Discounted Difficult Games on Steam

Unlike generic lists, our strategy game recommendations use a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews to identify and feature only the best, community-validated difficult games. For those who prefer not to search, check out lists of the most played, top deals and best free to play Difficult games on Steam.

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Toki Tori The gameplay in Toki Tori is a blend of two genres. While it looks like a platform game, it's a puzzle game at heart. To progress through the game, the player must pick up each egg in a level using a set number of tools.

Price -79% 1.09€
Rating 8.4
Release 28 Jan 2010
Gothic II: Gold Edition Gothic II: Gold Edition brings together the excitement of Gothic II and the add-on Night of the Raven to your fingertips!

Price -84% 3.33€
Rating 9.1
Release 13 Jan 2010
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is a visually upgraded and fully Steam supported remake version of the original high-adrenaline single-play and 16-player co-operative arcade-action FPS which was Gamespot's Game of the Year 2001 and which scored overall of 87% on Metacritic!

Price -83% 2.57€
Rating 9.1
Release 24 Nov 2009
Hammerfight Hammerfight is about 2D battles of flying machines equipped with various slashing, piercing and blunt weaponry.A unique combat system is based on realistic physics simulation, and it ties the movements of the rider to the movements of your mouse. As you wave the mouse, your rider swings his warhammer, smashing the foe into the wall!

Price Free to play
Rating 7.0
Release 28 Oct 2009
AI War: Fleet Command "You are outgunned. You are massively outnumbered. You must win." These are your orders. Humanity has already fought its war against the machines -- and lost. AI death squads stand watch over every planet and every wormhole, the few remaining human settlements are held captive in orbiting bubbles, and the AIs have turned their...

Price -93% 0.69€
Rating 7.9
Release 21 Oct 2009
Risen Delve into a gritty, raw and atmospheric fantasy world in which every action has a consequence. In the epic world of Risen, filled with mysterious earthquakes, fearsome monsters and unimaginable treasures, forge your path with the sword, learn the art of staff fighting or become a powerful mage.

Price -88% 1.80€
Rating 8.6
Release 02 Oct 2009
Majesty 2 In the world of Majesty, you are the ruler of the kingdom Ardania. At your service are your loyal and somewhat obnoxious subordinates, who have their own minds about how things should be done. In fact, Majesty is the only game where your heroes decide on their own what should be done and when, leaving you to try to control them through...

Price -95% 0.57€
Rating 6.7
Release 17 Sep 2009
Osmos Enter the ambient world of Osmos: elegant, physics-based gameplay, dreamlike visuals, and a minimalist, electronic soundtrack. Your objective is to grow by absorbing other motes. Propel yourself by ejecting matter behind you. But be wise: ejecting matter also shrinks you. Relax - good things come to those who wait.

Price -75% 2.07€
Rating 8.2
Release 18 Aug 2009
Hearts of Iron III Hearts of Iron III lets you play the most engaging conflict in world history, World War 2, on all fronts as any country and through multiple different scenarios. Guide your nation to glory between 1936 and 1948 and wage war, conduct diplomacy and build your industry in the most detailed World War 2 game ever made.

Price -57% 4.32€
Rating 7.4
Release 07 Aug 2009
Call of Cthulhu®: Dark Corners of the Earth Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a first-person horror game that combines intense action and adventure elements.

Price -67% 1.64€
Rating 6.6
Release 16 Jun 2009
Velvet Assassin Inspired by the fascinating story and unbreakable spirit of British secret agent Violette Szabo, players take control of Violette Summer, a beautiful World War II spy deep behind enemy lines with no support or official backing from the British Government.

Price -89% 0.68€
Rating 6.1
Release 01 May 2009
Cogs Cogs is a puzzle game where players build machines from sliding tiles. Players can choose from 50 levels and 3 gameplay modes. New puzzles are unlocked by building contraptions quickly and efficiently. Inventor Mode: Starting with simple puzzles, players are introduced to the widgets that are used to build machines — gears, pipes,...

Price -85% 0.78€
Rating 8.4
Release 14 Apr 2009
Braid This is the original version of Braid from 2009, which may not work well on newer systems. For an updated version of the game with nicer graphics, more levels and a large amount of developer commentary, see Braid, Anniversary Edition.

Price -66% 5.23€
Rating 9.1
Release 10 Apr 2009
World of Goo World of Goo is a multiple award winning physics based puzzle / construction game made entirely by two guys.

Price -76% 3.07€
Rating 9.1
Release 13 Oct 2008
X-COM: UFO Defense You are in control of X-COM: an organization formed by the world's governments to fight the ever-increasing alien menace.

Price -93% 0.38€
Rating 9.1
Release 04 Sep 2008
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Eastern Europe, 2008. War has broken out on the borders of Russia and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. That's when the call goes out for the Ghosts—an elite handful of specially trained Green Berets, armed with the latest technology and trained to use the deadliest weapons.

Price -70% 2.99€
Rating 8.8
Release 15 Jul 2008
Trackmania United Forever TrackMania is the most entertaining car racing game ever. Millions of players play it in single or multiplayer modes. TrackMania United Forever is the ultimate TrackMania edition thanks to the numerous additions and innovations it has to offer.

Price -50% 14.99€
Rating 9.1
Release 16 Apr 2008
Far Cry® A tropical paradise seethes with hidden evil in Far Cry®, a cunningly detailed action shooter that pushes the boundaries of combat to shocking new levels. Freelance mariner Jack Carver is cursing the day he ever came to this island.

Price -70% 2.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 01 Apr 2008
Manhunt You awake to the sound of your own panicked breath. In Manhunt, you must run, hide and fight to survive. If you can stay alive long enough, you may find out who did this to you. This is a brutal blood sport.

Price -72% 2.86€
Rating 6.9
Release 04 Jan 2008
Quake III Arena The greatest warriors of all time and space have been summoned to battle for the amusement of an ancient alien race. Wield a variety of guns and power-ups as you fight for glory against ruthless combatants in this fast-paced single-player and multiplayer FPS.

Price -60% 5.99€
Rating 9.2
Release 03 Aug 2007
DOOM + DOOM II Developed by id Software, and originally released in 1993 and 1994, the definitive, newly enhanced versions of DOOM + DOOM II are available as a combined product.

Price -62% 3.89€
Rating 9.4
Release 03 Aug 2007
Wolfenstein 3D World War II rages. The Nazis are planning to build an unstoppable, mutant army. On a mission to steal the secret plans, you were captured and imprisoned. Now, a lucky break gives you the chance to escape, but a maze of passages and trigger-happy Nazis stand in your way.

Price -88% 0.62€
Rating 9.0
Release 03 Aug 2007
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.

Price -50% 1.99€
Rating 8.6
Release 18 Jun 2007
X-COM: Terror From the Deep The war continues... X-COM: UFO Defense brought you to a galactic battlefield. X-COM: Terror from the Deep brings the alien terror into a totally new dimension.Seeking to take advantage of a weakened Earth, X-COM's deep space foes unexpectedly change strategy and launch a powerful second front against planet Earth.

Price -96% 0.22€
Rating 8.6
Release 04 May 2007