Not all of us are Doomguy, ready to go into a room full of murderous demons with a shotgun and send them back to Hell. Some of us, instead, prefer to exist in the shadows, finding creative ways to avoid conflict or defeat enemies before they ever realize we're there. Luckily, there have been plenty of fantastic stealth games released over the years that offer just that, often with their own unique twists like supernatural abilities or high-tech equipment.

For the best stealth games of all time (in no particular order), we looked at several decades of potential inclusions, ranging from the pure, classic stealth of early Splinter Cell games all the way to the chaotic creative stealth of Hitman. If you're in the mood to get sneaky, definitely check these games out.

Dishonored

Equal parts Bioshock and Thief but without feeling like a ripoff of either, Arkane's Dishonored is a tremendous stealth-action game because it encourages experimentation. Not only can you go through the game with non-lethal strategies, but you can also cause mass chaos and destruction without ever having to give away your own position. Transforming into a rat, moving into a concealed position, and then sending a swarm of bloodthirsty rats to devour a nearby guard will never not be a joy, and exploring every nook and cranny of Dunwall is half of the fun.