The best hidden gems on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch

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.

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.

  1. 1 Pizza Tower

    2023 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 19.50 € 98 % positive

    • Jumping and platforming
    • Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
    • Action-packed real-time combat

    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.

  2. 2 The Room 4: Old Sins

    2018 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 8.49 € 99 % positive

    • Puzzles and brain teasers
    • Lavish presentation

    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.

  3. 3 Toem

    2021 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 18.99 € 99 % positive

    • Cosy, great for unwinding
    • Distinctive, stylised art style
    • Lots to discover

    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.

1 Pizza Tower

Jumping and platforming

2023 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 19.50 € 98 % positive

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.

2 The Room 4: Old Sins

Puzzles and brain teasers

2018 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 8.49 € 99 % positive

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.

3 Toem

Cosy, great for unwinding

2021 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 18.99 € 99 % positive

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.

4 There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension

Lots of humour

2020 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −20 % 12.99 € 10.39 € 2 days left 98 % positive

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.

5 The Last Campfire

Puzzles and brain teasers

2020 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −90 % 14.79 € 1.47 € 2 days left 98 % positive

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.

6 Just Shapes & Beats

Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)

2018 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 16.99 € 98 % positive

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.

7 Crime Scene Cleaner

2024 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck playable 29.99 € 98 % positive

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.

8 The Case of the Golden Idol

Puzzles and brain teasers

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 17.99 € 98 % positive

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.

9 TCG Card Shop Simulator

Economy and management

2026 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable −15 % 20.49 € 17.41 € 4 days left 97 % positive

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.

10 Touhou Luna Nights

Action-packed real-time combat

2019 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable −40 % 14.99 € 8.99 € 2 days left 98 % positive

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.

11 Teardown

Tactical depth

2022 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck verified −50 % 29.99 € 14.99 € until tomorrow 96 % positive

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.

12 Dorfromantik

Cosy, great for unwinding

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −35 % 12.99 € 8.44 € 8 days left 97 % positive

You place hexagonal tiles to slowly grow a picturesque countryside of fields, forests, rivers and rail lines. A relaxing tile-matching puzzler about smart placement and completing quest goals, with no real pressure.

13 Goat Simulator 3

Lots of humour

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 29.99 € 98 % positive

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.

14 Rhythm Doctor

Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)

2025 PCXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 19.50 € 98 % positive

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.

15 West of Loathing

Lots of humour

2017 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 10.99 € 98 % positive

A stick-figure Wild West packed with slapstick and absurd gags, where simple turn-based fights and creative quest solutions carry you through a quirky desert world. Humor fills nearly every dialogue and choice.

16 Mirror

Fantasy setting

2017 PCNintendo Switch 97 % positive

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.

17 Sally Face

Strong, story-driven narrative

2016 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 2.99 € 97 % positive

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.

18 Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

Jumping and platforming

2023 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 39.99 € 98 % positive

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.

19 Content Warning

Co-op or multiplayer

2024 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 7.49 € 95 % positive

You and your friends descend into spooky caves and film monsters and mishaps to go viral on the fictional SpöökTube. The mix of panic, slapstick and proximity chat makes for plenty of laughs in co-op.

20 Lil Gator Game

Cosy, great for unwinding

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −50 % 19.50 € 9.75 € 5 days left 99 % positive

A cozy open-world adventure where a little gator explores a charming island, helps friends and enjoys relaxed climbing and gliding. Warm, funny and stress-free, with a surprisingly heartfelt story about childhood and imagination.

21 Well Dweller

Jumping and platforming

2026 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −20 % 14.25 € 11.40 € 13 days left 98 % positive

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.

22 Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

Cosy, great for unwinding

2020 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −80 % 16.19 € 3.23 € until tomorrow 98 % positive

As a young activist you wander a picturesque Mediterranean island, photograph animals and help with small conservation projects. A gentle, warm-hearted adventure with no stress and no combat.

23 Volcano Princess

Fantasy setting

2023 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable −35 % 10.79 € 7.01 € 5 days left 98 % positive

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.

24 Webbed

Cosy, great for unwinding

2021 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 8.19 € 98 % positive

Play as a little spider swinging through lush forests on webs to rescue your boyfriend from a bowerbird. A gentle, charming platform adventure built around exploration and light puzzles.

25 Milk Outside a Bag of Milk Outside a Bag of Milk

Dark, serious atmosphere

2021 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 7.39 € 97 % positive

A short, unsettling pixel-art visual-novel-style adventure that returns to the surreal and oppressive world of its predecessor. You guide a girl through bizarre, bleak scenes while trying to make her a little happier.

26 Iron Snout

Melee combat with weapons or fists

2016 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable free 98 % positive

A fast, over-the-top arcade brawler where a piglet uses kung-fu reflexes and improvised weapons to fend off waves of wolves. Short, chaotic rounds full of slapstick humor.

27 Mullet Madjack

Action-packed real-time combat

2024 PCXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −35 % 19.95 € 12.96 € 6 days left 98 % positive

A blisteringly fast retro-anime FPS where you tear through floors of enemies under constant time pressure. Each kill buys you more time, and randomized upgrades keep every run fresh.

