TL;DR
Unique Gameplay Experiences
Several indie games offer unique gameplay experiences that set them apart. West of Loathing is praised for its humor and engaging RPG mechanics [1:1]. SYNTHETIK provides adrenaline-pumping action with its roguelite shooter format, offering players a variety of customization options
[1:11]. Potionomics, while not entirely obscure, stands out for its potion shop management gameplay combined with relationship-building elements
[2:5].
Narrative-Driven Adventures
For those who enjoy narrative-driven games, Oxenfree offers a well-written choose-your-story mystery with mild horror elements [1:1]. In Other Waters provides a unique ocean exploration experience driven by narrative, using radar as the primary interface
[5:1]. Spiritfarer combines base building with a touching story that has moved many players to tears
[5:2].
Challenging and Atmospheric Titles
Games like Blasphemous and Lost in Vivo cater to players looking for challenging experiences. Blasphemous is a metroidvania with Dark Souls-esque difficulty and stunning pixel art visuals [1:12]. Lost in Vivo delivers pure horror, recommended only for those who enjoy intense scares
[5:2].
Hidden Gems with Unique Mechanics
Some games are celebrated for their innovative mechanics. Dandara features metroidvania platforming with a distinctive movement mechanic [5:1]. Crystal Project offers a deep JRPG experience akin to Final Fantasy V, with extensive character customization and strategic depth
[2:11].
Recommendations Beyond the Discussions
While these discussions highlight several underrated indie games, it's worth exploring platforms like YouTube or indie game forums for additional recommendations. Channels like Iron Pineapple often feature lesser-known titles that might pique your interest [2:8]. Additionally, participating in Steam sales can be a great way to discover new favorites at discounted prices.
I often see a lot of the same games posted here. I absolutely love playing indie games and was wondering if anyone has any favorites that don't get enough love here or elsewhere, either because they're overlooked or because they're just not known. I've already played a lot of the bigger ones people suggest like To the Moon, Omori, Celeste, Life is Strange, etc.
Genre doesn't matter. I'm down to play any genres whether they're a wholesome visual novel, gruesome horror, action packed adventure, or anything in between; just wanna support some smaller devs/teams.
If you have multiple suggestions, I'll take em. If you have a game, I'll take that too!
Edit: I'm reading all of these and checking them out. Thanks for all the suggestions. Some of them definitely look fun.
One of the greatest indie game ever made, and no one talks about it!
I see this one a lot. Prob not "underrated" but worth a playthrough.
In my opinion, Transistor is heavily underappreciated. The studio is by now well known for Hades, but their earlier titles are great too, and Transistor is my favourite.
I remember getting it for free on Epic Games a few years back and I wasn't interested in it at all.
Then someone on Twitter mentioned it and so I gave it a shot. I think about that game to this day and I've been desperately trying to find games in a similar setting
I love that game. People try to avoid it because of the artstyle but that's the best part!
I made a review for it, I hope it's all right to post it so anyone wanting to learn what makes it so great and how it plays can easily do so: https://youtu.be/yl2jAYpfNKo
Played this as a wild card before it left game pass. Outstanding. One of the most emotionally moving games I've played in past 30 years or so.
the game headline of every gaming magazine cover? yes it's as underrated as witcher 3 the hidden gem.
Monster sanctuary.
3v3 Pokemon with metroidvania exploration and some pretty deep skill trees
West of Loathing - comedy RPG with turn-based combat. Very funny, not too short but doesn’t overstay it’s welcome.
Helltaker - puzzle game about building yourself a harem of demon girls. Surprisingly hard, funny, and SFW
Oxenfree - choose-your-story mystery/mild horror. Think “Until Dawn”, but low budget and well written.
SYNTHETIK - roguelite shooter with satisfying gunplay and lots of customization. Also has co-op.
Blasphemous - 15-20 hr metroidvania with good combat, great bosses, and a pixelated Dark Souls-esque style.
For some slightly more well-known ones: Stanley Parable, Outer Wilds, Papers Please, and Post Void are all very unique and worth a look.
Finally, if by some miracle you haven’t played: Hotline Miami, Disco Elysium, Katana Zero, Hollow Knight, or Hades, then those jump to the top of my recommendations. They’ve gotten plenty of praise at this point though.
Seconded on Oxenfree and Blasphemous. Great games
SYNTHETIK really is a gem. 2 isn't really my cup of tea, but i still play the first one a bunch. It's a super neat game of pure action and adrenaline
Blasphemous is an absolute gem. Hard as hell, but the visuals are wholly unique and some phenomenal boss fights. Plus I think all the dlc was free. Can’t recommend highly enough
I play a bunch of indie games, obscure and otherwise, and every 6 months or so I like to do a big recommendation post that coincides with a Steam sale. And let me tell you, this has been a banger 6 months for indie games. Let us begin!
