13 Best Spy Games to Play in 2026, From 007 to Hitman

The best spy game you can play in 2026 is 007 First Light, IO Interactive’s origin story for a young James Bond that launched in May 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. If you want the deepest sandbox espionage ever made, Hitman: World of Assassination is still the benchmark, and if you prefer Cold War tactical stealth, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is the modern way to play one of the most loved spy stories in gaming.

Below are 13 of the best spy games across consoles and PC, covering cinematic action, open-world infiltration, immersive sims, spy RPGs and turn-based tactics. For each game you get the platforms, the spy style, and why it deserves a place on the list. We also cover co-op spy games, the classics worth tracking down, and which game to start with based on how you like to play.

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Best Spy Games at a Glance

• Best overall and best new spy game: 007 First Light
• Best sandbox espionage: Hitman: World of Assassination
• Best Cold War stealth: Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
• Best open-world infiltration: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
• Best immersive sim: Dishonored 2
• Best spy RPG: Alpha Protocol
• Best turn-based spy game: Invisible, Inc.
• Best co-op spy game: Operation: Tango

Quick Comparison Table

1. 007 First Light: Best Spy Game Overall

Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Switch 2 version delayed to a later date) | Genre: Action stealth | Developer: IO Interactive | Released: May 27, 2026

007 First Light - Standard Edition - PlayStation 5

Included for '13 Best Spy Games to Play in 2026, From 007 to Hitman' as a representative home product in this roundup; selection reflects the product set returned for this topic.

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007 First Light is the biggest spy game release in years and the clear number one for 2026. It is an origin story that introduces a 26-year-old, reckless James Bond as he is recruited into MI6’s newly revived 00 program and earns his license to kill for the first time. The developer is IO Interactive, the studio behind Hitman, and that pedigree shows in the way missions are built as open playgrounds rather than straight corridors.

The spy toolkit is where First Light stands apart. Bond’s Q-Lens highlights hazards and opportunities in the environment, such as gas pipes and electrical boxes, and the Q-Watch lets you trigger them from a distance to distract or take down enemies. A bluff system lets Bond talk his way through tense situations without blowing his cover, which gives social stealth the same weight as gunplay. Reviews were generally positive, with praise for the combat, writing and lead performance, and the game passed several million copies sold within a few months of launch.

• Why it fits: gadgets, disguises, charm and action in one package, built by the masters of stealth sandboxes.
• Skip it if: you only play on Nintendo hardware and do not want to wait for the delayed Switch 2 version.

2. Hitman: World of Assassination: Best Sandbox Espionage

Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC | Genre: Stealth sandbox | Developer: IO Interactive | Released: 2023 (collecting the 2016 to 2021 trilogy)

HITMAN: World of Assassination - PlayStation 5

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Hitman: World of Assassination bundles the content of Hitman, Hitman 2 and Hitman 3 into one game, and it remains the best espionage sandbox ever made. Each location, from a Paris fashion show to a Dubai skyscraper, is a dense clockwork world full of guards, staff and guests on their own routines. Your job is to observe, steal the right disguise, and engineer an accident or a quiet takedown without anyone noticing.

The magic is replay value. Every map hides dozens of ways to complete the mission, scripted story paths for beginners, and challenges that reward experimentation. Live modes such as Elusive Targets and Freelancer, the roguelike-style campaign, keep long-time players coming back. If you enjoy 007 First Light’s gadget play, Hitman is the deeper, more methodical version of that same design philosophy.

• Why it fits: the purest fantasy of a professional operative blending into a crowd.
• Skip it if: you want a fast, linear action story rather than patient planning.

3. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater: Best Cold War Stealth

Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Genre: Tactical espionage action | Developer: Konami | Released: August 2025

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater - Day One Edition /PS5

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Metal Gear Solid Delta is a full remake of Metal Gear Solid 3, the 1964-set story of Naked Snake’s mission into Soviet territory. It keeps the original structure, dialogue and boss fights while rebuilding the visuals for current hardware and adding a modern control option. If you have never played Metal Gear, this is arguably the best entry point because it sits at the start of the series timeline.

