Best 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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Chaser Mars, 2044. The UN establishes MARSCORP (Martian Security and Economics Committee) under the leadership of Samuel Longwood. In the years that follow, the UN gradually loses control of MARSCORP, mainly due to the non-transparent licence policy of its director.

Price -88% 0.63€
Rating 6.8
Release 16 Jul 2010
Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead Three years after the conflict in Chernarus, portrayed in the original Arma 2, a new flashpoint explodes in the Green Sea Region. Coalition forces led by the US Army are deployed to Takistan to quickly restore peace and prevent further civilian casualties.

Price -97% 0.48€
Rating 9.0
Release 29 Jun 2010
eversion The Princess of the Flower Kingdom has vanished! She was taken by the Ghulibas of the north, and it is up to brave Zee Tee to rescue her. On his quest, he - and you - will discover the hidden lands behind the peaceful kingdom, and come face to face with secrets that will set you on edge!

Price -19% 3.27€
Rating 8.7
Release 07 Jun 2010
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 -91% 0.49€
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 -85% 3.04€
Rating 9.1
Release 13 Jan 2010
STAR WARS™ - The Force Unleashed™ Ultimate Sith Edition A game that will show gamers the deepest, darkest side of the Force in a story that puts them on a collision course with Luke Skywalker himself.

Price 19.50€
Rating 7.4
Release 15 Dec 2009
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.

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.7
Release 15 Dec 2009
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 -84% 2.41€
Rating 9.1
Release 24 Nov 2009
Gratuitous Space Battles Who needs backstory? Who needs resource-gathering? Diplomacy is so last year. Gratuitous Space Battles cuts right to the chase of sci-fi strategy games, and deals with large, completely unjustified space battles between huge opposing space fleets.

Price 14.79€
Rating 6.9
Release 16 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 -94% 0.68€
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 -90% 1.60€
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 -94% 0.66€
Rating 6.7
Release 17 Sep 2009
STAR WARS™ Dark Forces (Classic, 1995) Behind a veil of secrecy the evil Empire is creating a doomsday army - one that, if finished, will become the final cog in the Empire's arsenal of terror and domination. Your Mission? Join the Rebel Alliance's covert operations division, infiltrate the Empire.

Price 5.89€
Rating 8.6
Release 16 Sep 2009
Zuma's Revenge! An irresistible force has taken our fearless frog to an island where the puzzle-action of Zuma has evolved in amazing ways… but evil spirits and tenacious tiki bosses rule the land! Survive by firing stone spheres to destroy the deadly stream of balls. Conquer over 60 levels!

Price 4.99€
Rating 9.1
Release 15 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 -72% 2.37€
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% 4.35€
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 4.99€
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 -91% 0.57€
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 -90% 0.53€
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% 5.21€
Rating 9.1
Release 10 Apr 2009
Dark Sector A third-person Action/Shooter that thrusts players into a sci-fi flavored nightmare scenario set in the post Cold War era.

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.4
Release 24 Mar 2009
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!

Price 6.89€
Rating 8.1
Release 11 Feb 2009
World of Goo World of Goo is a multiple award winning physics based puzzle / construction game made entirely by two guys.

Price -75% 3.20€
Rating 9.1
Release 13 Oct 2008