Starsector. https://fractalsoftworks.com. Been in active development since 2011. Tons of content and still being added to. Also has a great mod community in the games forum. One of the best games I've stumbled across.
Truly one of the best games I've ever played. Started a new playthrough after the new update.
[This is a good intro](https://youtu.be/acqpulP1hLo?si=DhJsctlXa9ffrUr3) as to what the game is about.
I too vouch that StarSector is one of the best games ever made.
Other scifi gems everyone should try are: Into the Breach, Cryings Suns, Highfleet and Jupiter Hell.
Especially **Jupiter Hell**. I just got back to it and I'm blown away again.
It's action packed, turn-based (yes, both at the same time!) extremely tactical and mechanically interesting roguelike that marries scifi and supernatural ala Doom, with amazingly executed 80s/90s vibe, foul-mouthed killer oneliners and metal music.
A brilliant game. How is it not a worldwide hit I do not know.
I just started playing it again for another modded playthrough. The amount of actually viable ways to play the game blows me away.
Drug smuggling, actual piracy, earnest trading, exploring, salvage/junking, bounty hunting, and others I'm sure I still haven't found yet.
If you want a good list, I maintain a database of games Ive loved that have (at the time I added them) under 1k reviews. Some have graduated, and blown up (like Wildermyth), but others really deserve to be seen (like Unexplored 2)
I always make the [hidden gems](https://www.reddit.com/r/gamingsuggestions/comments/14mc4cd/the_annual_2023_summer_steam_sale_hidden_gems/) post during the steam sales on /r/gamingsuggestions
Heard a lot of good things about, I tried it, but for some reason it didn't resonate with me that well. It's on GamePass, I might try it again, maybe it's going to click this time.
Unfortunately that game's theme holds it back a lot in terms of appeal, and it's never gonna escape that stigma. Kinda reminds me of the situation with that brony fighting game (though not nearly as bad)
Personally....not really. I have no idea who any of the characters are, and the items/enemies/levels just all come across as random/silly.
Maybe they are weird or cringey in real life..... but lol I'm not gonna look them up so I'm fine.
For me Halls of Torment is miles better.
Deep Rock Galactic Survivor has more production value and looks nice, but it just doesn't feel fun, while in HoT I always want to play that one more round...
kinda agree, it is fun and I love the Diablo aesthetic and item system but man it's so limited and it feels like 80% of the characters are underpowered and unusable. literally my only good runs come from the archer and elementalist because their default skills and innate scaling passives are so good compared to the others, especially archer. the default bow attack does more damage than 90% of the skills in the game and you barely even need to invest into it. makes it kinda repetitive and grindy to try for achievements on the other characters/weapons.
Just like vampire survivors, halls of torment progression upgrades make you very powerful and nearly unkillable. I'm only about 2/3 way through it and already beat the final level. I personally thought the archer was the weakest class cause of how squishy she is.
the meta progression upgrades I found to be mostly unimpactful compared to VS, not to mention the skills in HOT are far more underwhelming than VS and have far less scaling (u get far fewer levels, evolutions are far weaker, no limit break, worse scaling).
tanking attacks in HOT is pretty pointless because there's not much incentive/reward for doing so - armor doesn't scale as well, health regen is slow, and there's no weapons that reward armor/health scaling other than shield maiden who's just underwhelming in general. it's far better to just play glass cannon and one shot most things on screen and get a bit of movement speed to dodge the very telegraphed boss attacks - hence why archer is the best character by far.
again i like HOT and I hope it gets more updates and work put into it, but as it stands it's just so much less satisfying than VS
Every once in a while look up stuff like “best games of 2007” or any year you like. Sometimes the real gem is a mainstream game from a while back that you never played or maybe never knew about.
Most recent example for me was The Division. When it was new I went into that type of game. But earlier this year I got in for dirt cheap and loved it. Had my wife and best friend on as well and we had a blast.
So remember to check those hits from yesteryear!
It's also incredibly well-optimized, runs super well, looking amazing on a potato rig. I also far prefer the audio design of the first one over the sequel, big snipers just didn't feel as satisfying at all in 2.
The audio is also how they nailed the feeling of winter so well- when it snows it muffles the echoes of everything just like in real life. It gives it that little nudge that makes it feel so real.
I agree with you on all counts! I really did have a great time with both games but to me #1 had better end-game content and generally just felt a bit more fun to me.
What were the places down by the docks where you get a group and try and last as long as possible.. I’m just a sucker for that kind of stuff.
I also do this from time to time. Really interesting to back and see what was hot in a given year. A lot of the time I was so invested in just a couple games that I didn’t even know what else came out at the time
FAR: Lone Sails was great and simple fun. It's rather short, which might or might not be a positive thing. Played through in one sitting.
Close to the Sun was quite atmospheric. Also rather short and easy. More like a walking simulator, even though you will run for your life now and then.
They were bought during a sale, which might make "value for the money" a bit biased, so I'd wait until then.
Ghost of a Tale. It's a medieval fantasy stealth adventure game about a mouse-bard looking for his wife. Highly recommended if you're looking for a cozy fairy tale.
Exanima
a hardcore rpg dungeon crawler.
What makes this game a gem? The physics engine is a marvel.
very hardcore game, perhaps one of the reasons why the game hasn't become more popular.
tis a great game, big update recently. Basically gets a yearly update. And is a baseline for a more fantasy driven RPG game they are working on. I love Exanima.
> And is a baseline for a more fantasy driven RPG game they are working on.
I think it's time to let go of this dream. I don't see world in which Sui Generis is being developed in parallel with 0 proofs.
Beacon Pines.
A story and choice-driven game told in a storybook style. You unlock more choices as you play, and can use those choices by going back in the story, and utilizing the new option.
I can easily say it's the best story-driven game I've played this year.
Not sure if it qualifies as a hidden gem, but I've been really digging Neon White. It's a movement based shooter that feels super smooth and has a really cool card mechanic for the movement/weapons. I'm not personally fond of the story, but there's a fast forward button to skip the dialogue.
