing newer and more powerful tools that just delete enemies. Once you get an idea of how the AI works you no longer have to engage with the level design, every level feels the same.

Compare this to the first three Metal Gear Solid games. Those games are short and sweet, each one only has a few hours of gameplay, but it never repeats itself. Every room is different, they're constantly throwing new hazards and combinations of threats at you. I can play through Metal Gear Solid 3 in my head because every second of that game is unique.

The progression systems in MGS5 strip the open world of any real value and exploration. You're not really finding items that change things, you're just increasing your number of one of several generic resources. The entire process of expanding your Arsenal is offloaded to the mother base system which is time consuming and grindy. Kidnapping hundreds of personnel over the course of a playthrough just so that you can develop the newest versions of the same five different tools that you're going to be using throughout the whole game.

Metal Gear Solid 5 feels like a really great 10 to 15 hour long game cut into pieces and spread over an incredibly boring and repetitive 50 hour long game. Most of the content is incredibly generic and repetitive, and while there are a few sequences that are truly memorable they are few and far between.

I would much rather have a 10-hour long game that is dense with polished and unique content then a 50 hour long game that never really evolves or changes as it goes.

Been replaying the games recently and I've noticed how the tranq gun in MGS2 onwards seems... a bit too strong? It almost feels like there's no reason to use anything else. What do you think?