There are many games that don’t force you to kill every time you get the chance. Some games actually reward players for holding back from murder, and these can provide a great challenge. If you’re into games where pacifism is allowed, there are plenty to choose from.
10
A Thief Never Kills if They Can Avoid It
The Thief series is famous for its tough stealth gameplay, but it also provides a really satisfying way to play without killing anyone. To succeed, you have to be adept at staying hidden and knocking out enemies without hurting them permanently. The game doesn’t just let you avoid fights but encourages you to think ahead, pay close attention to your surroundings, and use the environment in clever ways.
The gadgets and tools you have aren’t meant for killing. They are built for distractions and non-lethal takedowns, giving you plenty of options to stay stealthy instead of fighting head-on. It’s a great game to play if you want to think instead of mindlessly stab.
9
World Domination in Spore Didn’t Always Mean Violence
Spore’s gameplay is special because it lets you play the whole game without fighting at all. You can guide your species to grow in a completely peaceful way, focusing on talking things out, working together, and sometimes even using clever tricks to get what you want. Every decision you make, starting from the tiny cell stage, affects how your species develops. It’s also a game that you can learn from.
You can choose to eat only healthy plants like kale, avoiding eating other creatures completely, which lets you live in harmony even when other species try to attack you. As your species gets smarter, you can learn skills like charming or dancing instead of fighting. The fact that you can win the whole game without violence is one of the most interesting things about Spore.
8
Death Stranding Discourages Killing
Death Stranding, along with its upcoming sequel, has a special way of handling the idea of a pacifist playthrough. Even though it’s labeled as an action game, the gameplay itself pushes players away from using violence. In the first Death Stranding, if you kill human enemies, it triggers a “void-out,” which instantly ends the game. The game strongly encourages players to avoid fights by using stealth and smart movement instead.
The main character, Sam Porter Bridges, has equipment like a grappling hook and different vehicles, which help him get around enemies rather than fighting them head-on. Even when enemies spot you, escaping is usually the easiest and most practical choice. The game’s bigger themes about bringing people together and rebuilding society also support its peaceful philosophy.
7
The Outer Worlds Could Be Saved Without Violence
The Outer Worlds wasn’t a big-budget game when it came out, but it gives players a lot of freedom in how they handle missions, including the option to play the whole game without killing anyone. Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind the game, focused on letting players make their own choices and find different ways to solve problems.
Instead of forcing players to fight, the game encourages talking your way out of trouble or using sneaky tactics to avoid enemies altogether. Even the final boss fight can be skipped entirely if the player is smart about their choices, no matter which side they’ve picked in the story. It’s entirely possible to beat The Outer Worlds without ever hurting another person.
6
Cyberpunk 2077 Didn’t Force You to Kill Anyone (You Chose to)
Even though Cyberpunk 2077 is set in a violent world, it actually gives players a lot of ways to finish the game without killing anyone. The game wasn’t specifically made to be completed non-lethally, but it still has plenty of tools to help players avoid lethal force. Many guns can be fitted with a Pax mod, which makes them knock enemies out instead of killing them. A lot of people still don’t realize that Cyberpunk has been fixed up after its disastrous launch, making it now a “bad” game that’s worth a second chance.
Other non-lethal options include blunt weapons, fists (even when using Gorilla Arms cyberware), and the System Collapse quickhack. However, players need to be careful. Even if enemies are unconscious, hitting them again can still kill them, so combat requires precision. The game’s damage system isn’t always consistent, meaning that even non-lethal weapons can sometimes accidentally kill, especially during fast-paced fights.
5
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins Let You Be a Real Ninja
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins is an extremely difficult stealth game that lets players attempt a completely non-violent playthrough. While some gamers choose pacifist runs just for fun, going without killing is actually required to get the best possible rank in this game. To earn an S rank, players must avoid taking lives and stay completely hidden from enemies. The game itself pushes players toward peaceful solutions, giving them rewards for avoiding fights instead of winning them.
The main focus of the gameplay is stealth (because you’re a ninja) under the cover of darkness, and slow, deliberate movements to sneak past guards who are everywhere. Players have access to different gadgets and skills to help them stay undetected. Rather than fighting, they can trick enemies with noises, use traps in the environment, or knock them out without killing them.
The Metal Gear Solid games are famous for their complex stories and stealth-based gameplay. However, what’s interesting is that they also let players complete them without killing, though how much this is possible changes from game to game. Some of them could be beaten over a weekend.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots might be the best game in the series for a true pacifist run. Even though some story-related deaths can’t be avoided, players can usually get through the game without killing anyone themselves. The game also punishes players for killing too much—Snake suffers from stress and trauma if he takes too many lives, which strengthens the anti-violence theme.
3
Obsidian’s Fallout Games Didn’t Force You to Kill
The Fallout games are famous for their deep role-playing systems that make pacifist playthroughs not just possible but very rewarding. Players can explore the ruined, post-apocalyptic world without needing to fight much at all. The older games made by Black Isle and Obsidian, Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and New Vegas, are especially good for this.
These games focus heavily on dialogue and skill checks, giving players plenty of chances to avoid fights by talking, convincing people, or outsmarting them. If you invest enough in Speech and Sneak in Fallout: New Vegas, your character can win the final battle just by talking.
2
The Dishonored Games Punished You for Killing Too Much
The Dishonored games, especially the second one, do a great job of letting players complete the game without killing anyone. The first game is an immersive sim that allowed this to some extent, but Dishonored 2 improves the systems to make a full no-kill run easier to pull off, and many would say more satisfying, too. The games are designed to give players freedom in how they tackle each mission, with skills and tools that help avoid fighting altogether.
Instead of combat, players can rely on sneaking, creating distractions, and knocking enemies out without killing them. The levels themselves are built to support this playstyle, with plenty of hidden routes and sneaky paths to take. Some players might argue over small details when defining a “true” pacifist run, but overall, the game’s mechanics and mission designs encourage and reward avoiding violence.
1
Undertale Is Famous for its Passive Mechanics
Undertale is a great example of a game designed around the idea of playing without fighting. The game’s systems push players to avoid violence, treating every enemy encounter not as a life-or-death battle but as a challenge that can be overcome through smart talking and careful strategy. Most RPGs force players into combat, but Undertale lets you choose to spare every enemy instead.
These moments aren’t just avoided; they are turned into chances to think creatively. Players have to use their brains and knowledge of the game’s rules to calm down angry enemies and defuse dangerous situations. If you play Undertale without hurting anyone, you unlock a special and satisfying story that’s very different from the violent path. Basically, the pacifist way of playing Undertale isn’t just an extra option—it’s the core of the game.
After all that sneaking, you just might be in the mood to break something. Check out some of the best games that let you smash, wreck, and destroy everything.
