Best Difficult Games 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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The Basement Collection A collection of 9 award winning indie games from the creator of "Binding of isaac" and "Super Meat Boy"!

Price -81% 0.76€
Rating 8.2
Release 31 Aug 2012
Super Crate Box Vlambeer's SUPER CRATE BOX is coming to bring back the glory of the golden arcade age, when all that really mattered was getting on that high score list. Grab your baseball cap and loosen your pants, it's time to fight endless hordes of enemies and collect every weapon crate you can.

Price Free to play
Rating 8.6
Release 29 Aug 2012
They Bleed Pixels They Bleed Pixels is a fiendishly difficult action platformer inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and classic horror.

Price -91% 0.90€
Rating 8.0
Release 29 Aug 2012
Counter-Strike 2 For over two decades, Counter-Strike has offered an elite competitive experience, one shaped by millions of players from across the globe. And now the next chapter in the CS story is about to begin. This is Counter-Strike 2.

Price Free to play
Rating 8.6
Release 21 Aug 2012
Tower Wars Tower Wars combines elements of tower defense, RTS, and all-out multi-player mayhem to bring you a completely unique experience, delivered with a fun and funny not-so-old world style!

Price -46% 4.35€
Rating 7.0
Release 14 Aug 2012
English Country Tune English Country Tune is a luxuriant abstract 3D puzzle game containing more than a hundred levels situated throughout 17 worlds.

Price -88% 0.63€
Rating 7.5
Release 09 Aug 2012
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.

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.5
Release 24 Jul 2012
Hard Reset Extended Edition Over-the-top destruction, loads of enemies & a beautifully realized cyberpunk setting. Hard Reset is here to shake up the shooter scene. Try the demo now.

Price -94% 0.98€
Rating 7.9
Release 12 Jul 2012
Source Filmmaker The Source Filmmaker (SFM) is the movie-making tool built and used by us here at Valve to make movies inside the Source game engine. Because the SFM uses the same assets as the game, anything that exists in the game can be used in the movie, and vice versa.

Price Free to play
Rating 9.1
Release 10 Jul 2012
Tribes: Ascend This edition packages weapon DLC from ten previous expansions as well new featured content.

Price Free to play
Rating 7.9
Release 27 Jun 2012
Quantum Conundrum Find and rescue your uncle by using his newest invention to work your way through a crazy complex mansion as you switch between dimensions and solve puzzles!

Price -89% 0.98€
Rating 8.1
Release 21 Jun 2012
Ys Origin The perfect mix of action, exploration and story with screen-filling bosses, unique platforming elements, and innovative puzzles.

Price -75% 3.99€
Rating 8.9
Release 31 May 2012
Blades of Time Ayumi, the gorgeous gun and sword-wielding treasure hunter, sets out on a journey to an ancient island in search of new adventures. While rich in bounty, the island is also filled with the magic of Chaos, being at the same time home to blood thirsty monsters.

Price -46% 5.34€
Rating 7.6
Release 20 Apr 2012
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition A time of untold chaos has come. Mighty forces clash behind the scenes in a struggle for power and influence. The Northern Kingdoms mobilize for war. But armies on the march are not enough to stop a bloody conspiracy...

Price -77% 4.65€
Rating 8.8
Release 16 Apr 2012
Legend of Grimrock Use the Dungeon Editor to build entirely new adventures and challenges for other players to solve.

Price -86% 2.17€
Rating 9.1
Release 11 Apr 2012
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

Price -56% 6.71€
Rating 7.7
Release 10 Apr 2012
Rayman® Origins Experience the magical universe of Rayman with legendary 2D gameplay that has captured the hearts of millions of fans!

Price 9.99€
Rating 9.1
Release 29 Mar 2012
Waveform Navigate the beauty and hazards of the solar system while riding a wave of light through 100+ levels in this innovative action-puzzle game!

Price 0.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 20 Mar 2012
Ys: The Oath in Felghana An Action RPG driven by fast-paced combat and paired with an intricate puzzle-filled world.

