Swords, stealth and action: A ninja is born.

From shadow to shadow, your blade shining in the moonlight, ready to pounce over an unsuspecting victim, ready to strike and return to the darkness. Or maybe just straight up take out your katana and yell while you bisect a lamppost, a giant robot and a guy standing behind them, all at the same time. Either way, that’s really cool, don’t you think?

If you’re looking for a truly ninja experience without all the intense training, health risks, morality questions and Japanese classes, here are 11 games that will make you feel like an expert assassin and sword-master extraordinaire without ever leaving your PC.

11. Mark of the Ninja (2012)

Mark of the Ninja Trailer

• Developer: Klei Entertainment
• Genre: Stealth, action, side-scrolling, indie
• Theme: Stealth Ninja-ing.

In Mark of the Ninja, you start one day when you are resting after receiving an ancient poisonous tattoo that gives you superpowers. So, your typical Saturday. But suddenly, your dojo is under attack! And they have guns! What to do?

*Splurch*… Good choice.

In this 2-D platformer, it is your task to become one with the shadows and reach the end of the stage. To do this without been shot to death or mauled by the occasional angry dog, you need to be stealthy. There are many ways you can do it: approaching an unsuspecting enemy and one-hit killing him, hiding behind the always convenient objects, being silent and not running around like a lunatic, turning off the lights… or straight up scaring people senseless with a tasteful hanged corpse or two.

If all else fails, claim to be Spiderman. That’ll confuse them.

With fluid and impressive stealth gameplay, hidden goodies and scrolls, great music and visually impressive with a distinctive cartoon style, I cannot think of a single reason to not play this game.

Mark of the Ninja - Stealth Gameplay