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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STAR WARS™: The Force Unleashed™ II The Star Wars® Saga continues with Star Wars®: The Force Unleashed™ II, the highly anticipated sequel to the fastest-selling Star Wars game ever created.

Price 19.50€
Rating 6.3
Release 01 Dec 2010
Super Meat Boy The infamous, tough-as-nails platformer comes to Steam with a playable Head Crab character (Steam-exclusive)!

Price -48% 7.39€
Rating 9.3
Release 30 Nov 2010
BIT.TRIP BEAT From gameplay to visuals to music and imagination, BIT.TRIP BEAT is inspired by classic games in every way. Get sucked into a whole new world of sight and sound as you juggle beats and ride the vibe in this modern look at the beginning of it all. BIT.

Price 7.99€
Rating 7.7
Release 02 Nov 2010
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.

Price 9.75€
Rating 7.5
Release 08 Oct 2010
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Take control of Lara and her new partner Totec, a Mayan tribesman, and uncover the ancient artifact known as the "Mirror of Smoke" in this all new action adventure game.

Price -91% 0.93€
Rating 8.8
Release 28 Sep 2010
Hacker Evolution Hacker Evolution is a hacking simulation game, featuring unparalleled graphics and features. You play the role of a former intelligence agent, specializing in computer security. When a chain of events sets off worldwide, leaving critical service disabled, you assume the role a computer hacker to find out what happened and attempt to stop...

Price -94% 0.33€
Rating 6.6
Release 14 Sep 2010
VVVVVV VVVVVV is a platform game all about exploring one simple mechanical idea - what if you reversed gravity instead of jumping?

Price -89% 0.55€
Rating 9.3
Release 07 Sep 2010
Riven (1997) Released in 1997 as the original sequel to Myst, one of the best-selling puzzle adventure games of all time. Prepare to enter a world "torn asunder" by timeless, unresolved conflicts -- a world of incomparable beauty, intrigue, and betrayal.

Price 5.89€
Rating 8.5
Release 04 Aug 2010
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 -95% 0.28€
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% 0.56€
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 -88% 0.63€
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% 3.39€
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 -80% 1.99€
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 -90% 1.49€
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% 0.66€
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 -89% 1.77€
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 -92% 0.82€
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 -70% 2.50€
Rating 8.2
Release 18 Aug 2009