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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Oniken: Unstoppable Edition
When a global war nearly decimated humankind, an evil military organization called Oniken takes advantage of the situation to dominate and oppress the few remaining survivors. Even though any resistance to this organization seemed hopeless, a small rebel movement organizes strikes against Oniken.
Aqua Kitty - Milk Mine Defender
Aqua Kitty is a fast paced retro styled submarine arcade shooter with optional 2 player local Co-op.Blast through hordes of mechanical sea monsters in your kitty sub and defend the deep sea milk mining kittens!THE MILK MUST FLOW!
Our Darker Purpose
Journey to the dark heart of the Edgewood Home for Lost Children in this fiendishly difficult action RPG!When her teacher stepped out of the classroom a month ago, Cordy never imagined he would be gone for good. Now her fellow students have turned on each other as the school descends into chaos.
Gunman Clive
In the year of 18XX, the west is overrun by thugs and outlaws. A group of bandits have kidnapped Mayor Johnsons daughter and are spreading havok across the land. Only Gunman Clive can bring order to the west and save the girl!Jump and shoot your way across 16 diverse and challenging levels and fight massive bosses.
Oozi: Earth Adventure
Oozi: Earth Adventure is a classic 2D platformer with old school gameplay - no puzzles, no punishment, just 100% pure classic platforming fun! Its most prominent features are HD visuals and beautiful hand-drawn art, but despite its visual style, it’s a good fit for all kinds of gamers!
Mutant Mudds Deluxe
Love pixels? Fond of platformers? Is there a special place in your heart for the 8-bit and 16-bit era? Want to have fun? Yes!? Well, you’ve come to the right place, my friend. Mutant Mudds Deluxe is a “12-bit” action platformer full of pixels and platforming fun!
A Walk in the Dark
In this action platformer you play as a cat, Bast, running through a dark fantasy world. You’ll be running, jumping and sliding with smooth and precise controls designed to make you feel like a cat. But it wont be easy. In the dark you never know what lies in the shadows.
Intake
Intake is the new retro-futuristic drugstep arcade shooter from Cipher Prime. In this polychromatic love child of Dr. Mario and Ikaruga, you battle a never-ending barrage of pills, pushing your skill and reflexes to the limit to avoid a lethal dosage.
Syder Arcade
Killing zombies never gets old, but sometimes you just need a break. Get back to some serious old-school gaming with Syder Arcade! Syder Arcade is a love letter to Amiga games of the ‘90s, no coins, no upgrade grinding, just your tenacity and a motherload of alien invaders.
Tetrobot and Co.
Tetrobot is the world's most popular and reliable robot, but he's not perfect. That's why I, Maya, have built him a microscopic little brother, Psychobot.Help me guide Psy through Tetrobot's cogs and circuits: by swallowing blocks of matter and spitting them out, we can repair anything.
Soundodger+
Dodge the music and dance through a mesmerizing ballet of choreographed bullets, each synced to music from over a dozen international artists. Push your creativity and skills with the fully-featured Level Editor and never run out of things to dodge.
Escape Goat
Escape Goat is a puzzle platformer where you take control of a goat, who has been imprisoned for witchcraft, and overcome traps and obstacles to escape the Prison of Agnus. Fear not, for with your supreme agility, sturdy horns, and the help of a magic mouse friend, you can turn the tables on foes and use the environment to your advantage.
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - Rise of the Owlverlord
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams - Rise of the Owlverlord is a blistering platformer with morphing worlds, featuring seven brand new levels, a new boss and new gripping tracks from Chris Hülsbeck and Machinae Supremacy! Dash through tricky levels and transform the whole world at will in this fast-paced platformer.
Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe
The title says it all. Take one part falling block puzzle game, combine one part old-school platformer, add a couple thousand pixels, blend and serve. Why match colored blocks when you can just shoot the hell out of them? Your goal is to survive as long as you can. From celebrated indie developer Andrew Morrish and Adult Swim Games.
