Rated brilliantly, yet barely known: games few people talk about and almost everyone who played them loves. Often from small studios with ideas of their own.
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How to find games that really suit you:
Select up to 5 games you have played and enjoyed. Playalike compares 36 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
A frantic, chaotic 2D platformer starring the manic pizza chef Peppino, built around momentum-based movement, score chasing and wildly hand-drawn animation. Its zany humor and driving soundtrack turn every level into a spectacle.
A physics-driven sandbox where you freely experiment with weapons, machines and odd gadgets on ragdoll characters. The fun comes from creative tinkering and the unexpected, chaotic results.
Toem is a laid-back photography adventure set in a hand-drawn black-and-white world, where you help quirky locals by snapping pictures and solving small tasks. Charming, friendly and completely stress-free.
A frantic, chaotic 2D platformer starring the manic pizza chef Peppino, built around momentum-based movement, score chasing and wildly hand-drawn animation. Its zany humor and driving soundtrack turn every level into a spectacle.
A frantic, chaotic 2D platformer starring the manic pizza chef Peppino, built around momentum-based movement, score chasing and wildly hand-drawn animation. Its zany humor and driving soundtrack turn every level into a spectacle.
A physics-driven sandbox where you freely experiment with weapons, machines and odd gadgets on ragdoll characters. The fun comes from creative tinkering and the unexpected, chaotic results.
A physics-driven sandbox where you freely experiment with weapons, machines and odd gadgets on ragdoll characters. The fun comes from creative tinkering and the unexpected, chaotic results.
Toem is a laid-back photography adventure set in a hand-drawn black-and-white world, where you help quirky locals by snapping pictures and solving small tasks. Charming, friendly and completely stress-free.
Toem is a laid-back photography adventure set in a hand-drawn black-and-white world, where you help quirky locals by snapping pictures and solving small tasks. Charming, friendly and completely stress-free.
A free fan-made Vampire Survivors-style game starring Hololive vtubers. You survive endless enemy waves, collect weapons and items, and experiment with powerful builds. Short, addictive runs with charming pixel art.
A free fan-made Vampire Survivors-style game starring Hololive vtubers. You survive endless enemy waves, collect weapons and items, and experiment with powerful builds. Short, addictive runs with charming pixel art.
You work as a mob crime scene cleaner, scrubbing away evidence and dodging the police between jobs. A humorous, laid-back simulator wrapped in a shady criminal premise.
You work as a mob crime scene cleaner, scrubbing away evidence and dodging the police between jobs. A humorous, laid-back simulator wrapped in a shady criminal premise.
An atmospheric puzzle adventure where you probe a mysterious dollhouse full of intricate mechanisms and hidden secrets. Tactile object puzzles and an eerie mood define the experience.
An atmospheric puzzle adventure where you probe a mysterious dollhouse full of intricate mechanisms and hidden secrets. Tactile object puzzles and an eerie mood define the experience.
A space factory-automation game where you build production chains across multiple planets and ultimately wrap a star in a Dyson sphere. The appeal lies in optimizing sprawling logistics networks on a galactic scale.
A space factory-automation game where you build production chains across multiple planets and ultimately wrap a star in a Dyson sphere. The appeal lies in optimizing sprawling logistics networks on a galactic scale.
A cozy simulator where you work as a dressmaker, picking designs, cutting fabric and sewing garments together. You can please your customers or mischievously sabotage them.
A cozy simulator where you work as a dressmaker, picking designs, cutting fabric and sewing garments together. You can please your customers or mischievously sabotage them.
A surreal adventure with a bold, odd art style and strange characters, where you wander bizarre worlds as ENA. Absurd humor and unusual aesthetics take centre stage.
A surreal adventure with a bold, odd art style and strange characters, where you wander bizarre worlds as ENA. Absurd humor and unusual aesthetics take centre stage.
A lightning-fast kung-fu brawler played with just two buttons: you click left or right to hit enemies at exactly the right moment. The result is fluid, movie-like fight choreography that feels like a rhythm and reflex test.