It is pure Cold War spy fiction: hiding in jungle undergrowth with camouflage, hunting for food to keep your stamina up, interrogating guards and facing some of the most memorable bosses in gaming. The story moves from spy thriller to emotional tragedy, and its final act is still regarded as one of the best in the medium.

• Why it fits: classic espionage storytelling with deep, survival-flavored stealth systems.
• Skip it if: long cutscenes and radio conversations test your patience.

4. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: Best Open-World Infiltration

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 | Genre: Open-world stealth | Developer: Kojima Productions | Released: 2015

The Phantom Pain is still the gold standard for open-world tactical espionage. You pick a target outpost, scout it with binoculars, mark guards, and then choose how to strike: sneak in at night, call in an air strike, knock out the power, or extract enemy soldiers with a balloon to recruit them into your private army.

Its systems react to your habits. Use too many headshots and enemies start wearing helmets; attack at night and they bring flashlights. That adaptive design makes infiltration feel like a constant cat-and-mouse game. The story is unfinished in places, but as a sandbox for spycraft it has rarely been matched.

• Why it fits: unmatched freedom in how you plan and execute every mission.
• Skip it if: you want a tight, complete narrative.

5. Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 and Vol. 2: Best Way to Play the Whole Saga

Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC (Vol. 2 also on Switch 2) | Genre: Stealth compilation | Developer: Konami | Released: Vol. 1 in 2023, Vol. 2 on August 27, 2026

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 (PS5)

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Vol. 1 gathers the early Metal Gear games, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, along with bonus content such as the original MSX titles. These games invented much of the stealth vocabulary still used today, from vision cones to codec calls.

METAL GEAR SOLID | MASTER COLLECTION Vol. 2 - PlayStation 5

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Vol. 2, released in late August 2026, finally brings Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots outside its original PS3 home, together with Peace Walker and the handheld Metal Gear: Ghost Babel as a bonus. Peace Walker keeps its online co-op, while MGS4 ships without the old Metal Gear Online mode. Together, the two volumes let you play nearly the entire saga on current hardware.

• Why it fits: the most important stealth series in gaming, now easy to play in order.
• Skip it if: dated controls in older games put you off.

6. Dishonored 2: Best Immersive Sim Spy Game

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Genre: Immersive sim stealth | Developer: Arkane Studios | Released: 2016

Dishonored 2 - PlayStation 4

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Dishonored 2 is technically a supernatural assassin story, but its missions play like elaborate espionage operations. You scout targets, eavesdrop on conversations, find side routes, and choose between lethal and non-lethal methods. Powers such as short-range teleportation and possession let you move through levels in ways the guards never expect.

The level design is legendary. The Clockwork Mansion rearranges itself with the pull of a lever, and A Crack in the Slab lets you jump between two time periods. Every mission rewards curiosity, and a low-chaos stealth run changes how the story ends.

• Why it fits: some of the most inventive infiltration levels ever built.
• Skip it if: you want a modern-day or realistic spy setting.

7. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided: Best Cyberpunk Spy Game

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Genre: Action RPG stealth | Developer: Eidos-Montreal | Released: 2016

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - PlayStation 4

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Adam Jensen works as a double agent inside an anti-terror task force while secretly feeding information to a hacker group, which makes Mankind Divided one of the most spy-flavored RPGs available. Missions in near-future Prague and beyond can be solved through hacking, social persuasion, vent crawling, cloaking augmentations or open combat.

Its hub city is packed with side missions, hidden documents and conspiracies, and the dialogue battles let you win key encounters with words. The story ends on a cliffhanger, but the moment-to-moment spycraft is excellent.

• Why it fits: deep player choice, hacking and double-agent intrigue.
• Skip it if: you need a complete, self-contained story.

8. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Blacklist: Best Classic Stealth Agent

Platforms: PC and legacy consoles (Blacklist on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U; playable on newer Xbox through backward compatibility) | Genre: Stealth action | Developer: Ubisoft | Released: 2005 and 2013

Sam Fisher remains the archetypal video game spy: night-vision goggles, a silenced pistol, and a total dependence on shadows. Chaos Theory is widely seen as the series high point, with open-ended levels, excellent light-and-sound stealth and a superb co-op campaign. Blacklist is the more modern entry, with smoother movement and a playstyle system that rewards ghost, panther or assault approaches.

