HITMAN (2016): Complete Guide

A guide to HITMAN's first season (2016): how its sandbox works, how to earn Silent Assassin, every location and its targets, Mastery and challenges, and how the game lives on inside HITMAN World of Assassination.

Researched September 2026. Current as of HITMAN World of Assassination, which absorbed this game in January 2023. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status note: In January 2023, IO Interactive rebranded HITMAN 3 as HITMAN World of Assassination (WoA) and folded the content of HITMAN (2016) Game of the Year Edition and HITMAN 2 into it. The standalone HITMAN (2016) was then removed from sale. The Steam page for app 236870 no longer lists a price. If you own it you can still install and play it, but the actively supported home for these missions is WoA. WoA's entry-level Part One content contains the six season-one locations (check the WoA store page for current editions and prices). The locations play the same in both. WoA adds later features on top.

Quick Start

1. Every mission is a puzzle box. You get a target (or several), a map full of NPCs, and total freedom. Play once, then replay to learn the level.
2. Follow a Mission Story (called Opportunities in the original) on your first run. They guide you through a scripted, stylish kill and teach you the level's layout.
3. Disguises are your key. Knock out an NPC and take their outfit to access restricted areas. But some NPCs of the same type ("enforcers," marked with a white dot) can see through it.
4. Use Instinct. It shows targets, NPCs and useful items through walls, and marks their paths.
5. Hide bodies. Containers, closets and freezers work. Found bodies raise the alert level and ruin a Silent Assassin run.
6. Cameras record you. Destroy the security recorder (usually in a security room) or avoid cameras if you want Silent Assassin.
7. Mastery unlocks better starts. Earning mastery in a location unlocks new starting locations, disguises, weapons and smuggled item spots.
8. Challenges are your checklist. Each location has dozens, from specific kills to discovery objectives. They're the main source of Mastery XP.
9. Save often but don't save-scum mindlessly. On higher difficulties, saves are limited.

Core Mechanics

Suspicion and disguises

• NPCs react based on your disguise and behavior. Running, climbing and trespassing all raise suspicion.
• Enforcers (white dot above their heads in Instinct) can see through your disguise. Avoid walking near them.
• The suspicion meter is shown on screen. Break line of sight and blend into crowds or tasks (the "blend in" spots) to reset it.
• Trespassing vs hostile areas: trespassing gets you escorted out. In hostile areas guards may shoot.

Instinct

Instinct highlights targets and NPCs, shows items of interest, and reveals people through walls. On Professional difficulty (Master in newer versions) its help is reduced.

Distractions and tools

Accidents

Accident kills (falling objects, electrocution, poisoned food, gas explosions) don't raise alarms and count as "accidents." They're the core of stylish play.

Silent Assassin: How to Earn It

To get the top rating you must:

1. Only kill the targets. No non-target kills.
2. Not be spotted committing crimes or trespassing.
3. Not let any bodies be found. Accidents are fine.
4. Not be caught on camera, or destroy the recording.

Suit Only means doing this without changing disguise. Many challenges ask for Silent Assassin Suit Only.

Locations and Targets

The locations launched episodically between March and October 2016: Paris on 11 March, Sapienza on 26 April, Marrakesh on 31 May, Bangkok on 16 August, Colorado on 27 September and Hokkaido on 31 October.

Location tips

• Paris: The fashion show has two targets and many routes. The auction, the sheikh and the fashion show routes are great for learning Mission Stories.
• Sapienza: Big and vertical. The virus in the lab under the mansion must also be destroyed. Take time to explore. It's often called the best level in the trilogy.
• Marrakesh: Split between the consulate and the school. Two very different targets with their own opportunities.
• Bangkok: A riverside luxury hotel. Jordan Cross's band is recording in the hotel studio, and his lawyer Ken Morgan moves around the hotel separately, so plan two different approaches.
• Colorado: A militia camp where almost everyone is hostile. Four targets and a disguise-heavy puzzle. Many consider it the hardest map to Silent Assassin.
• Hokkaido: A hospital with strict access rules. You start without your gear, and disguises and kill methods change with the target's medical procedure.