A lightning-fast kung-fu brawler played with just two buttons: you click left or right to hit enemies at exactly the right moment. The result is fluid, movie-like fight choreography that feels like a rhythm and reflex test.
A short, handcrafted pixel art platformer where you play an abandoned plushy brought to life. The journey blends a dark, mysterious mood with precise jumping and exploration.
A short, handcrafted pixel art platformer where you play an abandoned plushy brought to life. The journey blends a dark, mysterious mood with precise jumping and exploration.
A charming pixel-art puzzle adventure where you help the child Niko save a dying world. It cleverly breaks the fourth wall, pulling your own computer and your decisions directly into its puzzles and story.
2014PC−40 %9.75 € 5.85 € 4 days left98 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 60,002 reviews on Steam
Strong, story-driven narrative
Puzzles and brain teasers
Distinctive, stylised art style
A charming pixel-art puzzle adventure where you help the child Niko save a dying world. It cleverly breaks the fourth wall, pulling your own computer and your decisions directly into its puzzles and story.
You play a rookie defense attorney who wins over absurd courtroom trials by presenting evidence, cross-examining witnesses and spotting contradictions. Sharp writing and a steady stream of jokes make this remaster of the original case a charming mystery adventure.
You play a rookie defense attorney who wins over absurd courtroom trials by presenting evidence, cross-examining witnesses and spotting contradictions. Sharp writing and a steady stream of jokes make this remaster of the original case a charming mystery adventure.
A charming rhythm game where you heal patients by hitting the beat of their heartbeats with a defibrillator. It surprises with inventive rhythm twists, pixel art, humor, heart and a great soundtrack.
A charming rhythm game where you heal patients by hitting the beat of their heartbeats with a defibrillator. It surprises with inventive rhythm twists, pixel art, humor, heart and a great soundtrack.
A short, deeply emotional narrative about a soul's journey into the afterlife, controlled by your real blinks through your webcam. Blinking skips through memories, making the fleeting nature of time tangible.
A short, deeply emotional narrative about a soul's journey into the afterlife, controlled by your real blinks through your webcam. Blinking skips through memories, making the fleeting nature of time tangible.
A mystery puzzle adventure about a submarine captain found dead in a locked room, where you investigate an eccentric crew and a mysterious stone cauldron. It blends puzzle solving with a locked-room whodunit in a quirky setting.
2026PCPlayStationNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified−20 %20.49 € 16.39 € 6 days left99 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 3,110 reviews on Steam
Strong, story-driven narrative
Puzzles and brain teasers
Distinctive, stylised art style
A mystery puzzle adventure about a submarine captain found dead in a locked room, where you investigate an eccentric crew and a mysterious stone cauldron. It blends puzzle solving with a locked-room whodunit in a quirky setting.
An episodic point-and-click adventure about a boy with a prosthetic face who investigates a murder series and supernatural secrets in a gloomy apartment building. Its distinctive comic-like low-poly look, 90s atmosphere and emotional story set it apart.
An episodic point-and-click adventure about a boy with a prosthetic face who investigates a murder series and supernatural secrets in a gloomy apartment building. Its distinctive comic-like low-poly look, 90s atmosphere and emotional story set it apart.
A laid-back multiplayer fishing game with a retro look where you hang out in lobbies with friends or strangers, catch fish, collect items and chat along the way.
A laid-back multiplayer fishing game with a retro look where you hang out in lobbies with friends or strangers, catch fish, collect items and chat along the way.
A comedic point-and-click adventure in which the game itself is your adversary, sending you through parodied video game worlds with absurd puzzles and fourth-wall-breaking gags. The solutions are often delightfully illogical.
A comedic point-and-click adventure in which the game itself is your adversary, sending you through parodied video game worlds with absurd puzzles and fourth-wall-breaking gags. The solutions are often delightfully illogical.
A small indie title mixing puzzle and light RPG elements, where you step into the roles of different female characters across several fantasy worlds and play through their stories. It focuses on short episodic tales with an erotic slant.
2017PCNintendo Switch97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 82,973 reviews on Steam
Fantasy setting
A small indie title mixing puzzle and light RPG elements, where you step into the roles of different female characters across several fantasy worlds and play through their stories. It focuses on short episodic tales with an erotic slant.