Dragon's Lair
Haven't heard of Dragon's Lair?! Well, you play the heroic Dirk the Daring, a valiant knight on a quest to rescue the fair princess from the clutches of an evil dragon! Originally released in the summer of 1983, Dragon's Lair has solidified itself as a cultural icon in gaming.
Ms. Splosion Man
You got a problem? Yo, she’ll splode it. At the Big Science after-party celebrating the capture of Splosion Man, a spill of champagne shorts out the safety protocols on the splosionatrix and from it emerges Ms. Splosion Man. The latest creation from Twisted Pixel Games, the creators of Splosion Man, The Maw, and Comic Jumper, Ms.
Ultratron
Experience the addictive gameplay of old-school arcade favourites, updated and improved for the 21st century! Unique retro-futuristic sound and graphics, player responsive difficulty, and a subtle system of tactics combined with classic gameplay make Ultratron a fun and hypnotic arcade blast.
Fly'N
Somewhere between a platformer, a puzzle game and a great big dollop of pure fun, Fly’N will challenge your skills through more than forty levels set in a luxuriant world. Experiment with the four Buds to save the World-Trees from Dyer, the loony hair-dryer who intends to destroy their Helys!
Unity of Command: Stalingrad Campaign
Unity of Command is an innovative and refreshing operational-level wargame that covers the entire 1942/43 Stalingrad Campaign on the Eastern Front.
Kung Fu Strike - The Warrior's Rise
Taking its inspiration from ancient Chinese tales of revenge and retribution and then adding a dash of over-the-top martial arts and old school arcade fun, Kung Fu Strike features 28 stages of fast-paced combo-based fighting.
Lunar Flight
A modern take on the classic arcade game, Lunar Lander, Lunar Flight extends the experience to a fully fictionalized and accessible lunar module simulator
iBomber Defense Pacific
iBomber moves to the Pacific as you fight a whole new enemy across the Pacific rim to regain freedom.
Titan Attacks!
As the last surviving tank commander on Earth, single-handedly turn back the evil invading alien army, drive back the Titans across the Solar System, and defeat them on their homeworld... Titan Attacks has the same easy-to-learn and addictive gameplay of the classic arcade shoot 'em up, but is packed full of extras - new features, new...
Fortune Summoners
A massive gameworld to explore with nearly a dozen dungeons to delve into.
Cossacks: Art of War
Cossacks: The Art of War continues the history of the great battles of XVII–XVIII centuries
Blocks That Matter
When indie game developers Alexey and Markus are in trouble, their only hope comes from their creation.
Fate of the World
Fate of the World is a dramatic global strategy game that puts all our futures in your hands. The game features a dramatic set of scenarios based on the latest science covering the next two centuries. You must manage a balancing act of protecting the Earth’s resources and climate versus the needs of an ever-growing world population, who...
Lugaru HD
Follow Turner, a rebel bunny rabbit with impressive combat skills in his quest to find those responsible for slaughtering his village. Uncover a far-reaching conspiracy involving the corrupt leaders of the rabbit republic and the wolves of the nearby lands. Streamlined Combat: Gone are the days of combo memorization and button mashing.
The Void
Only brought to life by scarce sparks of Color, the bleak, grey Void is a peculiar place. The player gets to explore it, get to know the Sisters, Brothers, and other weird creatures inhabiting it, and learn the ways of Color, harvesting it and drawing sigils that change the world around them.
Spectromancer
A turn-based online fantasy card game. No character leveling, no grinding, no deck building - just 100% skill-based and fast-paced card battles!
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is a old school style shooter, but remixed for the 21st century with next generation graphics and deep, modern gameplay. Playing is simple: you are a geometric "ship" trapped in a grid world, facing off against waves of deadly wanderers, snakes, and repulsars.
Dangerous Waters
S.C.S. - Dangerous Waters allows you total control over multiple air, surface, and submarine platforms in a modern-day naval environment. Take direct control of individual crew stations and also plan and execute combined arms naval strategies from a top-down 'Commanders Eye' perspective.