Honestly, most "stealth" games these days are just action games in a cardboard box. You know how it goes. You crouch in some tall grass, wait for a guard to look at a wall, and then if you get caught, you just pull out a machine gun and murder everyone. It’s a power fantasy. But Styx: Master of Shadows isn't interested in making you feel like a god. It wants you to feel like a two-hundred-year-old, foul-mouthed goblin who will die if a human so much as sneezes in his direction.
Cyanide Studio released this back in 2014. It’s a prequel to Of Orcs and Men, but you don't really need to know that. What you need to know is that it takes place in the Tower of Akenash, a massive, vertical nightmare built around the World Tree. The atmosphere is thick. It’s greasy, dark, and smells like Amber—the magical sap that Styx is hopelessly addicted to.
The Brutal Reality of Being a Goblin
Styx is small. Humans are big. If you get into a sword fight, you’re basically dead. The game features a parry system, but it’s a desperate last resort, not a combat mechanic. If you’re parrying, you’ve already failed. This is what makes Styx: Master of Shadows so refreshing compared to something like Assassin's Creed. In those games, stealth is an option. Here, it is survival.
The level design is the real star. Akenash isn't just a series of rooms; it’s a vertical labyrinth. You aren't just looking left and right; you’re looking up at rafters, down into sewer grates, and behind tapestries. The sense of scale is genuine. You feel like a pest in a giant’s house.
Why the Amber Vision Isn't Just a "Detective Mode"
We’ve all seen "Batman vision" or "Eagle vision" a million times. It usually highlights enemies through walls and makes the game too easy. In this game, your Amber-fueled abilities are a resource. You use Amber to go invisible or to create a clone of yourself.
The clone is the smartest part of the toolkit. You can send your gross little twin through small holes to pull levers or distract guards. You can even hide him in a chest and have him jump out like a jack-in-the-box of death. But because Amber is finite, you can't just spam these powers. You have to think.
Moving Through the Tower of Akenash
Verticality changes everything. Most stealth games are played on a 2D plane with occasional ladders. Styx handles like a platformer. You’ll spend half your time dangling from ledges or perched on chandeliers.
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The movement can feel a bit "floaty" sometimes. I’ll be real—it’s a AA game. It doesn't have the polish of a $100 million Naughty Dog production. Sometimes you’ll miss a ledge because the snapping didn't quite trigger, and you’ll plummet to your death while Styx hurls an insult at you. It’s frustrating, but it adds to the tension.
Sound and Light: The Fundamentals
The game respects the basics. Light matters. If you’re in the shadows, you’re safe-ish. If you walk under a torch, you’re toast. You can extinguish torches by hand or throw sand at them from a distance.
Sound is equally punishing. If you knock over a chair or walk over some broken glass, the guards will come running. They aren't the smartest AI in gaming history, but they are persistent. They’ll check under tables. They’ll look in wardrobes. They don't just give up after thirty seconds like the guards in Skyrim.
The Story Most People Miss
The plot is actually pretty weird. It’s not just "goblin steals gold." Styx is suffering from a sort of existential crisis. He hears voices. He’s trying to figure out where he came from and why he’s the only goblin who can talk and think.
It gets dark. The lore surrounding the World Tree and the Elves is cynical and grim. This isn't high fantasy; it's dirt fantasy. Everyone is a jerk, including the protagonist. It’s great.
Breaking Down the Skill Trees
You earn experience by completing objectives and, more importantly, by being a ghost. The game rewards you for not killing anyone. It rewards you for not being seen.
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- Stealth: Improves your invisibility and muffled movement.
- Agility: Makes you better at falling and climbing.
- Cloning: Unlocks new ways to use your "brother."
- Perception: Enhances your ability to find items and see guard paths.
If you play on the hardest difficulty, "Goblin," you can't even parry. One hit and it’s game over. It’s the purest way to play, but it’s not for the faint of heart. You will reload your save file a hundred times.
What Styx: Master of Shadows Gets Right That Others Don't
There’s a specific kind of tension that comes from being physically weak. When you’re playing Dishonored, you know you can just blink away or stop time if things go sideways. In Styx: Master of Shadows, you are always vulnerable.
The game forces you to observe. You spend five minutes just watching a patrol route, looking for that one opening where the guard turns to sneeze or itch his back. It’s a slow-burn experience.
The Level Design Philosophy
Cyanide designed these levels to be replayed. There are "Insignias" to collect, which are basically medals for speedrunning, mercy (no kills), and ghosting (no alerts).
Because the maps are so open, there are usually four or five ways into any given room. Maybe you pick a lock. Maybe you find a vent. Maybe you drop from the ceiling. It feels like a sandbox, even though you’re trapped in a giant tower.
Real Talk: The Flaws
I love this game, but it’s not perfect. The voice acting for the human guards is repetitive. You will hear the same three lines about "filthy greenskins" until you want to rip your ears off.
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The boss fights are also... not great. Stealth games rarely handle boss fights well, and Styx is no exception. They feel clunky and out of place in a game that otherwise encourages you to avoid confrontation.
Also, the backtracking. Towards the end of the game, you’ll find yourself moving through areas you’ve already been to, just in reverse. It’s a classic budget-saving move. It doesn't ruin the game, but it does make the final third feel a bit padded.
How to Actually Enjoy Styx in 2026
If you’re picking this up today, don't try to play it like a modern action-adventure game. You have to embrace the jank.
- Turn off the HUD: If you want a truly immersive experience, get rid of the icons. Rely on your eyes and ears.
- Don't save-scum every two seconds: It’s tempting to quick-save after every successful kill, but it kills the tension. Try to play through your mistakes.
- Use the environment: Poison the water supply. Loosen the bolts on a chandelier. Be a creative little monster.
- Listen to the dialogue: Styx is a jerk, and his fourth-wall-breaking deaths are genuinely funny.
Styx: Master of Shadows is a reminder of what stealth used to be. It’s about being a rat in the walls. It’s about the relief of finding a hiding spot just as a guard’s lantern sweeps over your position. It’s a niche game for a niche audience, but if you value level design and pure mechanics over cinematic fluff, it’s a masterpiece.
To get the most out of your time in Akenash, focus on unlocking the "Cover Kill" and "Aerial Kill" early. These allow you to maintain momentum without leaving bodies in plain sight. Always look for "Amber Fruits" hidden in dark corners—running out of magic in a heavily guarded zone is a death sentence. Finally, pay attention to the floor textures; carpets are your best friend, while stone floors will betray your position every single time.