A free pixel-art RPG in which you travel through the afterlife with a scythe to find your brother. Its mix of spooky settings, humor and an emotional story gives it charm.
A free pixel-art RPG in which you travel through the afterlife with a scythe to find your brother. Its mix of spooky settings, humor and an emotional story gives it charm.
A stylish skate, inline and BMX platformer set in a cel-shaded city full of graffiti, crews and a funky soundtrack. Fluid movement and exploring the city take center stage, in the spirit of Jet Set Radio.
A stylish skate, inline and BMX platformer set in a cel-shaded city full of graffiti, crews and a funky soundtrack. Fluid movement and exploring the city take center stage, in the spirit of Jet Set Radio.
A dark pixel-art adventure about a young person shut away at home after a traumatic event, who takes one last chance when a mysterious golden letter arrives. Puzzles, horror and emotional storytelling take center stage.
A dark pixel-art adventure about a young person shut away at home after a traumatic event, who takes one last chance when a mysterious golden letter arrives. Puzzles, horror and emotional storytelling take center stage.
A first-person speed-climbing game where precise movement and scarce resources carry you up through a menacing, decaying concrete shaft. One slip can end the run, keeping the pace and tension high.
A first-person speed-climbing game where precise movement and scarce resources carry you up through a menacing, decaying concrete shaft. One slip can end the run, keeping the pace and tension high.
A calm, atmospheric puzzle adventure where you guide a small lost ember through melancholy lands and uncover why its people vanished. The puzzles are approachable, and the mood is both wistful and comforting.
A calm, atmospheric puzzle adventure where you guide a small lost ember through melancholy lands and uncover why its people vanished. The puzzles are approachable, and the mood is both wistful and comforting.
A dark fairy-tale metroidvania where you play a tiny bird with a matchstick, crossing a wretched kingdom to burn the wicked queen. Expect quirky characters, exploration and platforming action. The game is new and little known to me, so this rating relies mostly on the description.
2026PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified−20 %14.25 € 11.40 € 11 days left98 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 4,270 reviews on Steam
Lots to discover
Jumping and platforming
Action-packed real-time combat
A dark fairy-tale metroidvania where you play a tiny bird with a matchstick, crossing a wretched kingdom to burn the wicked queen. Expect quirky characters, exploration and platforming action. The game is new and little known to me, so this rating relies mostly on the description.
As the adoptive father of a baby found on a battlefield, you plan her training and encounters week by week. Your decisions shape her future and the fate of the volcano kingdom, leading to many different endings.
2023PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable−35 %10.79 € 7.01 € 3 days left98 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 41,180 reviews on Steam
Fantasy setting
Choices with consequences
Strong, story-driven narrative
As the adoptive father of a baby found on a battlefield, you plan her training and encounters week by week. Your decisions shape her future and the fate of the volcano kingdom, leading to many different endings.
You are trapped in your apartment building while the world outside breaks down, fighting mutated neighbors in turn-based combat. Ammo, supplies and your sanity must be carefully managed in a dense pixel-art horror atmosphere.
You are trapped in your apartment building while the world outside breaks down, fighting mutated neighbors in turn-based combat. Ammo, supplies and your sanity must be carefully managed in a dense pixel-art horror atmosphere.
You investigate twelve baffling deaths spanning centuries, gathering clues in pixel-art crime scenes and piecing together names, motives and sequences into your own theory. Pure deduction with little hand-holding makes it feel like genuine detective work.
You investigate twelve baffling deaths spanning centuries, gathering clues in pixel-art crime scenes and piecing together names, motives and sequences into your own theory. Pure deduction with little hand-holding makes it feel like genuine detective work.
You guide the lost child Mellow through a strange world whose rules don't follow normal logic, acting as his guardian angel to help him find a place to belong. This nontraditional point-and-click adventure combines unusual puzzles with an eerie, whimsical atmosphere.