Ubisoft announced a remake of the original game back in 2021, but it has not released yet, so these older games remain the way to play. On PC, they are easy to find through digital storefronts.

• Why it fits: the purest light-and-shadow stealth in the genre.
• Skip it if: you only play on current PlayStation or Nintendo hardware.

9. Alpha Protocol: Best Spy RPG

Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Genre: Action RPG | Developer: Obsidian Entertainment | Released: 2010

Alpha Protocol is the cult classic of spy games. As rookie agent Michael Thorton, you travel between safehouses in Saudi Arabia, Moscow, Taipei and Rome, and almost every conversation choice, mission order and betrayal changes how characters see you and how the plot unfolds. Its timed dialogue system, which uses suave, professional or aggressive stances, still feels fresh.

The combat is rough by modern standards, but the branching story is one of the most reactive ever written for an RPG. Digital availability has been patchy over the years because of licensing issues, so check current PC storefronts before you go looking.

• Why it fits: real choice and consequence in a globe-trotting spy thriller.
• Skip it if: clunky combat ruins a game for you.

10. Invisible, Inc.: Best Turn-Based Spy Game

Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch | Genre: Turn-based tactics | Developer: Klei Entertainment | Released: 2015

Invisible, Inc. turns corporate espionage into a tense turn-based puzzle. You lead a small team of agents through procedurally generated facilities, hacking security, stealing intel and getting out before the alarm level climbs too high. Every turn you stay inside, the danger escalates.

It is one of the smartest stealth designs ever made: guards follow clear rules, every action point matters, and a single mistake can cost you an agent permanently. Runs are short enough to replay, and the stylish art from the makers of Don’t Starve holds up well.

• Why it fits: pure planning and risk management, distilled into tight turn-based heists.
• Skip it if: you want real-time action.

11. Phantom Doctrine: Best Cold War Spy Strategy

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Genre: Turn-based strategy | Developer: CreativeForge Games | Released: 2018

Phantom Doctrine puts you in charge of a covert agency in 1983, at the height of the Cold War. Between turn-based missions, you manage safehouses, interrogate captured agents, decode documents and connect clues on an investigation board to uncover a global conspiracy. Your own operatives can even be compromised moles.

It feels like an espionage-flavored take on XCOM, and the investigation board in particular is a brilliant piece of spy fantasy. It is rough around the edges, but strategy fans who love conspiracy thrillers will find a lot to dig into.

• Why it fits: agency management, moles and paranoia layered over tactical missions.
• Skip it if: you dislike long strategy campaigns.

12. Operation: Tango: Best Co-Op Spy Game

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox | Genre: Asymmetric co-op puzzle | Developer: Clever Plays | Released: 2021

Operation: Tango is built for exactly two players. One plays the field agent, sneaking through casinos, trains and secure facilities, while the other plays the hacker, watching cameras and manipulating systems from a remote screen. Neither player can see what the other sees, so success depends entirely on clear communication.

It is short, but it delivers some of the best spy-movie moments you can have with a friend, and only one player needs to own the game thanks to its friend pass system. It is the first pick for couples or friends who want to play spy together.

• Why it fits: true agent-and-handler teamwork, with neither role able to win alone.
• Skip it if: you play solo.

13. GoldenEye 007: Best Classic Bond Game

Platforms: Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, Xbox (re-release) | Genre: First-person shooter | Developer: Rare | Released: 1997, re-released 2023

GoldenEye 007 defined spy games for a generation. Its mission objectives, such as photographing documents, protecting allies or planting covert modems, gave a shooter real espionage goals, and higher difficulties added extra objectives to each level. Its split-screen multiplayer became a legend in its own right.

After years of rights issues, it returned in 2023 on Nintendo Switch Online and on Xbox. It shows its age, but playing it now is a fun way to see how far 007 First Light has come.

• Why it fits: the game that put spy objectives into shooters.
• Skip it if: late-1990s controls and visuals are a deal breaker.