Price -70% 3.59€
Rating 9.0
Release 19 Mar 2012
iBomber Defense Pacific iBomber moves to the Pacific as you fight a whole new enemy across the Pacific rim to regain freedom.

Price -86% 0.85€
Rating 7.8
Release 01 Mar 2012
Realm of the Mad God Exalt Embark on an exhilarating journey into the pixelated Realm of the Mad God! Join, an action-packed, free-to-play MMO bullet hell game. Discover a world with danger, challenges, and hidden treasures as you battle through waves of enemies. Team up with players and conquer dungeons to become a legend!

Price Free to play
Rating 8.2
Release 20 Feb 2012
Shank 2 The fan-favorite 2D brawler is back as ex-mob hit man Shank returns to action in Shank 2. With those closest to him under attack, Shank is once again forced on the offensive. Now he must put his trusty arsenal of handguns, shotguns, automatic weapons, chainsaws, machetes, grenades, plus all-new weaponry and moves to use in order to...

Price -79% 2.13€
Rating 8.0
Release 07 Feb 2012
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...

Price -71% 2.85€
Rating 8.6
Release 03 Feb 2012
Serious Sam II Serious Sam II is a shot of adrenaline to the hearts of first-person shooter fans across the world. This is serious!

Price -75% 2.43€
Rating 8.7
Release 31 Jan 2012
Fortune Summoners A massive gameworld to explore with nearly a dozen dungeons to delve into.

Price 14.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 30 Jan 2012
Dustforce DX Take control of a nimble janitor to rid the world of dust and debris.

Price -94% 0.60€
Rating 8.4
Release 17 Jan 2012
Cave Story+ Run, jump, shoot, fly and explore your way through a massive action-adventure reminiscent of classic 8- and 16-bit games.

Price -74% 3.97€
Rating 9.0
Release 22 Nov 2011
Serious Sam 3: BFE Serious Sam 3: BFE is a prequel to the original indie fast action FPS and Game of the Year sensation - Serious Sam: The First Encounter!

Price -93% 2.05€
Rating 8.7
Release 22 Nov 2011
PAYDAY™ The Heist Take on the role of a hardened career criminal executing intense, dynamic heists in constant pursuit of the next “big score”

Price 14.99€
Rating 9.2
Release 20 Oct 2011
The Binding of Isaac Now 20% More Evil with the Free Halloween update!

Price 4.99€
Rating 9.3
Release 28 Sep 2011
Cossacks: Art of War Cossacks: The Art of War continues the history of the great battles of XVII–XVIII centuries

Price -84% 0.82€
Rating 7.5
Release 26 Aug 2011
Blocks That Matter When indie game developers Alexey and Markus are in trouble, their only hope comes from their creation.

Price 4.99€
Rating 7.4
Release 19 Aug 2011
EDGE EDGE, the award winning retro-styled platform game has been extended! Now with over 40 brand new levels, additional music and all-new races against the notorious Dark Cube!

Price -95% 0.41€
Rating 8.8
Release 11 Aug 2011
LIMBO Uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters LIMBO

Price -78% 2.61€
Rating 9.1
Release 02 Aug 2011
Chantelise - A Tale of Two Sisters A whimsical Action-RPG brought to you from the creators of the renowned Recettear ~ An Item Shop's Tale. Purchase before August 5th and save!

Price 7.99€
Rating 7.2
Release 29 Jul 2011
Dungeons of Dredmor Test your luck and cunning in this exciting RPG as you craft, cast, and pillage your way through Lord Dredmor's Dungeons.

Price -68% 2.50€
Rating 9.1
Release 13 Jul 2011

Most played difficult games


76,550 players

401,026
28,895
Rating 9.2

28,634 players

981,540
75,137
Rating 9.2

17,141 players

334,165
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Rating 9.6

8,079 players

354,017
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Rating 8.8

4,936 players

390,326
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Rating 9.3

3,543 players

119,152
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Rating 9.1

2,253 players

179,894
6,941
Rating 9.5

2,222 players

98,052
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Rating 8.3

2,078 players

307,041
15,193
Rating 9.4

1,825 players

117,545
3,057
Rating 9.6