How does player agency create
effective stealth gameplay?
What do game designers do to create the illusion of stealth in video games?
11/10/26
5 Minute Read Jess Salerno
The Hitman Series
Hitman: Absolution IO Interactive 2012
Before I go head first into answering this question, I must define what stealth gameplay consists of. To
summarise, stealth gameplay differs from traditional action games by instead of direct combat, the
player uses covertness, strategy and key timing to complete levels.
The stealth genre is niche in this day and age, with its heyday being in the early 2000’s. When talking about stealth it's
hard to not talk about one of the most recognisable franchises of the kind: the Hitman series. From the first game
being released in the year 2000, developed by the Danish company IO Interactive, there have been nine games
(with a few spin-off titles) released, so they must be doing something right? Unlike Thief (2014), which focused on
linear level design, Hitman allowed the player to have agency on how to complete levels with varying mechanics,
those being: disguises, distractions and strategic murder. This creativeapproach to gameplay made a seemingly
boring experience replayable and ‘fun’, but for it to be effective and to not reinforce the ‘guns-blazing’ playstyle they
had to invoke fear of the enemy and create tension with every decision. The Hitman games solve this by using:
Level Design - Blending into crowds, hiding behind walls, heavily patrolled areas
Sound design - Audio cues such as the ‘Amygdala Trigger’ to trigger panic in the player
Suspicion meter - Being in a disguise doesn’t allow you to be untouchable NPC’s can recognise out of place
behaviour which can risk the players cover being blown
Whilst the Hitman series promotes stealth through agency in carefully designed levels, Deus Ex (2000) takes this approach further by making stealth a choice in itself.
Deus Ex
Stealth in the modern day
Deus Ex Eidos Interactive 2000
Hitman 3 IO Interactive 2021
