Summary
- Many games allow players to be the hero, but some let you be the villain, offering a different perspective.
- Titles like Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and Prototype let players control iconic bad guys.
- Being the bad guy in games like Hitman 3 and God of War can provide unique gameplay experiences.
Without the repercussions of real life, being placed into the shoes of a bad guy in a video game can be a great way to go wild and let off some steam. Playing the virtuous hero who saves the day game after game can get stale pretty quickly, after all, so it's always interesting when a game lets the player take control of the villain instead.

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In many of these games, it's easy to tell when the protagonist is actually the villain, but some instead choose to obscure the player's vision of this fact until much later on in the story. For those looking to experience the joys of being bad for themselves, the best games that let you play as the bad guy are well worth checking out.
Updated January 12, 2025, by C.M Edwards: The majority of video games allow players a chance to be the hero who saves the day. Set in a world on the brink of destruction, it is the player's duty to be the shining protagonist who rights wrongs and protects the innocent. There have been hundreds of games that let players wield the hero's sword or control a mystical power bestowed by the gods. However, there are also a genre of games that do just the opposite. Players can step into the stories of thousands of versatile characters with varying causes, motivations, and ideals. While most games lean toward making players the heroes of their own stories, there are many titles that do the opposite. Some games put the players in more sinister roles that allow them to be the thing that goes bump in the night. As a very exhilarating experience, being the villain gives players a new perspective on how bad guys become bad guys. From destroying entire worlds to wreaking havoc on a single city, sometimes being the bad guy can be better than being a goodie-two-shoes. Here are some of the best games that let you play as the bad guy.
26 Deadshot
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
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- Top Critic Rating: 59/100 Critics Recommend: 19%
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Released
- February 2, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Rocksteady Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Interactive
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
Deadshot is one of the most deadly assassins in DC Comics and has recently crossed over into film and video games. In the recently released Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, players can take control of a number of iconic DC villains, one of which is Deadshot. Deadshot's particular skill comes from his inhuman accuracy.

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He is able to pinpoint a shot from hundreds of meters away and hit a target through unreasonable obstacles. Deadshot can ricochet projectiles off the edge of surfaces and make contact with targets with a precision that is unmatched throughout most of the comic book universe. Deadshot is a cold and calculating villain who only just recently began leaning toward a more anti-hero persona.
25 Lego Harley Quinn
LEGO DC Super-Villains
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- Top Critic Rating: 74/100 Critics Recommend: 54%
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Released
- October 16, 2018
- Developer(s)
- Traveller's Tales
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Harley Quinn has become one of the most popular characters in DC Comics, who was not originally a character in the comics. First appearing in the Batman: The Animated Series, Harley was attached to the hip of the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. As the Joker's sidekick, she facilitated monstrous acts and endured even more at the hands of her villainous boyfriend.
However, as her comic mythos evolved, she separated from the Joker and gained her own identity. In LEGO DC Super-Villains, players can play as Harley Quinn in the open-world environment of the game, and take it straight to the Justice Syndicate playing as the hammer-wielding hellion.
24 Jackie Estacado
The Darkness
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- Released
- June 25, 2007
- Developer(s)
- Starbreeze Studios
- Publisher(s)
- 2K Games
The story of The Darkness comes from the Witchblade universe, which belongs to TopCow productions. In this universe, The Darkness is a primordial entity that embodies one of the most powerful forces in that universe. The Darkness is handed down through a particular bloodline of men and bestows upon them great power at a great cost.
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