Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Mark of the Ninja
As a tattooed ninja, players sneak through 2D levels where sightlines and sound are clearly visualized. The thoughtful stealth design remains a genre reference for sneaking mechanics to this day.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Stealth / Platformer, set in the present day. Visually it is deliberately stylised rather than photorealistic, and the overall tone stays dark throughout. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. Sessions of an hour or two sit at the sweet spot here.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. The story matters and gives the mechanics a frame, without taking over. It is a single player experience from start to finish. It runs on 2 platforms. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- clear sightline visualization
- precise stealth design
- 2D sneak action
This fits you if
- you enjoy being made to think
- you want to live through a story, not just play a system
- you play alone and want a complete experience without other people
- you are watching your budget
- you prefer a darker, heavier tone
- you want to actually finish something for once, 8 hours and done
Look elsewhere if
- you want something that lasts, this is over after 8 hours
- you want something light and easy going
- you specifically want an open world to roam
- you want to play it side by side with someone
What it costs you in time
About 8 hours in total. At two hours per evening that is around 4 evenings, so about a week of casual play.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 91 out of 100, which puts it above 90 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 104 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Stealth averages 85 points across the database, so this one sits 6 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 318 collected ratings.
Released in 2012, which makes it 14 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 2012
- Genres
- Stealth, Platformer, Action
- Playtime
- approx. 8 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- Present and relevant
- Play with
- Solo
- Setting
- Present day
- Visual style
- Stylised
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- PC, Xbox
- Critic rating
- 91 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark of the Ninja | 2012 | approx. 8 hrs. | 91 | Budget |
| Dishonored | 2012 | approx. 12 hrs. | 85 | Budget |
| Batman: Arkham Asylum | 2009 | approx. 12 hrs. | 89 | Budget |
| Hitman: Blood Money | 2006 | approx. 12 hrs. | 80 | Budget |
If you liked this, try these
- Dishonored Shared: Stealth, Action, longer
- Batman: Arkham Asylum Shared: Stealth, Action, Present day, longer
- Hitman: Blood Money Shared: Stealth, Action, Present day, longer
- Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Shared: Stealth, Action, Present day, longer
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Shared: Stealth, Action, Present day, longer
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Shared: Platformer, Action