Hitman GO

When I first booted up Hitman GO, I half expected the familiar sneaking, strangling, and suitcase-slinging action the series is known for. Instead, I found Agent 47 shrunk down into a tiny figurine, sliding across diorama-style boards like some minimalist assassin-themed board game your weird uncle would pull out at a family gathering. And you know what? It absolutely works.

Hitman GO strips the series down to its purest form: a cold, methodical dance of positioning, timing, and careful planning. You guide 47 across fixed grid paths, outmaneuvering guards and bypassing obstacles on your way to each contract’s goal. Instead of running and gunning, you’re plotting each move like a chess grandmaster in a turtleneck. Get spotted, and it’s back to square one. Nail your approach, though, and every successful takedown feels like you just pulled off the perfect silent hit.

What keeps Hitman GO fresh is how it constantly evolves its rule set. Early levels start simple, sneak up behind stationary guards and knock them off the board like overconfident pawns. But as you dive deeper, new enemy types and mechanics surface: roaming guards, rotating patrols, secret passageways, and one-time-use distractions like thrown rocks. You’re always a few steps away from being boxed in, forcing you to carefully map out each turn before making a move.

Even better, GO leans into the “teach by doing” philosophy. No walls of text or hand-holding tutorials here, just elegantly designed levels that introduce new concepts organically, allowing you to absorb the rules as you play. And while reaching the exit is often the main goal, bonus objectives like collecting briefcases, limiting moves, or going completely non-lethal add extra layers of replayability.

The presentation deserves its own applause. The clean, scale-model aesthetic makes every board feel like a sleek tabletop display, complete with minimalist sound design that highlights the satisfying clack of your figurine shifting along the board. It’s charming, subtle, and perfectly aligned with the game’s strategic vibe.

Sure, the option to buy hints via microtransactions is a bit of a smudge on the otherwise pristine board, but Hitman GO remains one of the smartest adaptations of a major franchise into bite-sized puzzle form. It may not be the Hitman you’re used to, but it’s absolutely one worth taking the contract on.