The best hidden gems on Xbox 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
    • Action-packed real-time combat
    • Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)

    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 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.

  3. 3 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.

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 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.

3 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.

4 The Room 4: Old Sins

Puzzles and brain teasers

2018 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 8.49 € 98 % 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.

5 One Finger Death Punch

Melee combat with weapons or fists

2013 PCXboxSteam Deck verified 4.99 € 98 % positive

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.

6 Sheepy: A Short Adventure

Jumping and platforming

2024 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable free 98 % positive

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.

7 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Strong, story-driven narrative

2013 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 29.99 € 97 % positive

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.

8 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.

9 The Mermaid Mask

Strong, story-driven narrative

2026 PCPlayStationNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −20 % 20.49 € 16.39 € 6 days left 99 % positive

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.

10 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.

11 There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension

Lots of humour

2020 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −20 % 12.99 € 10.39 € ends today 97 % 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.

12 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.

13 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.

14 The Last Campfire

Puzzles and brain teasers

2020 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −90 % 14.79 € 1.47 € ends today 97 % 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.

15 Well Dweller

Jumping and platforming

2026 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −20 % 14.25 € 11.40 € 11 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.

16 Volcano Princess

Fantasy setting

2023 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable −35 % 10.79 € 7.01 € 3 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.

17 Look Outside

Dread and tension

2025 PCPlayStationNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 9.99 € 98 % 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.

18 The Case of the Golden Idol

Puzzles and brain teasers

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 17.99 € 97 % 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.

19 TCG Card Shop Simulator

Economy and management

2026 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable −15 % 20.49 € 17.41 € 2 days left 96 % 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.

20 Just Shapes & Beats

Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)

2018 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 16.99 € 97 % 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.

21 Sanabi

Action-packed real-time combat

2023 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable −35 % 12.49 € 8.11 € 13 days left 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.

22 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.

23 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.

24 Teardown

Tactical depth

2022 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck verified 29.99 € 95 % 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.

25 Goat Simulator 3

Lots of humour

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 29.99 € 97 % 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.

26 Touhou Luna Nights

Action-packed real-time combat

2019 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable −40 % 14.99 € 8.99 € ends today 97 % 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.

27 Please, Touch The Artwork 2

Cosy, great for unwinding

2024 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified free 99 % positive

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.

28 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations

Strong, story-driven narrative

2013 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 29.99 € 97 % positive

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.

29 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All

Strong, story-driven narrative

2013 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 29.99 € 97 % positive

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.

30 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.

31 Dorfromantik

Cosy, great for unwinding

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −35 % 12.99 € 8.44 € 6 days left 96 % 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.

32 Hidden Folks

Cosy, great for unwinding

2017 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −60 % 14.99 € 5.99 € ends today 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.

33 West of Loathing

Lots of humour

2017 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 10.99 € 97 % 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.

34 Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors

Turn-based combat

2026 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 9.99 € 96 % positive

A fast-paced turn-based deckbuilder roguelite set in the Vampire Survivors universe, where you crawl through dungeons and chain huge card combos with the Turboturn mechanic.

35 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.

36 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.

37 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.

38 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.

39 Is This Seat Taken?

Puzzles and brain teasers

2025 PCPlayStationNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −30 % 9.75 € 6.82 € 7 days left 97 % positive

A cozy logic puzzler where you seat quirky people so that all their peculiar likes and pet peeves are satisfied. Short, funny levels make for relaxed brain-teasing.

40 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.

41 The Drifter

Strong, story-driven narrative

2025 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −25 % 19.50 € 14.62 € ends today 97 % positive

The Drifter is a classic-style point-and-click adventure that prioritizes story and an investigative feel over obtuse puzzles. Its pacing is lean and the grounded puzzles keep the plot moving briskly.

42 Besiege

Building and crafting

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.

43 Mad Father

Dark, serious atmosphere

2012 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −50 % 8.19 € 4.09 € ends today 97 % positive

A short RPG Maker horror adventure in which you play Aya, uncovering the dark secrets of her mad doctor father inside a mansion. Puzzles, chase sequences and multiple endings deliver a macabre yet emotional story.

44 Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

Cosy, great for unwinding

2020 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 16.19 € 97 % 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.

45 Lil Gator Game

Cosy, great for unwinding

2022 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −50 % 19.50 € 9.75 € 3 days left 98 % 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.

46 Trombone Champ

Lots of humour

2022 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 12.49 € 98 % positive

A absurdly funny rhythm game where you play the trombone with your mouse, sliding to hit notes and happily honking off-key. Collectible cards and quirky characters add loads of charm.

47 Mini Motorways

Puzzles and brain teasers

2019 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −20 % 8.19 € 6.55 € ends today 96 % positive

A minimalist puzzle-strategy game where you lay out roads for a growing city so houses and destinations stay connected. Calm visuals and music meet mounting traffic pressure that rewards clever re-planning.

48 Firework

Dark, serious atmosphere

2021 PCXboxNintendo Switch 8.19 € 97 % positive

As a rookie policeman you reopen a closed massacre case in a remote mountain village after a funeral fire. Between puzzles and eerie clues, you must work out whether the events are supernatural or a carefully staged murder.

49 Wobbly Life

Open world

2025 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −35 % 24.99 € 16.24 € 4 days left 97 % positive

A colorful, wobbly physics sandbox with an open town where you take on jobs, minigames and silly mischief alone or in co-op to earn money and unlock new things.

50 Dead as Disco

Melee combat with weapons or fists

2026 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 23.79 € 96 % positive

A neon-soaked beat-'em-up where every punch, kick and combo is synced to the music. As Charlie Disco you fight the villainous Idols to get the band back together.

51 Doom

Shooting and gunplay

2019 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 9.99 € 96 % positive

You blast through hordes of demons on Mars and in Hell in this faithful, modernized port of the 1993 original. Fast movement, a brutal arsenal and secret-filled maps reward aggressive, skillful play.

52 Webbed

Lots to discover

2021 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 8.19 € 97 % 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.

53 Milk Outside a Bag of Milk Outside a Bag of Milk

Dark, serious atmosphere

2021 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 7.39 € 96 % 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.

54 Stacklands

Cards and deck-building

2022 PCNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 7.99 € 96 % positive

You stack cards to gather food, construct buildings and keep villagers alive while monsters and the moon cycle add pressure. A relaxed, puzzly village builder with charming humor and a clever card mechanic.

55 Mullet Madjack

Action-packed real-time combat

2024 PCXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified −35 % 19.95 € 12.96 € 4 days left 97 % 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.

56 Post Void

Shooting and gunplay

2020 PCPlayStationNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 2.99 € 97 % positive

An extremely fast, psychedelic first-person shooter built around short roguelike runs where speed and reflexes are everything. Constant killing keeps you alive while its stark, trippy visuals pull you into a flow state.

57 Crow Country

Dread and tension

2024 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 19.50 € 97 % 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.

58 Clone Drone in the Danger Zone

Action-packed real-time combat

2021 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 16.79 € 96 % 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.

59 Paint the Town Red

Action-packed real-time combat

2021 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 19.50 € 96 % positive

Chaotic first-person brawling in a voxel style: you smash your way through saloons, bars and biker joints with fists, chairs and anything else not nailed down. A roguelike mode adds upgrades and bosses on top.

60 Iron Snout

Melee combat with weapons or fists

2016 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable free 97 % 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.

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.

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

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