More Spy Games Worth a Look

• No One Lives Forever and its sequel: beloved 1960s spy-comedy shooters that are very hard to buy legally today because of tangled rights.
• Sniper Elite Resistance: World War II infiltration with a French Resistance setting, for players who like long-range stealth.
• ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies: a 2026 dialogue-driven isometric spy RPG that has drawn strong early attention from players.
• Mark of the Ninja: Remastered: 2D stealth with superb readability, ideal if you like the sneaking side of spy games.

How We Chose These Spy Games

This list is based on research, not lab testing. We looked at the current top-ranking best spy games guides, critic reviews, official publisher announcements and store pages to see which games are recommended most often and why. Each game was then judged on:

• Spy fantasy: does it feel like espionage, with disguises, gadgets, intel, infiltration or betrayal?
• Design quality: how highly regarded its stealth systems, levels and story are.
• Variety: we included action, stealth, RPG, tactics and co-op so every player finds a match.
• Availability in 2026: whether you can realistically buy and play it now, with notes where that is difficult.

Release dates and platforms were checked against official sources and recent news coverage as of October 2026.

What Makes a Great Spy Game?

Choice of approach

The best spy games, such as Hitman, MGS V and 007 First Light, give you several ways to complete each objective. Sneaking, talking, hacking and fighting should all be valid.

Information as a weapon

Spying is about knowing more than the enemy. Games that let you eavesdrop, read documents, tag guards or scan the environment capture that feeling best.

Social stealth

Disguises and bluffing are what separate spy games from simple stealth games. Hitman and 007 First Light both lean heavily into blending in.

Gadgets

From Q-branch tools to codec calls and night-vision goggles, gadgets give spy games their cinematic flavor and open new routes through levels.

Consequences

Alpha Protocol and Dishonored 2 show how powerful it is when your methods change the story, from who trusts you to how the ending plays out.

Spy Games for Beginners vs Veterans

If you are new to the genre, start with 007 First Light or Metal Gear Solid Delta, both of which offer modern controls and accessible difficulty options. Hitman’s story missions also guide you step by step through elaborate assassinations before you start experimenting. Veterans who want a challenge should try Hitman’s Master difficulty, ghost runs in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, or the highest difficulty in Invisible, Inc., where every turn becomes a calculated risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best spy game right now?

007 First Light is the best spy game right now. IO Interactive released it on May 27, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, combining gadget-based stealth, bluffing and cinematic action. For the deepest sandbox espionage, Hitman: World of Assassination is still the top alternative.

What is the best spy game of all time?

Many fans and critics point to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, now remade as Metal Gear Solid Delta, as the best spy game of all time. Hitman: World of Assassination, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and GoldenEye 007 are also regularly named.

Is 007 First Light a stealth game?

007 First Light supports stealth but is not purely a stealth game. Missions let you sneak, use gadgets, bluff past guards or fight openly, much like a more cinematic version of Hitman’s open level design.

What spy games are on Nintendo Switch?

Switch owners can play Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, Invisible, Inc., Mark of the Ninja: Remastered and GoldenEye 007 through Nintendo Switch Online. A Switch 2 version of 007 First Light has been announced but delayed.

Are there spy games you can play in co-op?

Yes. Operation: Tango is built for two-player co-op, Peace Walker in Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 keeps online co-op, and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory has a well-regarded co-op campaign.

What is the difference between a spy game and a stealth game?

A stealth game focuses on avoiding detection, while a spy game adds espionage elements such as disguises, gadgets, intel gathering, double agents and global intrigue. Most spy games use stealth, but not every stealth game is about spying.

Which Spy Game Should You Play?

For the newest and most cinematic spy experience, start with 007 First Light. If you love planning and experimenting, Hitman: World of Assassination will last you hundreds of hours. Story-first players should pick Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, then work through the Master Collection volumes. Fans of creative level design will love Dishonored 2, RPG players should seek out Alpha Protocol or Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and strategy fans should try Invisible, Inc. or Phantom Doctrine. If you want to spy with a friend, Operation: Tango is the one to grab.

Last updated: October 2026.