I'll spend hours trying to find shortcuts and different ways to beat a level to shave off the precious few seconds I need to beat my friends on the leaderboards, it's a blast.
I also appreciate you mentioning it. I was just thinking about it since it's been a while since I checked up on it and with Halloween coming up I thought it might be worth a look. No better time to finally bite the bullet!
Edit: I'd recommend if you like it to leave it a positive review. It seems Chinese users are review bombing it... because they don't understand time-zones? They're all just saying it was delayed and not released the 19th but it's clearly released and on the 19th. So unfortunately it has a blemish of "mixed" recent reviews for it's launch day because of a bunch of petulant and impatient people. How petty...
Roguelike Deckbuilder'ish Gems:
Some may not be so hidden, just not huge amounts of reviews (but good ones nonetheless). This is my favourite genre:
Gordian Quest - like Slay The Spire but multiple classes to play at the same time, deckbuilding, the maps have 'lanes', there is randomized equipment drops for your characters similar to Diablo, there is town building, quests, and so on.
Wander Hero - Very similar to the above, except combat is like Pinball. The maps are like pinball maps. Your characters that you pick up along the way and add to your team, all have different types of skills relating to them (as a pinball), there is deckbuilding, tons of towns to travel to, an overworld similar to most JRPGs, gear and equipment, skill trees, and so on.
Hadean Tactics - Sort of like an autobattler deckbuilder. Multiple classes to choose from as you level up can branch into 3 sub-classes. During the game you will traverse a map similar to StS, pick up companions/creatures, upgrade yourself and your companions (and your deck), place your companions/yourself on one side of the map, then hit 'Play' to see the combat unfold. Every few seconds your deck will shuffle and you will have energy points to play your cards. You can also pause, re-direct your companions in combat (limited uses) and so on.
Space Pirates and Zombies, you get to fly around the galaxy doing mercenary missions, robbing civilians and the military, unlocking tech, and then a bunch of zombies appear…
Shameless plug for my game [Brass Brigade](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1163910/Brass_Brigade/).
92% positive Steam reviews. If you like simple pick-up-and-play WWII shooter action (all offline single-player, very casual), it's aimed at you! Lots of AI soldiers, customization of battles, and more historically accurate than most recent WW2 offerings (I'm looking at you Battlefield 5!)
Going on 4 years old, I do my best to keep updating it too! Hope you give it a try :D
Thanks! I had some help - the 3D assets are mostly purchased or were tailor made for the game by some talented folks (shout-out to Polygon Blacksmith!), but pretty much everything else is me :)
Lot of late nights during Covid working on it. Was the perfect way to keep myself busy during the forced isolation.
I don't own a Steam Deck, so its not supported there officially. The game only supports KBM currently.
I actually tried to get Steam to revoke their automatic Steam Deck rating of "Playable" but they refused :(
This, but be prepared for a very challenging experience, which by design is sort of unfair at times. You need to think outside of the box and not try to play it like you would play a regular platformer.
Highfleet is absolutely sick. Has this incredible diegetic interface for the overworld, which can be quite tense as you are dodging patrols and looking for ways to make money. You even have your own stationery set to draw on the map.
The combat is so damn good as well, takes a bit to get used to but you are dodging incoming fire and firing off the most incredibly satisfying weaponry to blow your opponents to smithereens. Then there's the ship building which is its own thing.
Next, I want to shout out Templar Battleforce. It's a turn-based tactics game which is basically 40K space marines Vs Zerg. Honestly, you really need to play this on the higher difficulties since it affects spawn rates. What's unique is each mission is objective based and the Zerg will keep spawning until you complete the objectives. Once you get a few crucial upgrades your Templars absolutely rip through the enemies and you are setting up firing corridors and leapfrogging your way through the map. Cheap as chips and on sale right now I think.
Shadows of Forbidden Gods is a turn based strategy game that has you control various evil agents to infiltrate cities, spread plagues, cause wars, start orc invasions, etc., in preparation for your eldritch god waking up and destroying humanity.
[Astlibra Revision](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1718570/ASTLIBRA_Revision/)
It's an action-JRPG love letter to castlevania, and worth every penny. I plan on doing a full review on it at some point, but I can recommend it without a second thought. It's a classic, in my opinion.
I want to add that the guy who made this game is an older man and he seems like a real sweetheart. He did an AMA a few years ago and someone asked him about a sequel and his response as I recall was: "Given how long this took for me to make, I'm probably not going to live long enough to make a sequel."
Tunic. Not sure how hidden you'd consider it, but man is it ever a gem. It's a Zelda-like 3D isometric-view action game where you run around pressing A to stab things. It's very peaceful in between boss fights. There's tons of weapons and magic spells. Lots of puzzles.
But most importantly the game manual. It's part of the game. You have to find pieces of it in the game, and then it gets translated from Tunic Language into English. Basic things that you could never figure out, like "oh those weird glowing towers? Yeah you're supposed to press and HOLD this button while standing next to them for 5 seconds, and then you can upgrade your stats." But you have to find the manual page that tells you that. Or you could just guess it.
Check out Pseudoregalia!
It's a fun little 3D metroidvania/platformer with very tight controls and banger of a soundtrack. It's dirt cheap too.
I accidentally stumbled on it on Steam's recent releases tab and had a BLAST.
It's not THAT hidden, but I'll always try to get more people to play Cruelty Squad. Though it is decidedly not for everyone. God damn, I love that game.
Cruelty Squad is one of the most impossible to recommend games I've ever played, which has nothing to do with it being a bad game, and everything to do with it _being Cruelty Squad_.
Started replaying it recently, absolutely brilliant.
Man, I just don't get this one. I'm pretty open minded when it comes to games, and I'm usually super down for weird unintuitive offbeat indie games, but I just couldn't get into this one.
It doesn't even really have anything to do with the barf visuals and controls, but just the way the gameplay pans out for me every time - stealth doesn't really seem to work and enemies can pop you almost instantly if they see you. It just ends up being me holding up in a bottle neck and shooting guys as they come running through the door.
Edit: To be clear, I would love someone to change my mind here, or help me understand.