You guide the lost child Mellow through a strange world whose rules don't follow normal logic, acting as his guardian angel to help him find a place to belong. This nontraditional point-and-click adventure combines unusual puzzles with an eerie, whimsical atmosphere.
You run your own trading card shop, stocking shelves, setting prices, hiring staff and cracking packs to build your own collection. A relaxed management sim with the lure of card collecting.
2026PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable−15 %20.49 € 17.41 € 2 days left96 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 48,537 reviews on Steam
Economy and management
Cosy, great for unwinding
Cards and deck-building
You run your own trading card shop, stocking shelves, setting prices, hiring staff and cracking packs to build your own collection. A relaxed management sim with the lure of card collecting.
A rhythm-driven bullet-hell where you dodge geometric hazards perfectly synced to an electrifying soundtrack. It shines in chaotic, frantic co-op sessions with friends.
A rhythm-driven bullet-hell where you dodge geometric hazards perfectly synced to an electrifying soundtrack. It shines in chaotic, frantic co-op sessions with friends.
A fast action-platformer where you play a veteran with a grappling prosthetic arm, swinging through a dystopian city, dodging bullets and taking down enemies. Fluid swinging movement is paired with a dark, stylish presentation.
2023PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable−35 %12.49 € 8.11 € 13 days left97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 42,133 reviews on Steam
Action-packed real-time combat
Sci-fi setting
Jumping and platforming
A fast action-platformer where you play a veteran with a grappling prosthetic arm, swinging through a dystopian city, dodging bullets and taking down enemies. Fluid swinging movement is paired with a dark, stylish presentation.
You terraform a hostile planet by gathering resources, building bases and machines, and watching a barren wasteland slowly gain atmosphere, water and life. The blend of calm survival and visible, large-scale progress is what makes it special.
You terraform a hostile planet by gathering resources, building bases and machines, and watching a barren wasteland slowly gain atmosphere, water and life. The blend of calm survival and visible, large-scale progress is what makes it special.
A short, unconventional pixel-art horror RPG prologue where puzzles can be solved in multiple ways. As Kat you make friends or not while uncovering the mystery of a strange golden letter.
A short, unconventional pixel-art horror RPG prologue where puzzles can be solved in multiple ways. As Kat you make friends or not while uncovering the mystery of a strange golden letter.
You play Kyle, a janitor who is also a werewolf, sneaking through night shifts full of surprises. Its charm lies in blending creepy horror moments with offbeat comedy.
You play Kyle, a janitor who is also a werewolf, sneaking through night shifts full of surprises. Its charm lies in blending creepy horror moments with offbeat comedy.
You play Poco, a two-inch clown banished from a giant circus, who must survive the overgrown Below World. Team up with its homunculus inhabitants to build a rocket, and discover a cluttered world made from everything the Worlds Above discarded.
2025PCfree99 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 10,332 reviews on Steam
Fantasy setting
Puzzles and brain teasers
Distinctive, stylised art style
You play Poco, a two-inch clown banished from a giant circus, who must survive the overgrown Below World. Team up with its homunculus inhabitants to build a rocket, and discover a cluttered world made from everything the Worlds Above discarded.
A dark point-and-click puzzle game where you grow the Vanderboom family tree across generations. Bizarre, macabre puzzles and an eerie atmosphere tell the story almost without words.
A dark point-and-click puzzle game where you grow the Vanderboom family tree across generations. Bizarre, macabre puzzles and an eerie atmosphere tell the story almost without words.
Kenshi is a brutal sandbox RPG set in a vast, harsh wasteland where you decide whether to become a trader, mercenary, slave or warlord. Instead of a scripted story, you build your squad, base and reputation in a world that gives you nothing for free.
Kenshi is a brutal sandbox RPG set in a vast, harsh wasteland where you decide whether to become a trader, mercenary, slave or warlord. Instead of a scripted story, you build your squad, base and reputation in a world that gives you nothing for free.
A lovingly hand-drawn point-and-click puzzle adventure in which siblings Toto and Gal travel through quirky dreamlike worlds. Its puzzles are inventive, the humor is warm, and it feels like playing an interactive cartoon.