I have found my ability to sit down and play a game that is more or less a book has really suffered the last few months, so I have a pretty sizable number of games I'd love to dig more into but just haven't had the attention span for. I'm sticking them all here because what little I've played of them has been very promising, but I haven't given them the time necessary for a full endorsement:
All of these games are free! You have no excuses not to play them, especially since they’re all short (Roottrees is the longest at ~4 hours) and absolutely delightful
Is Void Stranger.
Void Stranger is a hard game to recommend. It demands quite a bit of its players as you loop through its levels multiple times, slowly picking at the edges of its mysteries and story-- and let me tell you, there is so much more to those mysteries than it initially seems. Digging into this game with the help of the System Erasure Discord server is one of my favorite experiences in gaming ever, full stop. The big moments at the very end of the story are jaw-dropping. If you're willing to do what this game demands of you, there is truly nothing else like it out there.
And that's it from me! If you like this post, please consider checking out my posts from previous sales:
And subscribe to my Steam curator page! Most of the games I featured here were recommended there first, and I have a huge back catalog of recommendations as well.
Thank you!!
Have you heard of Brutal Orchestra? I got turned onto it by another "obscure indie games" curator and it's complex (for my tastes) but incredible. A turn-based roguelike all about resource management/balancing penalties to be able to fuel your moves. It's sitting just over 1k reviews so wasn't sure if you covered it before.
I will second Pseudoregalia. I actually bought it and Brutal Orchestra at the same time which is what made me think of the former, but Psuedo is definitely much more in my wheelhouse. I love how the game lets you brute force your way through sequence breaks; it shows how strong the core mechanics are that one or two upgrades are enough to let you get to a lot of places you shouldn't be able to reach yet.
Oooo I love recommending obscure games
Potionomics - 20% off - My game of the year back in 2022 - A charming game where you run a potion shop and develop relationships with a diverse cast of characters. Very chill and a lot easier than Recettear
Legend of Mana - 50% off - A personal favorite of mine, a very chill action RPG with a non-liner story and plenty of weird content to explore
Siralim Ultimate - 50% off - The ultimate roguelite teambuilding topdown dungeon crawler. Select a class, get perks, Build a team of 6 monsters, equip them with gear and spells and then embark on one of the most customizable crawlers.
Freedom Planet - 50% off and Freedom Planet 2 -10% off - It's 2D Sonic
Spark: The Electric Jester 3 - 50% off - It's 3D Sonic
Kaze and the Wild Masks - 75% off - It's Donkey Kong Country
Ex-Zodiac - 35% off - It's Starfox
Rune Factory 4 Special - 35% off and Rune Factory 3 Special - 25% off - Stardew Valley with MORE RPG ((Do NOT get Rune Factory 5 it's a downgrade in terms of gameplay and story))
Stolen Realm - 25% off - If Divinity: Original Sin was all combat and a rougelite
Time Break Chronicles - 35% off - A unique take on oldschool rpgs in the vein of Final Fantasy, you select your team from a very large cast (60+ characters!) and travel through space and time, also Rougelite. lots of interesting strategies and possibilities to explore
Waves of Steel - 50% off - Basically Naval Ops: Warship Gunner, think Battleship dialed straight up to ludicrous.
Erannorth Chronicles - 75% off - One of the most in depth card battle RPGs I've ever come across, like the complexity and customization is insane
Gordian Quest - 45% off - Speaking of cardgames, if you don't want as much Jank as Erannorth Chronicles and a little more story, this is a great option as well
Beach Buggy Racing 2: Island Adventure - 75% off - Prolly the most fun indie Kart Racer I've payed, also co-op through the whole campaign which is quite lengthy
Nevergrind Online - 59% off - Ever wish the original Everquest was a dungeon crawler?
Makai Kingdom - 35% off - Similar humor to the Disgaea games but a more freeroam and interesting battle system
Dungeons of Dredmor - 40% off - A roguelite dungeon crawler with a humorous twist
Coin Game - 30% off - It's a first person arcade sim with an optional survival mode where you have to earn money by doing things like mowing grass and paper routes. you have to earn prizes in the arcade and sell them too.
Also prolly not obscure but I gotta recommend it anyway: Earth Defense Force 4.1 - 55% off and Earth Defense Force 5 - 70% off and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers - 53% off - Starship troopers dialed up even more, wonderful in co-op!
Edit: I forgot Cassette Beasts - 25% off - a unique take on pokemon, with a musical vibe.
Also Monster Sanctuary - 75% off - A metroidvania take on pokemon with a few more RPG mechanics.
Army of Ruin - 10% off - One of the best Vampire Survivor clones with tons and tons of unlockables.
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling - 60% off - Paper Mario with bugs
Absolutely loved Potionomics. The management side of the game could use some tweaking but I read that the developers made some really great QoL updates since I last played.
Great characters, great art style, addictive gameplay and a great soundtrack, I highly recommend Potionomics as well.
While I did love Potionomics, I'm not sure if I'd call it "chill". A couple of the early cycles I felt pretty stressed to get potions ready for the contest. Also dealing with reagents is kind of a hassle. Perfect otherwise though
Well compared to Recettear it's pretty chill haha. I did fail the first contest but, on my next playthough I smashed it into oblivion.
Once you get a handle on the potion creation it's rather addictive.
Lies of P was not indie enough for me to feature here but hoo boy that game is really good. Definitely my favorite big budget game I played this year.
In a year without Void Stranger Can of Wormholes would probably have been my pick for game of the year, though I would’ve been tempted to give it to 12 Word Searches just to be silly lol
Also Rune Factory, which is a Marvelous series. Even something like Potionomics is debatable when I remember it being one of the most prominent games showcased in a past Steam Next Fest. I understand not everyone pays attention to these events, but the term obscure is being employed very loosely here.
Turns out it was a Youtube person, but this was the video where they shared it. I mostly play indie games so it's not often I find something new in these (I mean the same video recommended Deep Rock Galactic and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk), but I always give them a try in case they show something new (Psuedoregalia and Brutal Orchestra).
Their channel isn't bad, either.
While I'm recommending people who go through random games, I like Iron Pineapple for finding random Souls-like demos.
El Paso, Elsewhere is a “kind of obscure” game that has an extremely cool Max Payne-meets-Bloodrayne vibe.
Crystal Project not being listed here has gotta be a sin! Imagine FF5 but with even more depth. It's an absolutely amazing game and deserves waaaay more attention than it got. Any classic FF fan or SNES JRPG era aficionado needs to immediately stop reading this and go play it. Like... right now.
I really wanted to like it, but the bosses were far too trial and error for my taste. The exploration, tactics, general aesthetic were awesome, but the bosses killed my enthusiasm. Each require a specific setup, that went against the experimentation I had enjoyed.
I run a small YouTube channel about indie games and recently made my own top 10. You can check out the video here if you want, but I'll list some games that haven't been mentioned yet below:
24 Killers (154 reviews): A surreal adventure game, basically a modern take on a Love De Lic game (creators of Moon and Chulip).
Can of Wormholes (251 reviews): A brilliant Sokoban-like that is on par with the genre-defining Baba is You and Stephen's Sausage Roll.
Moonring (844 reviews): A free retro RPG in the style of the Ultima series, made by the co-creator of the Fable series.
VIVIDLOPE (165 reviews): An arcadey puzzle platformer that looks and plays like a forgotten Dreamcast game.
Mortal Sin (979 reviews): A first person roguelite with some of the best melee combat I have experienced.
I can also vouch for Saltsea Chronicles, even if it fails to reach the highs of its incredibly underrated predecessor Mutazione.
We all have that one game we wish more people knew about—a hidden gem that doesn’t get nearly enough love or attention. What’s yours, and why do you think it deserves a bigger fanbase? Share your recommendations and maybe help someone find their next favorite game!
Braid. Absolutely mind blowing 2D side scroller about time travel, with a heart-rending sorry that you can figure out but don't have to.
ASTRAL ASCENT--If you love roguelites/likes YOU HAVE to try this game.
Is this underrated? It's great. It was my replacement when I finished Dead Cells. The pixel art alone is beautiful.
Psychonauts 2. People are missing out on one of the funniest and most fun action platformers out there.
Playing now, fun gameplay and light humored, clever dialogue
Outward. A brilliantly crafted little adventure game with fun stories, some brutal combat once you get the hang of it and wonderful coop. Every trek out of the city needs to be planned as travel is just as deadly as enemies. Great stuff that got hated on by people looking for a DS game.
Outward is God tier. Sincerely, a badredman with 6k hours in souls games.
Two Worlds II.
Most people either have no idea what it is or never played it due to issues with the first game or simply thinking it's a crappier Elder Scrolls knockoff.
Honestly I think the story is pretty cool. More importantly the world and gameplay are amazing. The combat looks much better than skyrim, more weapon and armor variety, can customize the coloration of armor sets, can customize spells, set traps, horses are really good and have different qualities [also has a horse whistle], has this cool scouting treasure thing called an oculus, and so much more. The dungeons are amazing and there is so much variety in enemy types and species. Side content is a ton of fun as well.
The game is far from perfect but its probably my favorite RPG especially on the PS3. Yes I enjoyed it more than Skyrim but I understand not everyone will feel the same. Regardless I think anyone that likes open world RPGs should definitely give it a chance.
I miss this game and the "PS3/Xbox360 era" of games in general. I was playing Infinite Undiscovery at the same time as Two Worlds II so to me they are related. Lol
Instant nostalgia when I saw that name. I can't even remember if it was the 1st or 2nd I played but definitely want to pick them up and give them a shot.
It does a good job summarizing the events so far. Its not that deep but you do miss out on a lot of character moments and jokes from the 1st game
Yeah, wasn't Braid one of the earliest megahit indie games?
I recently ran across Omori, and it was such a treat to play, but I had heard literally nothing about it and only played it on a whim after seeing a meme involving one of the characters. Does anyone know of games that really stand out in their genre but are under appreciated or under advertised ?
I don’t care which genre, but here are some games I would say fit the category: Inscryption, Omori, Rimworld, Undertale (included not for being under appreciated, but rather for being standout). I extra appreciate if the story is powerful!
Thanks for your time folks
EDIT: I've seen a ton of really cool reccomendations already, thanks so much yall! Just wanted to also throw in Slay the Princess as a game that fits.
Play CrossCode, just do it right now
I found that gem in the early alpha days 10/10 one of the best random finds on steam
I had fun exploring the Lovecraftian world of Dredge. And do some fishing.
I see people like this game, what is it most similar to?
Earth Defense Force
Kingdom Come Deliverance
Jesus Christ Be Praised!
Remnant 2. Dropped on gamepass. Never heard or played 1 or 2. Tried it and now totally hooked
No, I'm not talking about Hades, Isaac, Hollow Knight, Gungeon, Shovel Knight, etc. Underrated/great games that are flying under the radar only.
Return of the obra dinn - mystery game so good I wish I can forget and replay
webbed - cute and fun platformer for feeling happy
spiritfarer - story based base building thing that made cry
Lost in vivo - pure horror don't do it
Toem- fun adventure while taking pictures
A short hike- again fun hike to the top of a mountain, if you want hapiness this is it
Devotion and detention - horror again this time on mobile too
Thomas was alone - puzzle game that's really fun
Far:lones sails - sidescroller like inside/limbo
Everhood - best rhythm game ever
Just shapes and beats - 2nd best rhythm game
Sexy brutale - amazing puzzle and story game where you can control time
Lisa trilogy - for pain and suffering
Will you snail - rage platformer
To the moon - sadness
In other waters - weird finding alien species in ocean game really cool
Cross code - it's amazing look it up
Presentable liberty - for depression
A beginner's guide - for questioning your outlook on creativity
Cruelty squad - to question what you are even playing anymore
The looker - satirical joke on the witness which is really funny
There's definitely more but this is all i can name off the top of my head
ikenfell, eastward, deaths door, crosscode, elephantasy flipside, lil gator game!
more acclaimed but absolutely must-play and not on your list: inscryption, tunic, chicory
Deaths door was huge. Think it belongs on your acclaimed list
Green hill incident. The atmosphere is very cool and the UFO theme is nice 👍 !
Lone Survivor.
Some of mine have already been mentioned, and lots of what has been mentioned so far are pretty well celebrated. For me some which went well under the radar are:
Strange Horticulture - shopkeeping puzzler full of mysteries and witchcraft.
In Other Waters - narrative-driven ocean exploration game using only radar.
Minit - Zelda-like gameplay loop and banging music.
Dandara - metroidvania-esque platforming game with a unique movement mechanic.
DorfRomantik - table-top-like map builder.
Islanders - Citybuilder on prceduraly generated islands for high-score chasing.
Grapple Dog - super charming platformer with a grapplimg mechanic.
I play a ton of obscure indie games, and a bunch of my favorites are currently on sale. I don't think these games get the attention they deserve and they're all worth your time, so take a look if any of them catch your interest!
Everything from my previous list is still on sale and I still highly recommend everything on it, especially the two early access games (Spin Rhythm XD and Scarlet Hollow) that have received more content in the last 6 months.
And here are some of the great games I've played in the last 6 months that are on sale:
And since I've played a ton of puzzle games recently, here's a puzzle game lightning round. I highly recommend all of these:
And that's it from me! Any other under-the-radar indies people would recommend checking out?
This is my favorite type of thread on this sub.
Lots of really cool games I’ve never heard of and plenty to love.
It might not be obscure enough, but I’ll recommend Dusk. It’s a retro FPS where the game is constantly rewarding you for pushing at the edges and finding secrets. Solid gunplay that reminds me of Quake more than anything else in a horror setting and you can one-shot enemies with bars of soap and the y axis is unlocked so you can do flips while dual wielding shotguns.
I'll just go ahead and drop the boomer shooter list. Also GoG's sale is still ongoing till June 27th.
I highly recommend Dusk. Exploration and level design is a key component of boomer shooters^1 Dusk excels beyond any game I've played in ages. The level design is art. Repeatedly you will enter a level and just be left stunned by what the designer did.
If anyone wants a quick rundown of Boomer Shooters:
Additionally there are these games which I haven't played:
Classics, older games but definitely still fun to play today:
Patron saint of boomer shooters Civvie: https://www.youtube.com/c/Civvie11
> Nightmare Reaper Mix Doom and a looter shooter. Starts slow but really opens up late game. Crazy guns (you can shoot hornets at people)
I'm not even a big boomer shooter guy but I'll second the hell out of Nightmare Reaper. Don't let the procedural generation of the maps warn you away from it, It changes the environment so so frequently that the levels always feel so fresh.
Pick up Prodeus, trust me. It's so incredibly well made and satisfying.
My next obscure indie game recommendations: Terraria, followed by Minecraft.
Noita is an indie gem that deserves more attention. It sells itself as a 2D roguelike where every pixel is simulated, which is true. The physics system and interactivity of the gameworld are unmatched in the 2D space and exceed even most 3D games. It's brutally difficult demands the player raise their skill level; there is no tutorial, no handholding, and no easy mode. You will die, and are expected to learn from you mistakes.
The wandcrafting with hundreds of spells is one of the deepest mechanics I have ever seen in a game, in over twenty years of gaming. The combinations are limitless.
But what makes the game so special is the unbelievable amount of secrets. There is an entire world in the game, with lore, and characters, and static locations and items. The sense of adventure is incredible. I still vividly remember getting to the third level, wandering off to a new area shrouded in darkness, and spending five minutes debating if I wanted to take a risk and explore this new magical place that I had never seen, or continue onwards to my intended destination. There was a real sense of danger and excitement, because exploring would likely mean death and an end of the run, but there are powerful rewards around every corner.
I haven't felt that sense of adventure in a game since I was a kid, and it was special moment.
This is truly a gem of a game. It's made by three people, and has a stunning amount of content with a dedicated modding community. And it's on sale right now.
Go pick it up, and prepare to die.
I've been playing Noita lately. I probably recommend it, but prepare for hours upon hours of learning. I have put 30 hours into the game, beaten it once (probably could do more if I wasn't trying to explore so much), and still get my shit kicked in on early levels frequently.
It's an extremely good game, but you need to make the time and that time will not be spent simply exploring. You need to work and your reward for that work is the ability to properly explore. It can be extremely frustrating and the early game can get tiring. The rewards of learning how to craft even a basic wand are exciting, but they won't carry you for long.
If you want to take the dive, be prepared.
Billion Road - It's like Fortune street combined with a bit of Pokemon. Roll around Japan investing in properties and then collecting monsters to attack other player. or even giant kaiju!
Siralim Ultimate - The ultimate roguelite teambuilding topdown dungeon crawler. Select a class, get perks, Build a team of 6 monsters, equip them with gear and spells and then embark on one of the most customizable crawlers.
Coin Game - It's a first person arcade sim with an optional survival mode where you have to earn money by doing things like mowing grass and paper routes. you have to earn prizes in the arcade and sell them too.
Earth Defense Force 4.1 and Earth Defense Force 5 - Starship troopers dialed up even more, wonderful in co-op!
[Freedom Planet] (https://store.steampowered.com/app/248310/Freedom_Planet/) - It's Sonic
[Kaze and the Wild Masks] (https://store.steampowered.com/app/829280/Kaze_and_the_Wild_Masks/) - It's Donkey Kong Country
Rune Factory 4 Special - Stardew Valley with MORE RPG ((Do NOT get Rune Factory 5 it's a downgrade in terms of gameplay and story))
Stolen Realm - If Divinity: Original Sin was all combat and a rougelite
Time Break Chronicles - A weird oldschool rpg in the vein of Final Fantasy, you select your team from a very large cast and travel through space and time, also Rougelite.
Waves of Steel - Basic Naval Ops: Warship Gunner, think Battleship dialed straight up to ludicrous.
I'll throw in my recommendation for the 40% off TROUBLESHOOTER, a Korean-made RPG that's a draws a lot of inspiration from the likes of XCOM and Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem with extremely robust character building mechanics. If you're looking for an easy 100+ hour strategy game this is an easy reco.
This looks like just my kind of game. I thought about picking it up, but I'm scared I'll hate the characters and plot. Is it actually passably written, or is it full of weird and juvenile trope-filled anime type stuff?
Citizen Sleeper is new, but it's been getting good reviews. It's a story-focused transhuman game set on a miniature space station where you have to invest the dice rolls you get every turn in order to earn the resources you need to not have your robotic body succumb to planned obsolescence. Made by the same team that made In Other Waters.
Binged the game on game pass, I'm totally in love. Right to my top-10 all time.
I have some complaints but they're all spoilers, still a strong recommendation though.
We all have that one hidden gem - the game you keep telling people about that no one seems to play.
Maybe it flew under the radar, maybe the reviews were mixed, or maybe it just didn’t get the love it deserved.
Probably Control. No one I know has played it, besides people on the Control subreddit, and it's one of my favorite games ever.
Control sent me off on a New Weird journey after I first played it. Had me reading a bunch of China Mieville and Jeff Vandermeer and watching stuff like The Endless and Infinity Train.
I enjoyed most of it and still keep up with a couple of the authors, but what I enjoyed most was Infinity Train, a hard to find cartoon from one of the people behind Regular Show; and There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm, which is a short novel that I think is set in the SCP universe, idk but really great read.
I've had the opposite experience. Multiple subreddits touted Control as one of the best games they've ever played, good graphics good story good atmosphere etc.
I found it to be exactly where it should be - a modest and well done lower budget project that did a few things but did them well enough.
I enjoyed it because I bought it at a discount, I think full price would have tipped my opinion the other way.
It's hard to call it underrated since it's sitting at 8800 reviews and 95% of those are positive... but Tactical Breach Wizards. Absolutely phenomenal indie tactical game with legitimately hilarious writing.
Came here to say exactly this - incredible game with clever humor. Often on sale too!
I love this game. The writing, the gameplay, and even the aesthetic grew on me after a bit.
I loved their take on a tactical rpg being more puzzle focused than rpg focused
Grim Dawn. Great ARPG. I played it a time ago and it felt kinda meh. Tried it again in the last few weeks and it just clicked. Already finished with one character and I'm thinking about getting the DLCs and maybe try new classes
Yeah, Grim Dawn is infamous for making poor first impression but when you put a little more time, it gets better and better.
It has great build variety, awesome itemization, fashion is quite nice too, also, it's mostly single player experience - no battle passes or other fomo schemes to milk you.
I’ve tried it a few times, but it’s never fully clicked for me. When was that moment for you, if ya can remember? Bc I want to play that game more, but can’t stick to it
I was itching for a ARPG. I can't get Last Epoch or Diablo IV right now. So when I tried it again I was open to really give it a chance.
The first time I played I found it not very engaging and too complicated, but I was wrong. What I thought to be complicated turned out to be my favorite aspect of it. Building your character.
You can mix 2 classes and it is more simple than other games. The devotion system can be a little overwhelming but it has a search function that helps a lot. And the loot filter is so good after you make some coins and just want the items for your specific build.
Sleeping Dogs. Never got the attention it deserves
At this point I dont think it's underrated anymore, plenty of people praise the shit out of this game.
I'm on the hunt for some hidden gems. We all know the big titles, but I'm looking for those games that flew under the radar, maybe had a small but dedicated fanbase, or just never got the recognition they deserved. Genre doesn't really matter, I'm open to anything! What are some games you think are criminally underrated and why should people play them? I'm ready to add some new titles to my backlog!
Parasite made by SodaThiefStudio, a gruesome game but it is worth to play!
A Universal Time and Jailbreak
Jailbreak was popular af in its prime
It still should be
Microwave dinner and… Pyrite Adventure
An underground hangout, best story game I have ever seen but doesn’t get over 500 people playing it.
Tittle says it all. I'm looking for the hidden gems, the indie standouts with no recognition. Those games that are considered masterpieces and yet no one has ever heard of them.
Wolfstride! It’s hard to describe it’s mainly a turn based mech fighting game, but in between fights you’re doing chores and odd jobs via mini games kinda like a side scrolling yakuza game. Art style is cool and the writing and characters are awesome!
Looks very interesting. I also love the art style.
Afterplace
This is a great game!
One of my favorites
Svarog's Dream is a wonderful, focused, topdown action RPG experience with some pretty interesting mechanics. The character you play as has their own goals, but when you die, they also die permanently, and thus their dreams die with them. it has fun classes, the world is fun to explore without being too large, it always adds something new right at the right times to keep the gameplay/story fresh, and there are world events. The DLC is good too, so if you finish one ending and want more seriously considering picking that up too.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2004640/Svarogs_Dream/
Eador Genesis is a between-genre game. The creator(s) wanted to play a strategy fantasy expansionist party/town management game and saw that none existed...so they made one themselves.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/235660/Eador_Genesis/
Final Profit: A Shop RPG Do you like watching numbers go up, but wish the number go up games were more interactive? Do you like endearing yet funny characters? How about some truly interesting and funny side quests, and being a shopkeeper? This game is technically EA but has a full campaign. It's only "EA" because the Dev just can't seem to help themselves, so they keep adding more and more and more content. You'll be buying a full and unique experience with this one, I promise.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1705140
The Choice Of games, specifically Heart Of The House. You are a spiritual investigator trying to find your lost uncle, who was last seen at the manor of a baron of ill repute. If you like playing games where your chocies matter, you will be in heaven here because every single thing matters. I truly mean it! You get to decide how you do your ghost hunting/your spiritual specialization, who you trust and who trusts you, what clues you follow (if you manage to avoid bungling the lead), who lives and who dies, and of course the ending...of which there are several. If you like the sound of a very choice-heavy narrative with good story, but the haunted mansion theme doesn't tickle your fancy, you could take a peek at Tin Star. In that one, you play as a should-be-dead criminal who finds themselves overseeing a parcel of the wild West instead. Help save the local townships or join the bad guys, or just become chaotically good and bring some dynamite.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/742150/Heart_of_the_House/
Who Is Mike is a FREE thriller/visual novel. One day, you realize that there are two of you in the house. Can you convince everyone that you're the real Mike?
https://store.steampowered.com/app/377430/Who_Is_Mike__A_Visual_Novel/
Siralim Ultimate has more than 1k but less than 2k reviews. Do you like games with deep team building mechanics? Did you like Pokemon but wish the battle mechanics went to extremes? Do you like breaking games? This is for you. Theres an early game creature who will revive an ally every single time it attacks...that creature is not considered overpowered. In fact, until recently, it was given to you at the start of the game.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1289810/Siralim_Ultimate/
Glad I count myself in one of those (positive) reviews. I've spent so much time playing the entire series ever since the first game! Ultimate is exactly as its title suggests; the ultimate Siralim experience. There's no game I've ever played that's quite like this one. If you like to fuck around and break games with just endless combinations of stuff, this is your game.
Siralim is really frickin good, choose this one OP imo
Adding it to the Wishlist
Saturnalia, a real hidden gem
Promise Mascot Agency!
Any gems you think people should buy while the buying is good?
ah finally time to pull out my collection of lesser-known games :)
-deliver us the moon (space themed)
-we were here together (co-op)
-chernobylite (exploration, story)
-we went back (space themed)
-omori (horror, pixel)
-buddy simulator 1984 (psychological horror)
I was checking out chernobylite yesterday, looks interesting but I was noticing some comments saying the AI and combat were a little weak, and the weapon customization didn't wind up amounting to much improvement.
well, normal new game problems then ahah, i do love the concept tho and i believe if they fix AI and weapons it would actually be real good
i dont think omori is on sale, at least in us
I might have gotten carried away a bit. Definitely not all of these games are niche, but here's my list of games (in no particular order) that I would buy if I didn't already have them.
Gunpoint - It's like 3 bucks right now and is by far my favourite indie puzzler.
Descenders - It's basically the Tony Hawk game of biking. The only other game in the genre is Riders Republic, but I'd argue Descenders does biking better.
Grow Home - Dirt cheap right now and in my opinion criminally underrated casual, chill, exploration game. It's published by Ubisoft but doesn't require their launcher
Grow Up - The sequel to Grow Home. Basically more of the same and just as good
Guacamelee 1 and Guacamelee 2 - Pretty good if you are into the 2D metroidvania action platformer genre
Project Wingman - 3 dudes got sick of waiting for Ace Combat 7 and said "Fuck it, we'll make our own Ace Combat, with blackjack and hookers." AC7 did actually come out before PW was finished, but still, PW is really damn good.
Sid Meier's Pirates - Ok, hear me out. It looks like shit, it plays like shit, but it has a certain charm to it that I haven't really seen in any modern game. It's basically Mount and Blade, but casual and about pirates.