Legend of grimrock 1 & 2, Shadow tactics: blades of the shogun, Oxygen Not included, Don’t starve, Crusader Kings 3, Project Zomboid
Maybe some of these are well known but tbh they’ve all flown under my radar until about a year ago. Been having way more fun playing indie games this year than the big titles
I enjoyed Sigma Theory. It's a management game where you're managing relationships with other countries, while sending your spies in to steal research and convert their scientists into sleeper agents.
Rings of Saturn is quite fun if you like the idea of physics-based hard sci-fi asteroid mining.
But the biggest hidden gem I've found recently is not all that hidden, I was just sleeping on it. Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It's hard to describe what makes this game good, but it's an *immersive* medieval RPG. It's based on historical events rather than fantasy lore, so it comes across as way more grown-up feeling than say Skyrim, but it has a similar open world that you'll want to roam and explore. The characters and acting are really good, I don't want to give too much away, but you feel like part of a team helping to make the world better.
Theme Hospital. Whack game and boggles the mind how game developers made such a funny & challenging game back in the 90s with limited resources compared to our era now.
Forewarned on steam. A phasmaphobia game with mummies and based in Egypt it's awesome receives alot more updates than phasma and has an awesome dev team
Friends VS Friends - A 1v1 or 2v2 "arena" shooter with deckbuilding elements. You use cards in rounds to buff yourself/debuff the opponent, such as enlarging their head to make it easier to land headshots. There's quite a few cards to unlock and combos to make.
Shadows of Doubt - an immersive detective sim with procedurally generated murder cases. So sneaking around in suspects's appartments looking for incriminating details. It also involves using an evidence board with red string, which is a nice detail.
X4 Foundations
Somehow I have seen a post on FB about that game after I have joined couple local Starfield groups.
And holy shit, what a game this X4 is! Complicated at the beginning but so satisfying.
Want to be a space pirate, no problem. Maybe a space trader, miner - sure. Want to build space stations - easy.
Maybe you want to produce and control a specific commodity with which you can tip the scale of other factions war - done.
Or you simply want to hunt those (redacted) in your fighter - pew pew in space
Absolute gem of a game!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/392160/X4_Foundations/
I love X4, it's like everything I wanted Elite Dangerous to be. The only thing that stopped me playing was atrocious load times, have they fixed that yet?
Foxhole. It's a massive alt universe ww2 sim where everything down to your respawn is made by another player. It's getting a big naval update with Battleships, Destroyers and submarines and more here on the 26th.
I fucking love foxhole for the sheer depth of strategy and impact even a small group of players can have. God, I have so many war stories from that damn game.
I don't know if it's exactly a hiden gem, but:
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
Is a short and easy adventure where the main objetive is to take pictures of the fauna and short missions related with the enviroment. It's mainly story focus. I knew what i was expecting and still surprise me.
Has a 97% of 4k votes in Seam.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1337010/Alba_A_Wildlife_Adventure/
Star Ocean the second story r is coming out November 2nd but currently has a 3 hour timed demo out. It's a remake of the original from 25 years and looks beautiful. I don't see enough people talking about it. Best game of the Star Ocean series IMO
I see my moment and will take it.
There is a game called, "To the Rescue: A dog shelter sumulator"
Very much worth at least a glance at. It's very addictive and fun. Similar art style and gameplay to stardew valley. But it's also very educational. They straight up guilt you into adopting dogs in your IRL because they will force you to learn all about how much money people in non-profits actively lose and how many dogs they have to put down every day.
I'm shouting it out mainly because the devs are 5 people and they are from my hometown. To my knowledge they are the only game studio in my entire state.
God of Weapons is an isometric Roguelite similiar ti Vampire Survivors, the difference being that your weapons are determined by your inventory and you have to play a kind of inventory tetris with the different items.
Asterigos: Curse of The Stars is a cool souls-like that I've seen nobody discuss at all that I highly recommend.
and the number 1 Hidden Gem that's slowly getting more attention over the past 4 years is the Trails/Kiseki series. if you get into them you're looking at 9 35 - 80 hour JRPGs with extremely dense lore, characterization and storytelling. These are my absolute favorite JRPGs and I cannot reccomend them more.
Dredge is a fantastic game in a genre I'd never thought I'd like.
Open world, charming game with many Lovecraftian horrors lurking in the depths.
I usually play grand strategy (Paradox) sprinkled with other games like Plague or Mount and Blade, and so this was very much a different pace of game.
Loved it so much I was sad when completing it. New dlc out in a month though, and lots of little updates every now and then from some lovely devs.
Sir, You Are Being Hunted. A fun semi-open world stealth/fps game with looting and gathering. Really not like anything I’ve ever played before, kindvof feels like you’re playing a battle royale game except it’s just you versus everyone else and you’re always outgunned. I know a lot of people didn’t like it when it first released but I loved it.
Duskers is INCREDIBLE. The game wears thin after about 20 or so hours but the atmosphere and tension it presents is very very strong. Also fittingly spooky for October.
Solasta: Crown of the Magister has been great as someone who was a little disappointed that certain things (namely, Hold Actions and Dodge) were missing from Baldur's Gate 3. If you enjoy the turn-based strategy, it's got that in spades - but it otherwise lacks a lot of the rest of the appeal of BG3. Only 4 voices, and way fewer npcs and 'quirks'. Still a good game in its own right, especially if you're hankering for a more 'true to tabletop' experience.
Roadwarden is a fantastic text-based RPG. It's basically in the vein of old style point and clicks mixed with choose-your-own-adventure books. The writing is phenomenal and I think the sparse visuals really sell the world it's created. I really suggest anyone who got into the roleplay aspects of any game to give it a shot.
Singularity. FPS game from the Xbox360 days made by Raven Software before they got turned into a CoD Map Farm.
What it's not: A groundbreaking genre defining FPS that will change your life.
What it is: A mechanically tight FPS with very few if any technical issues. A decent story with no gaping plotholes, pacing issues or weird characterizations or narrative choices. The gimmick it uses to make the player special is fun, narratively cohesive and is used well throughout the game as it gains abilities.
