“A short and focused campaign that focuses on deep gameplay systems”, that's how solo developer Benjamin Rose describes Lizard State, his newly announced stealth game that looks like it crawled straight out of a PS2-era Ubisoft fever dream.
Here's the thing: it's been nearly 13 years since the last proper Splinter Cell game. The long-rumored remake has been in development long enough for its original director to leave, spend three years away, and then return to the project. For fans of tactical stealth, that's a long time to sit in the dark.
What Lizard State actually is
Lizard State puts you in the boots of a Sam Fisher-style operative tasked with rescuing a hostage from an island, all unfolding over a single night. The setup is deliberately tight and focused, which is exactly the right instinct for a solo developer working in one of gaming's most demanding genres.
The visual style leans hard into angular PS2-era aesthetics, complete with moody stencil shadows that immediately evoke the atmosphere of early Splinter Cell titles. Shoot out lightbulbs to control the darkness. Choke guards into unconsciousness. Pick off targets with a pistol or assault rifle. The classic toolkit is all here.
danger
All footage shown in the reveal trailer is from an early alpha build, so expect the final product to look and feel more polished.
The ideas that set it apart
What makes Lizard State more than a straight homage are a couple of genuinely fresh mechanics. The standout is what Rose calls "mimic cameras" , surveillance devices that appear completely ordinary until you shoot them off their mounts, at which point they sprout metal spider legs and start actively hunting you across the environment. That single idea reframes how you approach every room.
There's also a second spider-like gadget visible in the reveal trailer that the player can directly control, capable of disabling guards with an electric burst. Both additions suggest Rose is thinking carefully about how to evolve the formula rather than just replicate it.
The alpha footage closes with a moment that does a lot of work: the player's operative blasts a wall canister to engulf a guard in smoke, charges in, and executes a combined judo throw and rifle takedown. It's the kind of tactile, satisfying moment that separates a good stealth game from a great one.
The gap indie stealth is filling
The stealth genre has always punched above its weight in the indie space. Lizard State arrives alongside a small wave of similar projects chasing that same PS2-era tactility that big studios have largely abandoned. What most players miss is just how technically demanding proper stealth AI and environmental interaction are to build correctly, especially for a single developer.
Rose is clearly aware of that challenge. Keeping the campaign short and focused is a smart design decision: it lets him concentrate on making every system feel right rather than padding out a 20-hour runtime with half-baked mechanics.
No release date has been announced yet. You can request access to an upcoming playtest directly on the Lizard State Steam page, and for more coverage of upcoming stealth and action titles, browse the latest gaming news:
