Difficult Hidden Gems on Steam

Unlike generic lists, our game recommendations use a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews to identify and feature only the best, community-validated difficult games.

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David. You play David, an awfully small abstracted chosen hero tossed into a blissfully simple world overrun by giant culminations of evil physics-beasts. As David, you are given a slingshot-esque gift that you will have to use to conquer your colossus foes. Be there AND be square.

Price -60% 0.80€
Rating 7.5
Release 16 Feb 2015
Raptor: Call of The Shadows - 2015 Edition The great action-crazed, guns blazing, shoot ‘em up game comes back straight out of the ‘90s. Raptor: Call of the Shadows and its futuristic world are ready to challenge your flying skills.

Price -29% 3.55€
Rating 6.9
Release 13 Feb 2015
Plazma Being Take control of Zeb in this puzzle/platformer. He is a small energy based life form from space, known as a Plazma Being. While journeying through space to his home, Zeb was surprised to find that he was being kidnapped by aliens. They took him back to their planet and unceremoniously threw him into captivity.

Price -81% 0.38€
Rating 7.2
Release 09 Feb 2015
Castle In The Darkness Castle In The Darkness is a fun and challenging shout out to the early days of video games! It's an action exploration platformer with some RPG elements, much like games from the Castlevania or Metroid series. It's super fast-paced, challenging, and full of secrets!

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.4
Release 05 Feb 2015
Ancient Planet Tower Defense Ancient Planet is classic tower defense game. The stronghold of an ancient civilization has been invaded by hordes of alien raiders. Use powerful technologies of the Ancient and repel the attack of the enemy's armies!

Price 4.99€
Rating 7.9
Release 03 Feb 2015
Super Galaxy Squadron EX Turbo Super Galaxy Squadron is a fast-paced vertical shooter designed for human beings as well as SHMUP veterans. Featuring multiple game modes, a challenging but merciful difficulty curve, forgiving health system, and SEVENTEEN playable ships.

Price -96% 0.45€
Rating 7.9
Release 23 Jan 2015
Fork Parker's Holiday Profit Hike Against explosive firepower, bitter cold, and dizzying heights, Fork Parker must outwit a group of no-talent game developers in a deadly holiday promotional game. Also, it's free.

Price Free to play
Rating 7.9
Release 18 Dec 2014
Potatoman Seeks the Troof Potatoman will put your reflexes and worldview to the test as you journey through scorching deserts, dark forests, busy cities, the tallest mountains and eventually your own potato-consciousness in search of the ultimate answer. Are you prepared to face the TROOF?

Price -93% 0.29€
Rating 7.2
Release 03 Dec 2014
Wings of Vi Wings of Vi is a challenging 2D platformer in which the player controls the angel Vi, tasked with defeating the Demon Lord Jeh’oul after he is freed from captivity. While inspired by masochistic retro platformers, Wings of Vi aims to cut out arbitrary difficulty in favor of skill based gameplay.

Price -84% 2.40€
Rating 7.6
Release 28 Nov 2014
Death Skid Marks Death Skid Marks is a rogue-like car combat game about what so many of us have experienced: a road trip to a music gig… only in this game, things get violent. The game uniquely blends top down arcade action and RPG mechanics.

Price Free to play
Rating 8.6
Release 20 Nov 2014
Lords of Xulima Lords of Xulima is a challenging Role-playing game set on the mythical continent of Xulima, where Gods and humans once walked side by side. Experience a genuine RPG featuring over 100 hours of gameplay, and discover one of the most epic sagas ever told.

Price 19.99€
Rating 7.7
Release 14 Nov 2014
Phoenix Force Phoenix Force is a shoot 'em up about a group of phoenixes that fight big and strong mythological creatures in over 100 levels. It takes the boss battle as the foundation for every level, creating engaging and challenging fast battles that will require your best strategies and reflexes.

Price 0.99€
Rating 7.9
Release 13 Nov 2014
Coin Crypt A roguelite deckbuilding adventure game about magical coins. You play as a lootmancer, who can unlock the hidden power inside of coins and use them in magical duels. The loots you take from chests and enemies also become your next moves, so plan carefully!

Price -94% 0.68€
Rating 8.1
Release 28 Oct 2014
REVOLVER360 RE:ACTOR The world really does revolve around you in this mind-bending shooter where changing your perspective could save your life.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 24 Oct 2014
Super Life of Pixel Join Pixel as he quests through gaming history, teleporting across the most iconic video game systems of generations past. He’ll have to jump, dodge and play smart if he wants to survive all the traps, puzzles and enemies waiting to take him down at every turn.

Price -86% 1.18€
Rating 7.4
Release 22 Oct 2014
Schein Schein is a 2D precision side-scrolling puzzle platformer. Use the magic of light to explore hidden worlds, solve challenging puzzles, and defeat deadly beasts in this award-winning atmospheric action-adventure game.

Price -76% 1.20€
Rating 6.9
Release 09 Oct 2014
TRI: Of Friendship and Madness Find a way through the towers and dungeons of TRI by solving puzzles, climbing impossible ascents and reflecting light-rays. The mystical TRI will let you create your own paths in this strange world – just try not to lose your mind when you're falling upside down!