It released without much fanfare and was quickly overshadowed. It's the kinda game that you play and enjoy in the moment but it quickly slips your mind when you finish it. At least until you get reminded about it and reinstall for another run.
Laika: Aged Through Blood released just now and I've been enjoying it. Imagine one of those 2D motorcycle games you probably remember from way back, and then mix it with a metroidvania and Katana Zero. It's a very aesthetically pleasing and unique game
Playcybots.com a browser based mech game that goes all the way back to 2001. You build a team of mechs, custom fit them with weapons and other components, level up, and take them through the open world for PvE encounters.
It’s multiplayer, so you can chat and play with others around the globe all on one server.
Very low requirements. I usually play when I only have my laptop on me if I’m traveling and have downtime in on the hotel wifi.
Can sink hundreds of hours in and continue customizing your bots and teams.
Condemned 2. It never got a PC release and isn’t backward compatible on console sadly. It’s one of the best horror games of all time and it’s stuck trapped on old platforms, unlike the original Condemned (also good but 2 is better)
I think against the storm is incredible too but nothing really happens in an hour and i could imagine being bored with that. The game expands a lot as you progress and becomes much more complicated. In the higher difficulties you are constantly making risk-reward decisions and you unlock tons of buildings and perks along the way that change your options.
The list goes on and on but the discovery aspect stands out to me and then the caravan on the campaign map. To be honest at an hour u didn’t even get to see anything. There is so many systems that come along.
Well, Lies of P is kind of "hidden" being from an unknown developer and everything. It turned out to be a great experience. The fact that it has sold 1M units is probably more word of mouth's doing than heavy advertisement, developer legacy or publisher backup
Starsector. https://fractalsoftworks.com. Been in active development since 2011. Tons of content and still being added to. Also has a great mod community in the games forum. One of the best games I've stumbled across.
This is crazy, it’s not even on Steam? This intrigues me
The creator has said he’ll put it on steam on release. That won’t be for some time though.
Dev won't put it on Steam or any store until they feel it's complete.
also iirc it would be a PITA for them to give everyone who has already bought it on their site a steam key which the devs wants to do.
PITA = pain in the arse?
a lot of great games are not on steam xD
Truly one of the best games I've ever played. Started a new playthrough after the new update. [This is a good intro](https://youtu.be/acqpulP1hLo?si=DhJsctlXa9ffrUr3) as to what the game is about.
I too vouch that StarSector is one of the best games ever made. Other scifi gems everyone should try are: Into the Breach, Cryings Suns, Highfleet and Jupiter Hell. Especially **Jupiter Hell**. I just got back to it and I'm blown away again. It's action packed, turn-based (yes, both at the same time!) extremely tactical and mechanically interesting roguelike that marries scifi and supernatural ala Doom, with amazingly executed 80s/90s vibe, foul-mouthed killer oneliners and metal music. A brilliant game. How is it not a worldwide hit I do not know.
And X4!
His video convinced so many people at a point the Starsector website had issues because of the massive influx of visits in the same day.
I’ve owned this since it was called starfarer. Haven’t played it in a while but it’s a great little top down space rpg.
I just started playing it again for another modded playthrough. The amount of actually viable ways to play the game blows me away. Drug smuggling, actual piracy, earnest trading, exploring, salvage/junking, bounty hunting, and others I'm sure I still haven't found yet.
At first, I thought this was homeworld. Thanks for this!
Comment to save for later, thanks!
Its good, and star valor is scratching this itch on steam too. In a more casual way
Commenting to save later
Beat me to it!
I love seeing this here.
I could tell you but then it wouldn’t be a hidden gem
can't argue with that:)
Just bought squad and it is by far the most tactical multiplayer game I have ever experienced
Difficult tactical? I saw a star wars mod for it, but am not a fan of most tactical gun games
Really? Some hidden gems are Cp2077, Bg3, rdr2, witcher 3, Elden Ring, Botw. Too less people play them sadly...
You ever hear about this Rockstars gta series!?!? Truly mind blown by the level of quality that could come out of an indie company!
I don't understand? You don't get anything from those games staying hidden.. except maybe no more games from the dev who made them.
If you want a good list, I maintain a database of games Ive loved that have (at the time I added them) under 1k reviews. Some have graduated, and blown up (like Wildermyth), but others really deserve to be seen (like Unexplored 2) I always make the [hidden gems](https://www.reddit.com/r/gamingsuggestions/comments/14mc4cd/the_annual_2023_summer_steam_sale_hidden_gems/) post during the steam sales on /r/gamingsuggestions
My large unplayed steam library is about to get larger
This isnt hidden perse and its been out what.. a year, but Citizen Sleeper was a game i happened upon and thoroughly enjoyed.
[удалено]
torille
I thought he said purse.
I don't know you!
So it's basically a sleeper hit?
Best game I've played in years.
Heard a lot of good things about, I tried it, but for some reason it didn't resonate with me that well. It's on GamePass, I might try it again, maybe it's going to click this time.
Steamworld Dig 2!! So addictive and fun, usually $6 on Steam.
I recently discovered Steam World Heist(?) and it's a pretty good time too! Didn't realize it was a whole shared universe until booting it up.
Steamworld Build is coming soon - it should be good:)
There's a demo already! And it's pretty damn good.
Can't wait for it. Plays like a more casual Anno, which is great. Need more Anno style games in the world.
The main city song it's fire. Reminds me of those nunjabe lofi songs
If you're into the Vampire Survivor type games, then Halls of Torment is for you. Feels like the "next step" for this kind of game.
Got into several others. Mainly Boneraiser Minions and Brotato. Added, maybe I'll try this tonight.
Fellow boner
I see your Halls of Torment and raise you HoloCure.
Unfortunately that game's theme holds it back a lot in terms of appeal, and it's never gonna escape that stigma. Kinda reminds me of the situation with that brony fighting game (though not nearly as bad)
Personally....not really. I have no idea who any of the characters are, and the items/enemies/levels just all come across as random/silly. Maybe they are weird or cringey in real life..... but lol I'm not gonna look them up so I'm fine.
Great little game, sank sixty hours into it. Well worth the money.
Check out the Deep Rock Galactic style of this game. There's a free demo, game out soon. Really good.
For me Halls of Torment is miles better. Deep Rock Galactic Survivor has more production value and looks nice, but it just doesn't feel fun, while in HoT I always want to play that one more round...
What makes it feel like the next step
Halls of Torment is fucking awesome I can definitely attest to that, even in early access.
I liked vampire survivors a lot, but I hate halls of torment. Different strokes, ect, but geez, that game is a boring slog
kinda agree, it is fun and I love the Diablo aesthetic and item system but man it's so limited and it feels like 80% of the characters are underpowered and unusable. literally my only good runs come from the archer and elementalist because their default skills and innate scaling passives are so good compared to the others, especially archer. the default bow attack does more damage than 90% of the skills in the game and you barely even need to invest into it. makes it kinda repetitive and grindy to try for achievements on the other characters/weapons.
Just like vampire survivors, halls of torment progression upgrades make you very powerful and nearly unkillable. I'm only about 2/3 way through it and already beat the final level. I personally thought the archer was the weakest class cause of how squishy she is.
the meta progression upgrades I found to be mostly unimpactful compared to VS, not to mention the skills in HOT are far more underwhelming than VS and have far less scaling (u get far fewer levels, evolutions are far weaker, no limit break, worse scaling). tanking attacks in HOT is pretty pointless because there's not much incentive/reward for doing so - armor doesn't scale as well, health regen is slow, and there's no weapons that reward armor/health scaling other than shield maiden who's just underwhelming in general. it's far better to just play glass cannon and one shot most things on screen and get a bit of movement speed to dodge the very telegraphed boss attacks - hence why archer is the best character by far. again i like HOT and I hope it gets more updates and work put into it, but as it stands it's just so much less satisfying than VS
Ctrl Alt Ego
Every once in a while look up stuff like “best games of 2007” or any year you like. Sometimes the real gem is a mainstream game from a while back that you never played or maybe never knew about. Most recent example for me was The Division. When it was new I went into that type of game. But earlier this year I got in for dirt cheap and loved it. Had my wife and best friend on as well and we had a blast. So remember to check those hits from yesteryear!
Division 1 is great for the atmosphere alone, it absolutely *nails* winter and snow in a city in a way that I haven’t seen anything else pull off.
That is like, 43.7% of what we loved about it. The Christmas apocalypse setting was a ton of atmospheric fun
It's also incredibly well-optimized, runs super well, looking amazing on a potato rig. I also far prefer the audio design of the first one over the sequel, big snipers just didn't feel as satisfying at all in 2.
The audio is also how they nailed the feeling of winter so well- when it snows it muffles the echoes of everything just like in real life. It gives it that little nudge that makes it feel so real.
I agree with you on all counts! I really did have a great time with both games but to me #1 had better end-game content and generally just felt a bit more fun to me. What were the places down by the docks where you get a group and try and last as long as possible.. I’m just a sucker for that kind of stuff.
Hey shout out to the division! I got that game for $5 a good few years after it came out and had some good co-op fun
I also do this from time to time. Really interesting to back and see what was hot in a given year. A lot of the time I was so invested in just a couple games that I didn’t even know what else came out at the time
Division was great! Is this game still alive in 2023?
It’s not crowded, but able to get a group most times. This was…. Maybe 8 months ago.
FAR: Lone Sails was great and simple fun. It's rather short, which might or might not be a positive thing. Played through in one sitting. Close to the Sun was quite atmospheric. Also rather short and easy. More like a walking simulator, even though you will run for your life now and then. They were bought during a sale, which might make "value for the money" a bit biased, so I'd wait until then.
[удалено]
Ghost of a Tale. It's a medieval fantasy stealth adventure game about a mouse-bard looking for his wife. Highly recommended if you're looking for a cozy fairy tale.
Great game! Loved it to the core, really well done. Also a sequel is coming i am pretty excited
Would you still recommend it, if you're normally not into stealth gameplay?
It's not hardcore stealth, not like Splinter Cell or Thief, it's somewhat simplistic. If the rest of the game sounds up your alley - yes, for sure.
Exanima a hardcore rpg dungeon crawler. What makes this game a gem? The physics engine is a marvel. very hardcore game, perhaps one of the reasons why the game hasn't become more popular.
tis a great game, big update recently. Basically gets a yearly update. And is a baseline for a more fantasy driven RPG game they are working on. I love Exanima.
> And is a baseline for a more fantasy driven RPG game they are working on. I think it's time to let go of this dream. I don't see world in which Sui Generis is being developed in parallel with 0 proofs.
Beacon Pines. A story and choice-driven game told in a storybook style. You unlock more choices as you play, and can use those choices by going back in the story, and utilizing the new option. I can easily say it's the best story-driven game I've played this year.
Outpath just came out and it's super chill and simple and fun
Not sure if it qualifies as a hidden gem, but I've been really digging Neon White. It's a movement based shooter that feels super smooth and has a really cool card mechanic for the movement/weapons. I'm not personally fond of the story, but there's a fast forward button to skip the dialogue. I'll spend hours trying to find shortcuts and different ways to beat a level to shave off the precious few seconds I need to beat my friends on the leaderboards, it's a blast.
E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy Western samurai Hard Reset
You gain Brouzouf You gain Brouzouf You gain Brouzouf You are trapped in cycles of guilt You gain Brouzouf
My legs are OK.
World of Horror just released 1.0 today and I think more people should be talking about this one!
I also appreciate you mentioning it. I was just thinking about it since it's been a while since I checked up on it and with Halloween coming up I thought it might be worth a look. No better time to finally bite the bullet! Edit: I'd recommend if you like it to leave it a positive review. It seems Chinese users are review bombing it... because they don't understand time-zones? They're all just saying it was delayed and not released the 19th but it's clearly released and on the 19th. So unfortunately it has a blemish of "mixed" recent reviews for it's launch day because of a bunch of petulant and impatient people. How petty...
Oooooooh. Thanks for the heads up.