28 Until Then

Strong, story-driven narrative

2024 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 19.50 € 98 % positive

A narrative adventure about a Filipino high schooler's everyday life in Manila, with smartphone chats, friendships and romance that grows into an emotional mystery. Moody 2D/3D visuals and a strong soundtrack carry the story.

29 Clone Drone in the Danger Zone

Action-packed real-time combat

2021 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 16.79 € 97 % positive

You pilot a gladiator robot in a sci-fi arena, fighting in physics-driven sword duels where any body part can be sliced off. The combat is chaotic, funny and rewards precise timing.

30 Sanabi

Action-packed real-time combat

2023 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 12.49 € 97 % positive

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.

31 Planet Crafter

Sci-fi setting

2024 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck verified 23.99 € 96 % positive

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.

32 Little Kitty, Big City

Cosy, great for unwinding

2024 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 24.50 € 97 % positive

As a mischievous little cat you roam a lively city, collect hats, befriend local animals and cause delightful chaos along the way. It is a relaxed, funny adventure with no pressure that rewards curiosity and playful experimentation.

33 Lost in Play

Puzzles and brain teasers

2022 PCPlayStationNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 14.25 € 98 % positive

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.

34 Hidden Folks

Cosy, great for unwinding

2017 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −60 % 14.99 € 5.99 € 2 days left 97 % positive

A charming hidden-object game where you hunt for tiny people in hand-drawn, interactive miniature landscapes. Poking at bushes, doors and tents reveals funny details and surprises along the way.

35 Crow Country

Dread and tension

2024 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 19.50 € 98 % positive

A retro-styled survival horror game set in an abandoned theme park, mixing puzzle solving, careful resource management and tense exploration. Its low-poly look and moody atmosphere recall classics like Resident Evil and Silent Hill.

36 The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC

Turn-based combat

2006 PCPlayStation 27.99 € 98 % positive

The direct sequel continues Estelle and Joshua's journey with an epic, emotional story and a large, lovable cast. The refined turn-based combat with orbment magic adds tactical depth, while the world and its characters take center stage.

37 Tinykin

Cosy, great for unwinding

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 24.50 € 98 % positive

As a tiny astronaut named Milo, you explore a giant house from a bug's-eye view and command hundreds of Tinykin with different abilities to solve puzzles. Relaxed 3D platforming full of charm, humor and collectibles.

38 Look Outside

Dread and tension

2025 PCPlayStationNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 9.99 € 99 % positive

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.

39 A Building Full of Cats

Cosy, great for unwinding

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 2.95 € 99 % positive

A relaxing hidden-object game where you search an entire building for hidden cats and pet every one. Ideal for short, stress-free sessions.

40 Monster Train

Cards and deck-building

2020 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 24.50 € 96 % positive

A roguelike deckbuilder where you defend a hellish train across three floors against heavenly armies. Clever clan pairings and powerful synergies make every run feel different.

41 The Jackbox Party Pack 3

Co-op or multiplayer

2016 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 24.99 € 97 % positive

A collection of hilarious party games played with friends using their phones as controllers, from Quiplash 2 and Tee K.O. to the macabre quiz show Trivia Murder Party. Ideal for laughter-filled game nights with friends and family.

42 Bugsnax

Lots of humour

2020 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 20.99 € 97 % positive

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.

43 Placid Plastic Duck Simulator

Cosy, great for unwinding

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 1.99 € 98 % positive

A deliberately laid-back simulation where you drift around as a rubber duck through small water scenes, finding goals and collecting ducks. Soothing music and tongue-in-cheek humor make it a pure wind-down game.

44 Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Melee combat with weapons or fists

2023 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck verified 49.99 € 97 % positive

Kazuma Kiryu returns as a secret agent in Osaka, brawling with switchable fighting styles in an action adventure that blends serious yakuza drama with absurd side activities.

45 Thronefall

Tactical depth

2024 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 12.99 € 97 % positive

A minimalist kingdom builder and defense game: you expand your small realm by day and fight off waves of enemies as a hero by night. Its clean low-poly look and simple rules make it approachable yet tactically tricky.

46 Townscaper

Cosy, great for unwinding

2020 PCXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 5.99 € 96 % positive

Townscaper is a goal-free, relaxing building toy: place a few colored blocks and a clever algorithm turns them into charming seaside towns full of arches, stairways and gardens.

47 Metal: Hellsinger

Shooting and gunplay

2022 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck playable 29.99 € 96 % positive

A rhythm FPS where shooting and dodging on the beat of metal tracks boosts your damage and combos. You blast through eight stylish Hells backed by a thunderous soundtrack.

48 Beacon Pines

Strong, story-driven narrative

2022 PCXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 19.99 € 98 % positive

A storybook adventure where you, as the reader, rewrite young fawn Luka's tale using word charms. Cute visuals contrast with a dark small-town mystery full of branching timelines.