A lovingly hand-drawn point-and-click puzzle adventure in which siblings Toto and Gal travel through quirky dreamlike worlds. Its puzzles are inventive, the humor is warm, and it feels like playing an interactive cartoon.
Teardown lets you plan heists in a fully destructible voxel world: first you prep the environment with vehicles and explosives, then you execute the job against the clock. Creative, improvised solutions are the heart of the game.
Teardown lets you plan heists in a fully destructible voxel world: first you prep the environment with vehicles and explosives, then you execute the job against the clock. Creative, improvised solutions are the heart of the game.
An absurd sandbox playground where you wreak havoc as a destructive goat, enjoy physics mishaps and goof around with up to three friends. The fun comes from experimenting, gags and parodies rather than challenge.
An absurd sandbox playground where you wreak havoc as a destructive goat, enjoy physics mishaps and goof around with up to three friends. The fun comes from experimenting, gags and parodies rather than challenge.
A turn-based tactics game where a squad of wizards in modern tactical gear breaches rooms and solves compact, puzzle-like fights through clever spell use and positioning. Sharp, funny writing and the quirky blend of magic and SWAT tactics define its tone.
A turn-based tactics game where a squad of wizards in modern tactical gear breaches rooms and solves compact, puzzle-like fights through clever spell use and positioning. Sharp, funny writing and the quirky blend of magic and SWAT tactics define its tone.
A Metroidvania where you play maid Sakuya and stop time to get past enemies and hazards. Time manipulation and knife throwing make for fast, precise gameplay in a richly detailed pixel-art world from the Touhou universe.
A Metroidvania where you play maid Sakuya and stop time to get past enemies and hazards. Time manipulation and knife throwing make for fast, precise gameplay in a richly detailed pixel-art world from the Touhou universe.
A psychological horror visual novel where you are sent to slay a princess in a cabin while a cast of voices in your head keeps commenting. Every choice sends the story spiraling into new branches, and the hand-penciled art and superb voice acting make each loop eerie and surprising.
A psychological horror visual novel where you are sent to slay a princess in a cabin while a cast of voices in your head keeps commenting. Every choice sends the story spiraling into new branches, and the hand-penciled art and superb voice acting make each loop eerie and surprising.
You wake up in a strange, surreal room and must solve puzzles to find a way out. The game stands out through its eerie, enigmatic atmosphere and hand-drawn art in the style of the Rusty Lake series.
You wake up in a strange, surreal room and must solve puzzles to find a way out. The game stands out through its eerie, enigmatic atmosphere and hand-drawn art in the style of the Rusty Lake series.
A short, eerie point-and-click puzzle adventure set in the Rusty Lake universe: as Detective Dale Vandermeer you solve puzzles across two intertwined realities and slowly piece together a strange mystery.
A short, eerie point-and-click puzzle adventure set in the Rusty Lake universe: as Detective Dale Vandermeer you solve puzzles across two intertwined realities and slowly piece together a strange mystery.
A cheeky parody of The Witness: you explore an island of deliberately annoying and absurd puzzles that poke fun at the genre. Players who know the original will get the most out of the jokes.
A cheeky parody of The Witness: you explore an island of deliberately annoying and absurd puzzles that poke fun at the genre. Players who know the original will get the most out of the jokes.
A short, free, hand-painted hidden-object adventure where you wander a surreal art world, gather items for quirky locals, restore damaged paintings and help a lost skeleton painter get home. Gentle, charming and easy-going puzzling.
A short, free, hand-painted hidden-object adventure where you wander a surreal art world, gather items for quirky locals, restore damaged paintings and help a lost skeleton painter get home. Gentle, charming and easy-going puzzling.
You defend clients in outlandish courtroom trials, uncovering contradictions in testimony by presenting evidence and exposing lies. Its blend of quirky humor, drama and a tangled criminal plot makes this remastered classic stand out.
You defend clients in outlandish courtroom trials, uncovering contradictions in testimony by presenting evidence and exposing lies. Its blend of quirky humor, drama and a tangled criminal plot makes this remastered classic stand out.