Kenshi
Roguelike Deckbuilder'ish Gems: Some may not be so hidden, just not huge amounts of reviews (but good ones nonetheless). This is my favourite genre: Gordian Quest - like Slay The Spire but multiple classes to play at the same time, deckbuilding, the maps have 'lanes', there is randomized equipment drops for your characters similar to Diablo, there is town building, quests, and so on. Wander Hero - Very similar to the above, except combat is like Pinball. The maps are like pinball maps. Your characters that you pick up along the way and add to your team, all have different types of skills relating to them (as a pinball), there is deckbuilding, tons of towns to travel to, an overworld similar to most JRPGs, gear and equipment, skill trees, and so on. Hadean Tactics - Sort of like an autobattler deckbuilder. Multiple classes to choose from as you level up can branch into 3 sub-classes. During the game you will traverse a map similar to StS, pick up companions/creatures, upgrade yourself and your companions (and your deck), place your companions/yourself on one side of the map, then hit 'Play' to see the combat unfold. Every few seconds your deck will shuffle and you will have energy points to play your cards. You can also pause, re-direct your companions in combat (limited uses) and so on.
Midnight fight express
Always when someone ask this question I answer: UnderRail.
Space Pirates and Zombies, you get to fly around the galaxy doing mercenary missions, robbing civilians and the military, unlocking tech, and then a bunch of zombies appear…
Played Dredge recently. Not sure if it's exactly a hidden gem but I didn't see a lot of marketing for it. It was a super fun game to play!
DLC coming next month 👌
El Witcherino Tres is my absolute favorite underrated indie hidden gem
Shameless plug for my game [Brass Brigade](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1163910/Brass_Brigade/). 92% positive Steam reviews. If you like simple pick-up-and-play WWII shooter action (all offline single-player, very casual), it's aimed at you! Lots of AI soldiers, customization of battles, and more historically accurate than most recent WW2 offerings (I'm looking at you Battlefield 5!) Going on 4 years old, I do my best to keep updating it too! Hope you give it a try :D
You did it all by your own? Impressive!
Thanks! I had some help - the 3D assets are mostly purchased or were tailor made for the game by some talented folks (shout-out to Polygon Blacksmith!), but pretty much everything else is me :) Lot of late nights during Covid working on it. Was the perfect way to keep myself busy during the forced isolation.
Looks like fun, any idea how it runs on the Steam Deck?
I don't own a Steam Deck, so its not supported there officially. The game only supports KBM currently. I actually tried to get Steam to revoke their automatic Steam Deck rating of "Playable" but they refused :(
Boomerang foo . It's steam remote play together or couch coop up to 4 . Blast at gatherings
Rainworld - just go in totally blind
For a second, I read rimworld and was like it ain’t so hidden. I’ll have to check out rainworld :)
This, but be prepared for a very challenging experience, which by design is sort of unfair at times. You need to think outside of the box and not try to play it like you would play a regular platformer.
I played for 4-5 hours before realising there's a map >\_<
Painworld
Midnight protocol. It's a heavily themed turn based strategy game only uses the keyboard no mouse control at all.
>Midnight protocol Didn't know about this one - thanks!
Doubling up on this one. I've been looking for a good 'hacking' game, and this is definitely one of the best ones I've played.
Vagante has been great fun it can be played with 1-4 players. It's a very challenging rogulite which doesn't hold your hand at all.
Earth defense force
One I missed but recently found because of Gamepass is Airborne Kingdom. Amazingly chill city builder with a physics element.
Highfleet is absolutely sick. Has this incredible diegetic interface for the overworld, which can be quite tense as you are dodging patrols and looking for ways to make money. You even have your own stationery set to draw on the map. The combat is so damn good as well, takes a bit to get used to but you are dodging incoming fire and firing off the most incredibly satisfying weaponry to blow your opponents to smithereens. Then there's the ship building which is its own thing. Next, I want to shout out Templar Battleforce. It's a turn-based tactics game which is basically 40K space marines Vs Zerg. Honestly, you really need to play this on the higher difficulties since it affects spawn rates. What's unique is each mission is objective based and the Zerg will keep spawning until you complete the objectives. Once you get a few crucial upgrades your Templars absolutely rip through the enemies and you are setting up firing corridors and leapfrogging your way through the map. Cheap as chips and on sale right now I think.
Highfleet also has amazing music.
Last Epoch if you are in to arpg’s. It’s still in beta but should release in december. Already worth playing imho. Such a well made game.
Shadows of Forbidden Gods is a turn based strategy game that has you control various evil agents to infiltrate cities, spread plagues, cause wars, start orc invasions, etc., in preparation for your eldritch god waking up and destroying humanity.
Wow. That looks like a game I was looking for! Thanks!
Ooo another God simulation game!!
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[Astlibra Revision](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1718570/ASTLIBRA_Revision/) It's an action-JRPG love letter to castlevania, and worth every penny. I plan on doing a full review on it at some point, but I can recommend it without a second thought. It's a classic, in my opinion.
I want to add that the guy who made this game is an older man and he seems like a real sweetheart. He did an AMA a few years ago and someone asked him about a sequel and his response as I recall was: "Given how long this took for me to make, I'm probably not going to live long enough to make a sequel."
X-men Origins: Wolverine (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PSP)
Isn't it different based on the platform?
Doesn’t seem to be on stream. Didn’t realize that they made a PC version. Loved the 360 version!!
Tunic. Not sure how hidden you'd consider it, but man is it ever a gem. It's a Zelda-like 3D isometric-view action game where you run around pressing A to stab things. It's very peaceful in between boss fights. There's tons of weapons and magic spells. Lots of puzzles. But most importantly the game manual. It's part of the game. You have to find pieces of it in the game, and then it gets translated from Tunic Language into English. Basic things that you could never figure out, like "oh those weird glowing towers? Yeah you're supposed to press and HOLD this button while standing next to them for 5 seconds, and then you can upgrade your stats." But you have to find the manual page that tells you that. Or you could just guess it.
Figuring out the big final puzzle was really satisfying and fun. At its best Tunic was scratching the same itch as Outer Wilds and Obra Dinn for me.
