Summary
Espionage, information gathering, social engineering, eavesdropping, assassination, sticking to the shadows, silent footsteps; what do you think of when you imagine a ninja? Stereotypically, it’s probably a lean, limber fella dressed in dark clothing, creeping around, armed with traditional weaponry; Ninja Gaiden, anyone?
At minimum, though, most people would agree a ninja (especially one portrayed in a video game) is a highly skilled, stealthy, lethal, and focused individual with specific goals or missions. If this sounds like a fantasy you’d like to live out, without the real-world risk, why not snoop around and gather intel on these incredible stealth games? You might find a solution to your ninja cravings.
To be frank, we’ve taken liberties with the definition of the word “ninja.” The entries that follow aim to capture the stealth spirit of the word more so than the actual Webster dictionary definition.
Updated February 2nd, 2025 by Hilton Webster:The fantasy of being a ninja, roaming in shadows, hiding in plain sight, and using a litany of tools is undying. Complete secrecy, and an incredible reward for investing in the systems that promote stealth so heavily. We’ve added a few more games to this list that, while not strictly being ninja, let you live out that fantasy to its fullest.
Batman is, by most accounts, not actually a ninja. He has trained across the world in plenty of different disciplines, and there’s no doubt that the tactics of ninja were one of them. So in a way, he embodies the aspects of a ninja without actually being one. He hides in shadows, he keeps his identity a secret, he enacts lethal takedowns before anyone has a chance to know he’s there.
That’s pretty ninja-like. On top of that are the copious tools he has, all to help him get the upper hand and scout out the area without alerting anyone. There’s more to being a ninja than just stealthy moves, after all. Information is key, and having the tools to know your enemy better than they know themselves is essential.
There is a Batman Ninja character though, so he’s basically a ninja here by association.
Set within the urban confines of Tokyo, Ghostwire has you in the role of Akito, as well as the spirit of a detective, KK, within him. Akito is by no means a ninja himself, though the abilities he employs put him suspiciously close to the profession. Bolstered by the powers given to him by KK, he has a supernatural twist to his tactics as well.
Akito is more of a modern ninja. Dapped from head-to-toe in techwear, he travels with a bow for silent takedown at a distance, and with his more supernatural powers can tear the core from enemies before they even know he’s there. He’s what a ninja would be if they had supernatural powers on top of all the stealth capabilities.
When you think about a ninja, the image likely conjured in your mind is that of the tight-fitting garb, face covering and crawling in shrubs and beneath floorboards. That is a ninja, of course, but keeping your identity hidden is just as essential to the trade. Sometimes, you need to get up close and personal. And for that, you need a disguise.
Agent 47 has that down in spades. He has the tools, he can scale buildings and hide around corners. But his greatest asset is the ability to be everyone’s best friend.He’s the chef in the kitchen, the bodyguard by your side, the technician at your pit stop. A ninja that can be seen without being discovered is the strongest of all. And the least-suspected blade is the one from those closest to you.
You can also throw shuriken and wear the traditional ninja garb, if you want to take the ninja role more seriously.
While the originalDishonoredis fantastic,Dishonored 2is top-notch stealth and assassination mechanics fun, packaged into a first-personRPGwith the option to attain magical abilities. Well, you can also play without killing practically anyone, and forgo the fancy, magical powers if you want the challenge.
If you haven’t played this Arkane masterpiece, it’s highly likely it’ll scratch that ninja itch of yours. Even if the world is a bit too detached from the classic ninja settings, you’ll run into plenty of unhappy fellows with flintlock-style pistols, and they’re happy to shoot you with them if they detect you.
Oh, turns out ninjas can have all kinds of marks; cursed marks in particular. Well, that’s how the story goes according to this game’s universe. To be fair, though, those cursed marks do give you heightened senses and abilities in this 2D, indie platformer with hand-painted assets and a gameplay philosophy thatrewards player choice.
While being silent and agile is a given, beyond that the choice is yours; do you want to be like a ghost that is never seen, or would you rather assassinate everyone in your path? Also, if you’re a completionist, you’ll be happy to hear each level you play has three score challenges to complete.
InAragami 2, you play as one of the last remaining members of the Aragami, a group suffering from a supernatural sickness that gradually erodes your body and mind. The positive catch, though, is that you get to control Shadow Essence; the ability to control shadows.
Thanks to these powers, you are highly agile and mobile, able to jump around your environment with incredible speed. If you get caught, it’s time to pull out your katana and get to slicing in high risk, high reward, skill-based combat.
Although the strategic,isometric gameplaymight be a bit of a change to get used to, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun offers a hardcore, tactical, real-time experience set in Japan’s Edo period, which lasted from the early 1600s to the mid 1800s.
Control multiple, deadly specialists to sneak around and infiltrate a variety of environments and structures. Each member has their own skillset and idea on how a mission should be completed; trust them, or get creative and devise your own, lethal methodology to get the job done.
You’ve likely heard of this PS4 and PS5 hit, but if you’ve been on the fence about playingGhost of Tsushima, this might be your sign to figure out a way to play it. Plus, this open-world, action adventure doesn’t require you to rush in with a katana like a samurai, after all.
If you want, ambushing your enemies or eliminating them from afar with your bow are not only viable strategies, but are oftentimes highly effective as well. That’s pretty much how the ninja methodology goes though; take them out before they even know you’re there.
Tenchu is the series that birthed the modern concept of the ninja stealth game, and Tenchu Z is one of the best in the series. It originally debuted on the Xbox 360 back in 2006, but few stealth games since have managed to let you fill out the fantasy in quite the same way.
Customize your very own, unique character, unlock skills, equip whatever clothing and items you like best, and figure out if you like the slow, high damage hits playstyle, or the fast, lower damage hits playstyle. Oh, and ensure the enemies don’t hear your footsteps; every inch you move is critical to keeping hidden.
Tenchu is also owned by FromSoftware, so Sekiro could be seen as a spiritual successor to it.
WhileSekirocertainly has the grandiose battles you’d expect from any Soulslike game, the movement and stealth mechanics are more in-depth than you might expect, which you’ll benefit from utilizing; turns out, being the protector of a young lord makes you a lot of enemies.
The clashing of blades is exhilarating in Sekiro, but very challenging. You’ll need to take advantage of every tool you have, from sly slipping through bushes to dropping on enemies from above. Anything to thin the ranks before you get to the main battle.