49 A Castle Full of Cats

Cosy, great for unwinding

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 3.90 € 99 % positive

A relaxed, metroidvania-style hidden object game where you explore a castle and track down cursed cats to rescue them. Charming, cute and completely stress-free.

50 Halls of Torment

Runs that play out differently every time

2024 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck verified 6.66 € 96 % positive

A Vampire Survivors-style horde survival roguelite dressed in late-90s Diablo-era pre-rendered visuals, where you shred monster swarms, stack abilities and loot, and steadily unlock new heroes and permanent upgrades.

51 Minishoot' Adventures

Shooting and gunplay

2024 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 14.99 € 98 % positive

A charming twin-stick shooter adventure with a Zelda-like structure: explore an open world, upgrade your tiny ship and beat dungeon bosses through fluid, precise bullet-hell combat.

52 Abiotic Factor

Sci-fi setting

2025 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck playable 33.99 € 96 % positive

A co-op survival crafting game set in a sprawling underground research facility where you play a scientist building gear and bases from everyday items. The tone blends Half-Life-style anomalies and monsters with dry humor.

53 Thank Goodness You're Here!

Lots of humour

2024 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 17.99 € 97 % positive

An absurd, hand-animated comedy adventure platformer set in a bizarre Northern English town, where you take on ever stranger jobs for the locals. Its British humor and slapstick gags are the real star.

54 Rivals of Aether

Co-op or multiplayer

2017 PCXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 24.99 € 96 % positive

A fast platform fighter in the vein of Super Smash Bros., with pixel art visuals and animal fighters tied to the elements of fire, water, air and earth. Precise movement, timing and local multiplayer brawls are the core of the experience.

55 Kingdom Rush Frontiers

Fantasy setting

2013 PCXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 9.99 € 97 % positive

A charming tower defense game where you place and upgrade towers and deploy heroes to stop waves of exotic enemies. New tower types, heroes and playful levels keep the tactical choices fresh.

56 Besiege

Sandbox with your own goals

2020 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 14.79 € 95 % positive

Besiege is a physics sandbox where you build your own siege machines from beams, wheels and weapons to wreck castles and armies. The appeal lies in inventive tinkering and the often chaotic, funny failure of your contraptions.

57 Touhou Mystia's Izakaya

Fantasy setting

2021 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 5.52 € 98 % positive

You run a small izakaya in Gensokyo, cooking and serving dishes to quirky guests while trying to claw your way out of heavy debt. Its charm lies in the humorous Touhou tone and the mix of cooking, menu planning and managing customers in a familiar fantasy world.

58 Cultic

Action-packed real-time combat

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 9.75 € 98 % positive

A fast, old-school boomer shooter in which you blast your way through a grim, twisted cult with shotguns and dynamite. Fast movement, gory violence and hidden secrets drive the experience.

59 Patrick's Parabox

Puzzles and brain teasers

2022 PCPlayStationNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 19.50 € 99 % positive

A Sokoban-style puzzler where boxes contain other boxes and even themselves, creating recursive brain-teasers. Each mechanic is developed cleverly and elegantly across a large set of levels.

60 In Stars and Time

Strong, story-driven narrative

2023 PCPlayStationNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 19.50 € 98 % positive

A time-loop RPG where you relive the same journey again and again, using what you learn each cycle to solve puzzles and change your party's fate. Its emotional story and clever rock-paper-scissors-style turn-based combat are the heart of the experience.

What matters: Hidden gems

Hidden gems tend to come from small teams who build around one strong idea instead of chasing a broad audience. That is why they vary so much: a comedy platformer, a cozy fishing hangout and an emotional story game can all land on the same list. The common thread is that the people who find them usually end up recommending them.

Before you pick, think about pace and mood. If you want something relaxed, Toem is a colorful, cozy exploration game, and The Last Campfire pairs puzzles with a gentle, emotional story. Webfishing is also cozy and relaxing, and its co-op and multiplayer tags make it the one to try with friends. If you want speed and style, Pizza Tower is a hand-drawn comedy platformer with a great soundtrack, while One Finger Death Punch is tagged Difficult and built around timed hits.

For something more thoughtful, Before Your Eyes is story rich and emotional, and The Room 4: Old Sins is an atmospheric puzzle game with a mystery and horror edge. Check platforms too: Webfishing, HoloCure and Before Your Eyes are listed for PC only, while Toem and The Last Campfire also cover PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.

Frequently asked questions

What are good relaxing hidden gems?

Toem and The Last Campfire are both tagged Relaxing and suit a slow pace. Webfishing is a cozy option too, and it adds co-op.

Which hidden gems can I play on Nintendo Switch?

Pizza Tower, The Room 4: Old Sins, There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension, Toem and The Last Campfire are all listed for Switch.

Are there hidden gems with a strong story?

Before Your Eyes and The Last Campfire are both tagged Story Rich and Emotional. Grimm's Hollow is a story-rich pixel art JRPG with comedy mixed in.

Not quite your taste?

Tell us your favourite games and we'll find recommendations that fit you exactly.

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