Bonus Content

The Game of the Year Edition added:

• Patient Zero campaign: four missions reusing season-one locations with new targets and an infection theme.
• Bonus missions on existing maps, like The Icon (Sapienza), A House Built on Sand (Marrakesh) and The Holiday Hoarders (Paris).
• Escalation Contracts, where each stage adds a new complication.

Game Modes

• Missions: the main story levels, replayable endlessly.
• Escalation Contracts: multi-stage contracts with rising difficulty.
• Contracts mode: create your own challenges by marking targets and methods, or play other players' contracts.
• Elusive Targets: limited-time targets you get one attempt at. They're re-run periodically in WoA.
• Freelancer (WoA only): the roguelike mode released in January 2023 alongside the rebrand. You take on crime syndicates, choose randomized contracts, and build up your safehouse.

Mastery and Progression

• Each location has its own Mastery level. XP comes from challenges, completing missions and good ratings.
• Mastery unlocks starting locations, disguises, agency pickups (smuggled items), and weapons and gear.
• Your player profile level increases across locations.

Challenge Categories

Each location's challenge list is split into categories. Knowing them helps you plan runs that tick off several at once:

A Good First Week With the Game

1. Prologue: Play Guided Training and Freeform Training. Freeform shows how many ways one kill can go.
2. Paris, run one: Follow a Mission Story all the way through. Don't worry about the rating.
3. Paris, run two: Pick a different Mission Story for the other target and try to avoid being spotted.
4. Paris, run three: Aim for Silent Assassin using what you've learned. Destroy the security recording.
5. Sapienza: Repeat the pattern. Explore the town, the mansion and the lab. Sapienza rewards exploration more than any other map.
6. Level up Mastery on your favourite map to unlock new starting spots and smuggled items, then try Suit Only.
7. Move to Escalations and Contracts once you've finished the campaign.

Difficulty

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Only playing each mission once. The game is built around replay. The first run is just scouting.
• Ignoring Instinct's white dots. Enforcers wreck disguise runs.
• Leaving camera evidence. Destroy the recorder if you've been seen.
• Running everywhere. It draws attention in most areas.
• Carrying suspicious items openly. Guns and crowbars get noticed. Keep them holstered.
• Hiding bodies in open areas. Use containers and closets.
• Going Silent Assassin on the first run. Learn the map first.

Advanced Tips

• Emetic poison plus a bathroom is the classic way to isolate a target.
• Accidents avoid alerts entirely. Look for chandeliers, gas, electricity and poisoned food.
• Coins to reposition guards away from their posts.
• Stack challenges. Many can be done in the same run.
• Use the Mastery unlocks to start in powerful positions.
• Exit with the right disguise to avoid combat. Exits are shown on the map.
• Learn target schedules. Targets follow loops. Instinct shows their path.

FAQ

Can I still buy HITMAN (2016)? Not as a standalone game. It's part of HITMAN World of Assassination. The Part One edition includes these locations.

Do I need HITMAN (2016) to play its levels in WoA? No. Since January 2023 the season-one locations are part of WoA.

Can I still play my old standalone copy? Yes, it remains in your library, but WoA is where updates and live events happen.

What's the best first mission? Start with the Prologue, then Paris. Paris and Sapienza best teach how Mission Stories and disguises work.

What's Silent Assassin? The top rating: only targets killed, no bodies found, never spotted and no camera evidence.

Is HITMAN multiplayer? No. It's single-player with online features like Contracts, leaderboards and Elusive Targets.

What is Freelancer? WoA's roguelike mode, released in January 2023. It isn't in the standalone 2016 game.

Sources

• HITMAN (2016) on Steam
• HITMAN World of Assassination on Steam
• Hitman (2016 video game) on Wikipedia
• Hitman 3 / World of Assassination on Wikipedia
• HITMAN Steam news (Legacy Pack and free-location posts)