Price -92% 1.20€
Rating 8.0
Release 09 Oct 2014
Disney•Pixar Cars 2: The Video Game Inspired by the Disney•Pixar animated film, Cars 2: The Video Game lets players jump into the Cars 2 universe with some of their favorite Cars personalities in exotic locations around the globe.

Price 19.50€
Rating 7.3
Release 06 Oct 2014
Super Win the Game Throw on your nostalgia goggles and travel back in time with Super Win the Game, a retro-core explosion of exploration and platforming action!!

Price -64% 2.93€
Rating 8.3
Release 01 Oct 2014
Velocibox Velocibox is a twitch-heavy action game crafted for the hardcore audience.

Price 5.89€
Rating 8.2
Release 08 Sep 2014
Road Not Taken Road Not Taken is a roguelike puzzle game about surviving life’s surprises. You play as a ranger adventuring through a vast, unforgiving forest in the aftermath of a brutal winter storm, rescuing children who have lost their way.

Price 14.79€
Rating 7.5
Release 05 Aug 2014
OlliOlli OlliOlli mixes addictive one-life gameplay with over 120 tricks and grinds across 50 deviously crafted levels, 250 Challenges, Spots Mode and Daily Grind.

Price -85% 2.01€
Rating 7.5
Release 22 Jul 2014
Sokobond Sokobond is an elegantly designed puzzle game about chemistry. It's logical, minimalist, and beautiful - crafted with love and science.

Price -87% 1.93€
Rating 8.8
Release 21 Jul 2014
Spy Chameleon - RGB Agent Spy Chameleon RGB Agent is a challenging arcade-puzzle game where the player needs to avoid being spotted thanks to the color-changing mechanisms of the main character.

Price -95% 0.45€
Rating 8.1
Release 11 Jun 2014
Electronic Super Joy: Groove City A Giant Robot Stripper called JoJo has smashed Groove City! She's angry because Dr Swinger stole her Laser-Nipples! Help JoJo reclaim her Laser-Nipples & defeat the Evil Plans of Dr.Swinger, with the help of Pope Boris the Super Sexy!

Price 3.99€
Rating 7.7
Release 06 Jun 2014
Enemy Mind A retro shooter with a new power: the power to become any ship.Lost in the depths of space, you are a being of pure psychic energy with the uncanny power to take over and control anything you see in order to survive.Built for PC, Enemy Mind lets you battle your way through 70+ waves of challenging enemies.

Price 9.49€
Rating 8.0
Release 06 Jun 2014
1001 Spikes Discover the lost treasures of Ukampa in South America as Aban Hawkins searches for his estranged father, world-famous archeaologist, Jim Hawkins. Aban Hawkins races into the frozen tundra of the antarctic, undiscovered temple ruins and the vast caverns of South America in search of his father and the legendary treasure rumored to lie...

Price -90% 1.08€
Rating 7.8
Release 03 Jun 2014
Monochroma Monochroma is a cinematic puzzle platformer. It’s a game about being a kid, growing up with a little brother that needs your help, facing obstacles and solving unique puzzles in a dystopian 1950's setting.

Price -88% 2.42€
Rating 7.1
Release 28 May 2014
Rogue's Tale Rogue's Tale is a single player turn-based dungeon crawling game.

Price 6.89€
Rating 6.9
Release 28 Mar 2014
Cloudbuilt Rocket parkour your way through dizzying obstacles and lethal robot hazards, in this 3rd person action platformer with over 40 levels, and even more community levels.

Price -28% 13.84€
Rating 8.2
Release 20 Mar 2014
GIGANTIC ARMY Side-scrolling mech-shooting bad-assery is BACK!GIGANTIC ARMY is a heartfelt homage to 16-bit era mech shooters such as Cybernator / Assault Suits Valken, Metal Warriors, and Front Mission: Gun Hazard, developed by the studio behind the acclaimed shooter SATAZIUS.

Price -62% 2.27€
Rating 7.1
Release 06 Mar 2014
Diehard Dungeon Combining its own unique take on the real-time roguelike genre, with a nostalgic 16-bit look and feel, Diehard Dungeon is a game that feels both familiar and quite different at the same time. Followed by a trusty, treasure collecting companion chest, you must make your way through the dungeons many randomly-generated rooms and levels.

Price 1.59€
Rating 7.0
Release 05 Mar 2014
10 Second Ninja Ninjas are cool, this is an established fact of the universe. Nazi Robots from space are not cool, they are the complete opposite of cool, and Robot Hitler is out to get you, the world's first ninja. You have 10 seconds to destroy all Nazi Robots in your vicinity. IT. IS. ON.

Price 1.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 05 Mar 2014
WazHack Time moves forward only when you do in the dungeons of WazHack. Think your way out of problems instead of just spamming 'attack' and 'drink healing potion'.

Price 7.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 17 Feb 2014
Graviteam Tactics: Operation Star Graviteam Tactics: Operation Star is a sequel to Achtung Panzer: Kharkov 1943. It’s an Eastern Front war game with solid graphics and sprawling battlefields that really emphasizes the scope of WWII tank combat.Want to step into the role of a commander in the very heart of Kharkov’s defense?

Price -25% 20.99€
Rating 7.8
Release 11 Feb 2014
Descent Welcome to Descent™ - 27 levels of the most mind-bending, stomach-churning action game ever. Featuring true 3-Dimensional worlds and six degrees of freedom.

Price 19.99€
Rating 8.9
Release 11 Feb 2014

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