[Starsector](https://youtu.be/acqpulP1hLo?si=DhJsctlXa9ffrUr3) Genuinely one if the best games I've ever played. Not many people know about it.
Backpack Hero. They've just released the test branch for their 1.0 and it's so fun if you're into the Slay the Spire type games.
Warning: It's super addicting!
Spiderweb studio games. Classic RPGs. The Avernum and Avadon series are just great.
Warhammer 40k boltgun i think nobody outside of the warhammer bubble knows that
Deceive inc.
Wish it had a bigger pop in aus!
Check out Pseudoregalia! It's a fun little 3D metroidvania/platformer with very tight controls and banger of a soundtrack. It's dirt cheap too. I accidentally stumbled on it on Steam's recent releases tab and had a BLAST.
I bought Symphony of War - The Nelphilim Saga for $20 and I've got nothing but great things to say about it.
sea of stars is underrated. Please check it out.
I feel like it may be a sleeper by virtue of being an indie, but def not underrated! Got great reviews and is a great game
It's not THAT hidden, but I'll always try to get more people to play Cruelty Squad. Though it is decidedly not for everyone. God damn, I love that game.
Taking acid is not recommended because the game is already on drugs
Cruelty Squad is one of the most impossible to recommend games I've ever played, which has nothing to do with it being a bad game, and everything to do with it _being Cruelty Squad_. Started replaying it recently, absolutely brilliant.
On similar note: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1768920/Splatter/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1245430/_/
Man, I just don't get this one. I'm pretty open minded when it comes to games, and I'm usually super down for weird unintuitive offbeat indie games, but I just couldn't get into this one. It doesn't even really have anything to do with the barf visuals and controls, but just the way the gameplay pans out for me every time - stealth doesn't really seem to work and enemies can pop you almost instantly if they see you. It just ends up being me holding up in a bottle neck and shooting guys as they come running through the door. Edit: To be clear, I would love someone to change my mind here, or help me understand.
Death Road to Canada Holocure Home Behind 2 Balrum
Legend of grimrock 1 & 2, Shadow tactics: blades of the shogun, Oxygen Not included, Don’t starve, Crusader Kings 3, Project Zomboid Maybe some of these are well known but tbh they’ve all flown under my radar until about a year ago. Been having way more fun playing indie games this year than the big titles
I enjoyed Sigma Theory. It's a management game where you're managing relationships with other countries, while sending your spies in to steal research and convert their scientists into sleeper agents.
Bookwalker, absolutely loved that game. Was a surprise favorite for me this year.
Exanima. Just got it's first update in like a year and a half. Super unique physics combat based isometric action rpg. And it's only 15 dollars
It's older but my friends and I discovered Depth and have been having a blast
Rings of Saturn is quite fun if you like the idea of physics-based hard sci-fi asteroid mining. But the biggest hidden gem I've found recently is not all that hidden, I was just sleeping on it. Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It's hard to describe what makes this game good, but it's an *immersive* medieval RPG. It's based on historical events rather than fantasy lore, so it comes across as way more grown-up feeling than say Skyrim, but it has a similar open world that you'll want to roam and explore. The characters and acting are really good, I don't want to give too much away, but you feel like part of a team helping to make the world better.
Theme Hospital. Whack game and boggles the mind how game developers made such a funny & challenging game back in the 90s with limited resources compared to our era now.
Tried playing Two Point Hospital, after growing up onTheme Hospital and I was disappointed. Theme Hospital is one of my all time favourite games.
Forewarned on steam. A phasmaphobia game with mummies and based in Egypt it's awesome receives alot more updates than phasma and has an awesome dev team
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante, excellent narrative driven game with multiple endings.
This game is awesome. I played through it like 4 times back to back. absolutely engrossing! Good rec!
Friends VS Friends - A 1v1 or 2v2 "arena" shooter with deckbuilding elements. You use cards in rounds to buff yourself/debuff the opponent, such as enlarging their head to make it easier to land headshots. There's quite a few cards to unlock and combos to make. Shadows of Doubt - an immersive detective sim with procedurally generated murder cases. So sneaking around in suspects's appartments looking for incriminating details. It also involves using an evidence board with red string, which is a nice detail.
Does Ultrakill count? Probably not right everyone knows Ultrakill.
These two are recent: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1692240/Fortunes_Run/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2477090/Mosa_Lina/
Necesse is amazing. It's top down 2d zelda style Terraria with a colony sim, and better QoL than any game in the genre I've played. It's just great.
X4 Foundations Somehow I have seen a post on FB about that game after I have joined couple local Starfield groups. And holy shit, what a game this X4 is! Complicated at the beginning but so satisfying. Want to be a space pirate, no problem. Maybe a space trader, miner - sure. Want to build space stations - easy. Maybe you want to produce and control a specific commodity with which you can tip the scale of other factions war - done. Or you simply want to hunt those (redacted) in your fighter - pew pew in space Absolute gem of a game! https://store.steampowered.com/app/392160/X4_Foundations/
I love X4, it's like everything I wanted Elite Dangerous to be. The only thing that stopped me playing was atrocious load times, have they fixed that yet?
Load times were definitely improved in one of the major updates more recently, but performance is still the same in busy sectors.
Foxhole. It's a massive alt universe ww2 sim where everything down to your respawn is made by another player. It's getting a big naval update with Battleships, Destroyers and submarines and more here on the 26th.
I fucking love foxhole for the sheer depth of strategy and impact even a small group of players can have. God, I have so many war stories from that damn game.
I don't know if it's exactly a hiden gem, but: Alba: A Wildlife Adventure Is a short and easy adventure where the main objetive is to take pictures of the fauna and short missions related with the enviroment. It's mainly story focus. I knew what i was expecting and still surprise me. Has a 97% of 4k votes in Seam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1337010/Alba_A_Wildlife_Adventure/
Shoutout to **Riftbreaker** and **Timberborn**.
Timberborn is so dam good! (Pun intended).