You play as defense attorney Phoenix Wright and expose contradictions in witness testimony by presenting evidence in court. Sharp writing, eccentric characters and gripping murder mysteries make this visual novel a genre classic.
You play as defense attorney Phoenix Wright and expose contradictions in witness testimony by presenting evidence in court. Sharp writing, eccentric characters and gripping murder mysteries make this visual novel a genre classic.
You cook snacks for forest creatures and win them over while searching a strange house and the woods around it. The cozy mood carries a faintly eerie undertone.
You cook snacks for forest creatures and win them over while searching a strange house and the woods around it. The cozy mood carries a faintly eerie undertone.
A new point-and-click puzzle adventure in the Rusty Lake series, expected to deliver the franchise's dark, surreal atmosphere and intricately layered puzzles. As it is a new release, this rating relies mostly on the series' established style.
A new point-and-click puzzle adventure in the Rusty Lake series, expected to deliver the franchise's dark, surreal atmosphere and intricately layered puzzles. As it is a new release, this rating relies mostly on the series' established style.
On an island of half-bug, half-snack creatures, you catch Bugsnax with clever traps and gadgets to win over the quirky residents of a stranded village. Zany humor and a surprisingly heartfelt mystery about the missing explorer drive the story.
On an island of half-bug, half-snack creatures, you catch Bugsnax with clever traps and gadgets to win over the quirky residents of a stranded village. Zany humor and a surprisingly heartfelt mystery about the missing explorer drive the story.
A crime-noir first-person shooter with 90s-style gameplay and a comic-book look. As a brawler you sneak and punch your way through Switchblade City to uncover a conspiracy.
A crime-noir first-person shooter with 90s-style gameplay and a comic-book look. As a brawler you sneak and punch your way through Switchblade City to uncover a conspiracy.
A grim dieselpunk game where you operate a massive heavy turret, reading coordinates, measuring maps and aiming artillery precisely. The appeal lies in simulation-style calculation and targeting rather than fast action.
2026PCSteam Deck verified−25 %19.99 € 14.99 € 5 days left97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 14,953 reviews on Steam
Dark, serious atmosphere
Distinctive, stylised art style
A grim dieselpunk game where you operate a massive heavy turret, reading coordinates, measuring maps and aiming artillery precisely. The appeal lies in simulation-style calculation and targeting rather than fast action.
Hidden gems tend to come from small teams that pick one idea and push it further than bigger studios would. The result is often a game with a strong personality, whether that is a loud hand-drawn platformer or a quiet story you finish in one evening. Since these games vary so much, it helps to decide what mood you are after before you pick.
If you want speed and style, Pizza Tower is a colorful, hand-drawn platformer with a great soundtrack, and One Finger Death Punch is a difficult timed-hits game in pixel art. For something calmer, Toem is a cozy, relaxing exploration game, and Webfishing adds co-op and multiplayer to a relaxing, comedic setup. If you like thinking, Dyson Sphere Program mixes strategy and puzzle elements in a sci-fi setting, while The Room 4: Old Sins offers atmospheric puzzles with a mystery and horror edge.
Check a few things before you buy. Difficulty varies a lot: One Finger Death Punch is tagged as difficult, while Toem and The Last Campfire are tagged relaxing. Also look at whether you want to play alone or with friends, and whether you prefer a story-driven game like Before Your Eyes or a systems-driven one. Several games here are also on Nintendo Switch, which is useful if you switch between devices.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best relaxing hidden gems on PC?
Toem is a cozy, colorful exploration game, and The Last Campfire pairs a relaxing pace with an emotional, story-rich fantasy. Webfishing is a good pick if you want a relaxing game to play with friends.
Which hidden gems on PC have a strong story?
Before Your Eyes is story-rich and emotional with a mystery element, and The Last Campfire is also tagged story-rich and emotional. Grimm's Hollow is a good choice if you want a story in a pixel-art JRPG with turn-based combat.
Are there any funny hidden gems worth trying?
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension is a hand-drawn puzzle game with a comedic tone, and Pizza Tower brings comedy to a fast platformer. People Playground is another comedy pick, in pixel art with a sci-fi setting.
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