We discuss ten games like Dishonored you must play. Add these well-recommended games to your gaming library.
Dishonored is a 2012 game from Arkane Studios, set in the fictional and plague-ridden city of Dunwall, a location inspired by Victorian London and Edinburgh. Players take control of Corvo, who goes on a quest for revenge after he’s framed for the murder of the Empress of the Isles.
The gameplay has a heavy focus on stealth, with multiple avenues for approach, as well as including non-lethal options, though they’re sometimes morally worse than just killing the target. These mechanics all work together to form an immersive sim, something that Arkane Studios are well-known for. If you’re looking for more immersive sims or stealth-based games, here are ten games like Dishonored you must play.
10 games like Dishonored
System Shock (2023)
A remake of the 1994 classic, System Shock brings the game into the modern era. Players find themselves on a space station in a cyberpunk reimagining of the year 2072. They take control of a hacker who is trying to stop an evil AI called SHODAN. Credited as an early immersive sim, a type of game that emphasizes solving problems in creative and unique ways.
Bioshock (2007)
Set in the underwater dystopia of Rapture, Bioshock sees the player explore weighty themes while fighting Big Daddies and hopefully saving Little Sisters. The player-controlled character, Jack, uses ADAM, a genetic material that grants superhuman powers to fight these powerful foes. It’s wildly considered the spiritual successor to the original System Shock, so has immersive sim elements too.
Prey (2017)
Prey is a game developed by Arkane Studios, the same studio that made Dishonored. Players find themselves on an alien-infested space station, some of which mimic everyday objects for a quick jump scare. As players explore the station, they can interact with problems in different ways, upgrading their character to have a significant impact on gameplay. It’s another immersive sim like System Shock, and even references the game’s developer, Looking Glass Studios.
Deathloop (2021)
Another game by Arkane Studios, Deathloop is a first-person shooter that sees the player stuck in a time loop. The player controls an assassin that must kill all eight of his targets before midnight, otherwise, the loop will reset. The main objective of the game, therefore, is to figure out how to kill the targets in one run, picking the best route and method to dispatch foes.
Arx Fatalis (2002)
Arx Fatalis is a first-person RPG, set in a world where the sun has failed, forcing the inhabitants into caves. It has the standard fantasy races, trolls, goblins, dwarves, and humans to name a few. The player starts the game by escaping the jail cell they’re in, and discovers their true purpose is to stop the God of Destruction from manifesting in the world.
Thief (2014)
Thief is a reboot of the Thief franchise, where players take on the role of a thief, stealthily stealing items of great value. Full of locations that have branching pathways, players can either be lethal or non-lethal in their approach. Set in a Victorian and Gothic-inspired fantasy, this game shares similar aesthetics to Dishonored along with the stealth-based gameplay.
Deus Ex franchise (2000-2016)
Another immersive sim, Deus Ex is a franchise all about cyborgs in a dystopian cyberpunk future. Players can choose how to upgrade themselves and how they approach the game, with a narrative about the political and ethical repercussions of augmentation.
Ghost of Tsushima (2020)
Ghost of Tsushima is a game set in 1274 and follows Jin Sakai, a samurai who is on a quest to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Featuring an open world, players choose between following the warrior code and fighting honorably, or the less honorable but more practical approach to repel the horde.
Assassin’s Creed franchise (2007-ongoing)
Assassin’s Creed is a hit open-world franchise that revolutionized the open-world genre. Players are thrust into the centuries-old conflict between the Assassins and Knights Templar, often fighting over ancient artifacts left by The First Civilisation. Players are given targets and are free to approach them how they like, either by walking in the front door of heavily guarded buildings or attempting to sneak to the target and kill them with the iconic hidden blade.
Metal Gear Solid franchise (1998-ongoing)
Another third-person action stealth franchise, Metal Gear Solid puts players in several encounters where they can either take the quiet approach or a more direct route. The latest game in the franchise, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, sees Venom Snake travel to Afghanistan to exact revenge on those who have wronged him in a previous title.
Do you have any other recommendations for games like Dishonored? Let us know!