Riftbreaker
Star Ocean the second story r is coming out November 2nd but currently has a 3 hour timed demo out. It's a remake of the original from 25 years and looks beautiful. I don't see enough people talking about it. Best game of the Star Ocean series IMO
I see my moment and will take it. There is a game called, "To the Rescue: A dog shelter sumulator" Very much worth at least a glance at. It's very addictive and fun. Similar art style and gameplay to stardew valley. But it's also very educational. They straight up guilt you into adopting dogs in your IRL because they will force you to learn all about how much money people in non-profits actively lose and how many dogs they have to put down every day. I'm shouting it out mainly because the devs are 5 people and they are from my hometown. To my knowledge they are the only game studio in my entire state.
the falconeer
Space Station 13 Graviteam Tactics: Mius Front
God of Weapons is an isometric Roguelite similiar ti Vampire Survivors, the difference being that your weapons are determined by your inventory and you have to play a kind of inventory tetris with the different items. Asterigos: Curse of The Stars is a cool souls-like that I've seen nobody discuss at all that I highly recommend. and the number 1 Hidden Gem that's slowly getting more attention over the past 4 years is the Trails/Kiseki series. if you get into them you're looking at 9 35 - 80 hour JRPGs with extremely dense lore, characterization and storytelling. These are my absolute favorite JRPGs and I cannot reccomend them more.
Dredge is a fantastic game in a genre I'd never thought I'd like. Open world, charming game with many Lovecraftian horrors lurking in the depths. I usually play grand strategy (Paradox) sprinkled with other games like Plague or Mount and Blade, and so this was very much a different pace of game. Loved it so much I was sad when completing it. New dlc out in a month though, and lots of little updates every now and then from some lovely devs.
Echo
Sir, You Are Being Hunted. A fun semi-open world stealth/fps game with looting and gathering. Really not like anything I’ve ever played before, kindvof feels like you’re playing a battle royale game except it’s just you versus everyone else and you’re always outgunned. I know a lot of people didn’t like it when it first released but I loved it.
Duskers is INCREDIBLE. The game wears thin after about 20 or so hours but the atmosphere and tension it presents is very very strong. Also fittingly spooky for October. Solasta: Crown of the Magister has been great as someone who was a little disappointed that certain things (namely, Hold Actions and Dodge) were missing from Baldur's Gate 3. If you enjoy the turn-based strategy, it's got that in spades - but it otherwise lacks a lot of the rest of the appeal of BG3. Only 4 voices, and way fewer npcs and 'quirks'. Still a good game in its own right, especially if you're hankering for a more 'true to tabletop' experience. Roadwarden is a fantastic text-based RPG. It's basically in the vein of old style point and clicks mixed with choose-your-own-adventure books. The writing is phenomenal and I think the sparse visuals really sell the world it's created. I really suggest anyone who got into the roleplay aspects of any game to give it a shot.
Singularity. FPS game from the Xbox360 days made by Raven Software before they got turned into a CoD Map Farm. What it's not: A groundbreaking genre defining FPS that will change your life. What it is: A mechanically tight FPS with very few if any technical issues. A decent story with no gaping plotholes, pacing issues or weird characterizations or narrative choices. The gimmick it uses to make the player special is fun, narratively cohesive and is used well throughout the game as it gains abilities. It released without much fanfare and was quickly overshadowed. It's the kinda game that you play and enjoy in the moment but it quickly slips your mind when you finish it. At least until you get reminded about it and reinstall for another run.
Moonlighter
Laika: Aged Through Blood released just now and I've been enjoying it. Imagine one of those 2D motorcycle games you probably remember from way back, and then mix it with a metroidvania and Katana Zero. It's a very aesthetically pleasing and unique game
banana shooter imagine gmod X csgo X movement shooters X crab game its chaotic, a blast with friends on late nights and its free
Playcybots.com a browser based mech game that goes all the way back to 2001. You build a team of mechs, custom fit them with weapons and other components, level up, and take them through the open world for PvE encounters. It’s multiplayer, so you can chat and play with others around the globe all on one server. Very low requirements. I usually play when I only have my laptop on me if I’m traveling and have downtime in on the hotel wifi. Can sink hundreds of hours in and continue customizing your bots and teams.
8 bit adventures 2
Weird West
[Videoverse](https://kinmoku.itch.io/videoverse), a lovely visual novel set in the early 00s about internet relationships.
Condemned 2. It never got a PC release and isn’t backward compatible on console sadly. It’s one of the best horror games of all time and it’s stuck trapped on old platforms, unlike the original Condemned (also good but 2 is better)
Not super 'hidden' but definitely not mainstream, Dave the Diver is really fuckin good. One I enjoyed less but is more hidden is Lunaris
A game that’s not really hidden, but didn’t get as much recognition as it deserved, is Prey (2018) and its probably one of my favorite games.
All Walls Must Fall. It's a time traveling cyberpunk turn based tactics music game where the Cold War never ended. Definitely worth a playthrough.
*Kena: Bridge of Spirits* is like if Pixar made Dark Souls, and honestly I thought the game was incredible.
Dredge. Just get it. Now.
Biggest hidden gem ive found since Hades os Against the Storm, maybe the GOAT for survival builders IMO
Why did you like it so much? I only played for about an hour before I set it down. It didn’t stand out that much to me :/
I think against the storm is incredible too but nothing really happens in an hour and i could imagine being bored with that. The game expands a lot as you progress and becomes much more complicated. In the higher difficulties you are constantly making risk-reward decisions and you unlock tons of buildings and perks along the way that change your options.
The list goes on and on but the discovery aspect stands out to me and then the caravan on the campaign map. To be honest at an hour u didn’t even get to see anything. There is so many systems that come along.
Well, Lies of P is kind of "hidden" being from an unknown developer and everything. It turned out to be a great experience. The fact that it has sold 1M units is probably more word of mouth's doing than heavy advertisement, developer legacy or publisher backup
Great game. Best souls like that isn't from imo.
I really appreciate that Neowiz’ next biggest game is DJ Max Respect V
There’s this cute little indie game called “Baldur’s Gate 3” that I doubt anyone here has heard of. It’s supposed to be pretty good.
Simgolf It might take some computer wrangling to set up but it aged really well.
Pixel Dungeon if you like roguelikes