Ronin - It's not for everybody, but if it looks like something you might enjoy, I recommend it. It's pretty short and a few of the levels are absolute bullshit but I had a lot of fun with it and definitely think it's worth the 3 bucks it goes for right now.
Slipstream - For some arcade cabinet racing nostalgia. Honestly, I think the price is a bit much, even with the discount, but if you are into this sort of thing, it's quite good.
Horizon Chase Turbo - Basically like Slipstream, but more modern. It won't keep you on the pc for hours but it's a nice time waster in my opinion.
Hot Lava - If you liked CS surf maps, you'd probably like that one. One of the better 3D platformers these days.
Heat Signature - Hotline Miami, but in space and with more mechanics. Doesn't really have a story, but it's still really good.
Hand of Fate - Probably starting to stretch the definition of "lesser known" here, but Hand of Fate is a really charming, pretty unique kinda-deck-builder-kinda-not game. I really enjoyed it. The sequel is not as good though.
Megaton Rainfall - Probably the closest we'll ever get to a Superman game. It has its problems and it's not worth the full price, but I recommend getting it on sale. Also has VR support, albeit not very good in my opinion.
RUINER - Cyberpunk meets Hotline Miami. Highly, highly recommended.
Hidden Folks - If you ever wanted a "Where's Waldo" game.
A Story About My Uncle - A Short 3D platformer with a charming story. It was the LeafyIsHere game back in the day if anybody still remembers him
BPM: Bullets per Minute - If Doom was a rhythm game. You won't sink hundreds of hours into it, but it's fun occasionally. Price might be a bit high even with the discount.
Townscraper - Pointless, charming and relaxing
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey - Definitely not for everybody and it has quite a few problems, but I found it really charming in a way. There was just something about the pre-historic natural landscape that clicked with me.
Mad Max - It's very far from niche, but I don't normally see Steam promoting it and for 5 bucks it's an absolute steal, so get it if you don't have it already.
Figured since I see them on your list its worth mentioning to folks that until December 7th BPM and Project Wingman are included in the Humble Choice games choices for November. You can buy like a 3 games of the bundle selection sub for like $15 iirc and the games are included as Steam keys and kept forever(no need to stay subbed to play them once you purchased the bundle and selected the game and input the key into Steam) so you can unsub immediately and get to keep your games.
Its cheaper then Steam store directly just for project wingman and could be cheaper if interested in BPM if you wanted at least one of the other game options from the months bundle.
Going to give Heat Signature a try, looks like something I'd enjoy.
Satisfactory is so good, if your into nerding out a bit. Maths and thinking required.
Warhammer 40000 mechanicus.
If you at very least somewhat interested in turn based combat games like xcom do yourself a favour. It's worth your time for the soundtrack and voice acting alone, but as a cool side bonus it's a great game as well that might introduce you to a massive universe without being overwhelming for newcomers
I love looking up Warhammer lore videos on youtube, I've watched hours of lore and I doubt I've even scratched the surface yet.
Subnautica
most underrated indie games on Steam
Key Considerations for Underrated Indie Games on Steam:
Gameplay Mechanics: Look for games that offer unique gameplay mechanics or innovative storytelling that set them apart from mainstream titles.
Art Style: Indie games often feature distinctive art styles that can enhance the overall experience. Consider games with visually appealing graphics or unique artistic direction.
Community Feedback: Check user reviews and community discussions to gauge player satisfaction and discover hidden gems that may not have received widespread attention.
Price Point: Many indie games are budget-friendly, making them accessible for trying out new experiences without a significant investment.
Replayability: Some indie games offer high replay value through different endings, unlockable content, or procedural generation.
Recommendations for Underrated Indie Games:
"Hollow Knight" - A beautifully crafted Metroidvania with deep lore, challenging gameplay, and stunning hand-drawn art.
"Celeste" - A platformer that combines tight controls with a touching narrative about mental health and perseverance.
"Stardew Valley" - A farming simulation game that offers a relaxing experience with charming pixel art and engaging gameplay mechanics.
"Return of the Obra Dinn" - A unique mystery game that uses a monochromatic art style and innovative deduction mechanics to unravel a ship's fate.
"Disco Elysium" - A narrative-driven RPG that focuses on dialogue and character development rather than combat, offering a rich storytelling experience.
"Slay the Spire" - A roguelike deck-building game that combines strategy and card mechanics, providing endless replayability.
These games may not have received the same level of marketing as larger titles, but they offer exceptional experiences that are worth exploring!
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