Conflict is at the heart of most video games, but not every game insists you solve problems through violence. Sure, there are plenty of genres out there with no combat at all, but it’s especially interesting when traditionally combat-focused games let you skip the killing altogether.
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Immersive simsandstealth games, for instance, often build their gameplay around the use of combat tools, yet they still offer creative ways to keep your hands clean. All it usually takes is a bit of imagination, some non-lethal gear, and staying quietly out of sight.
In this article, we’ll highlight eight combat-heavy games that give you the freedom to take a pacifist route if you so choose.
8Dishonored
Ethical Assassination
Dishonored
I’ve always had mixed feelings about theDishonoredfranchise. On one hand, I love its aesthetics and gameplay mechanics. On the other, it frustrates me how the game presents itself as a revenge-driven assassination story, yet actively discourages players from using many of its deadlier tools—making the experience harder and locking you out of the good ending if you do.
The upside, though, is that playing as a pacifist isn’t just possible—it’s the optimal way to experience the game.
Dishonored gives you a wide range of mechanical and supernatural tools to sneak around enemies, distract them, and take them out without killing. Even the assassination targets themselves can be neutralized through non-lethal methods. A carefully aimed soporific crossbow dart can get the job done just as effectively as a blade between the ribs.
7Metal Gear Solid
This Snake’s Venom Is Just an Anesthetic
Metal Gear Solid
One of the defining features of theMetal Gear Solidseries, especially the earlier games, is that Snake must infiltrate enemy territory with minimal equipment and scavenge supplies directly from the field. This encourages players to conserve resources and rely heavily on stealth and non-lethal takedowns instead of wasting ammo.
As a result, most Metal Gear Solid games allow players to reach the end without killing a single human being, although there are some exceptions—notably, in the original Metal Gear Solid, you’re forced to use lethal force against some bosses.
In Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, however, it’s possible to defeat bosses using non-lethal methods like the tranquilizer gun, which even earns you exclusive rewards, though some characters still end up dying in cutscenes.
Starting withMetal Gear Solid 4, it’s possible to achieve a true pacifist run where no humans die, neither in gameplay nor cutscenes, as a result of Snake’s actions. If you’re looking totest your stealth and espionage skills, it’s definitely worth trying out.
Immersed in Pacifism
Immersive sims pride themselves on giving players a wide range of options to approach challenges however they see fit. While some games might overstate just how many meaningful choices they offer, no one can deny that the originalDeus Exgives you true freedom in how you play—including the option to avoid violence altogether.
In Deus Ex, not only can you go through the entire game without killing anyone, but you can often avoid combat entirely. Conflicts can be sidestepped through stealth or dialogue, and when push comes to shove, there’s a robust non-lethal arsenal to fall back on. There are only two boss fights that can’t be skipped, but even then, you’re given the option to subdue rather than kill.
The sequels have tried to follow in the original’s footsteps, but at least in the case ofHuman Revolution, you’re still forced to kill a boss or two. It’s just one more reason why the original Deus Ex remainsthe crown jewel of the immersive sim genre.
5Fallout: New Vegas
Talk Your Way Out Of The End Boss
Fallout: New Vegas
Among the modern Fallout games,Fallout: New Vegasis famously the one thatoffers the most role-playing flexibility. So much so that your Courier can make it through the entire game without killing a single NPC—at least, not directly.
By focusing on non-combat skills like Speech and Sneak, you can progress by slipping past threats or talking your way out of them. Disguises also play a big role, helping you avoid hostile encounters with factions you’re not exactly on speaking terms with.
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Most notably, if your Speech skill is maxed out at 100, you can talk your way through the final boss fight—convincing Legate Lanius to turn around and head back to where he came from. Maybe not the best narrative design choice, but an iconic one nonetheless.
4Mark Of The Ninja
Shadows Don’t Kill
Mark of the Ninja: Remastered
Most stealth games inherently reward players for avoiding combat—after all, staying unnoticed is kind of the whole point. But few games make it as fun and satisfying asMark of the Ninja.
The game emphasizes strategic planning, quick thinking, and smooth movement above all else. While combat and stealth kills are available, the real challenge lies in completing each level without shedding any blood. The design actively supports—and even encourages—non-violent play through non-lethal takedowns, distraction tools, and stealth-focused upgrades.
Mark of the Ninja makes sneaking past enemies feel bothmechanically rewarding and genuinely fun, and it does it in style!
3Planescape: Torment
If You Can’t Die, Why Should Anyone Else?
Planescape: Torment
RPGs often forget that the heart of the genre is giving players the freedom to define their character—not just by what they fight with, but by how they choose to face the world. Great RPGs let players tackle challenges in ways that go beyond combat, andPlanescape: Tormentexcels at that.
In Planescape: Torment, character interaction and philosophical themes are front and center. You can talk your way out of nearly every conflict using dialogue and intelligence, including key story moments and even boss encounters.
Aside from a couple of zombies at the very beginning, it’s actually possible to complete the entire game without killing a single NPC—and to avoid most fights altogether. If you’re more drawn to thought-provoking conversations than swordplay, Planescape: Torment lets you navigate the multiverse with words rather than steel.
2Metro: Last Light
Underground Gandhi
Metro: Last Light
In the Metro series, humanity is on its last legs. Forced underground and constantly fighting to survive, the people of the Metro must manage scarce resources and battle for their continued existence. Given that backdrop, it’s surprising just how non-lethal your approach can be inMetro: Last Light.
Sure, there are a few unavoidable encounters—some monsters and a handful of humans near the end—but for most of the game, you can rely on silent takedowns and stealth to make your way through. The fact that this is even possible for a survival-oriented first-person shooter is impressive.
Not only does the game let you avoid shedding blood, it actually rewards you for it. Taking the pacifist route isthe most reliable way to unlock the good ending, thanks to Metro: Last Light’s hidden morality system.
1Undertale
Pacifist By Definition
Probably the most famous pacifist route in gaming is the one you can take inUndertale. This RPG makes it clear from the very beginning that combat is a choice, and you can approach challenges through diplomacy instead.
Undertale handles this in a really interesting way, offering a completely different kind of challenge if you choose words over violence. Each non-lethal encounter becomes its own little puzzle, where you have to figure out how to resolve the situation using intuition and dialogue clues.
The game responds clearly to your choices, and it’s obvious how empathy and kindness—rather than aggression—shape the world and its characters. Undertale is trulya masterpiece of interactive and meta storytelling.
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