Underrated Difficult indie games you missed
These are underrated difficult indie games: titles with strong reviews but not yet the audience they deserve. indielist surfaces 17 difficult games that each hold at least 80% positive Steam reviews while staying under 5,000 total ratings : the sweet spot where a game has proven itself with real players but hasn't broken out yet. Together they hold 36,767 reviews at an average of 91% positive. They are ranked by review count, so the most-validated picks lead, and each links to a white-box sales estimate you can open and check rather than a black-box number. The most reviewed here is GemCraft - Chasing Shadows with 4,367 reviews. Review counts and ratings are from Steam; sales figures are estimates, not official sales data.
Hidden gems
17
Avg positive %
91%
Total reviews
36,767
- G
GemCraft - Chasing Shadows
2015 · Action
4,367 reviews · 95% positive
- H
Heavenly Bodies
2021 · Action
4,349 reviews · 95% positive
- E
Electrician Simulator
2022 · Adventure
4,224 reviews · 80% positive
- V
Void Stranger
2023 · Adventure
3,418 reviews · 91% positive
- S
Star of Providence
2017 · Action
3,326 reviews · 97% positive
- M
Momodora: Moonlit Farewell
2024 · Action
3,149 reviews · 92% positive
- Z
ZeroRanger
2018 · Action
2,168 reviews · 96% positive
- S
Slackers - Carts of Glory
2024 · Action
2,062 reviews · 91% positive
- T
The Chef's Shift
2025 · Casual
1,743 reviews · 98% positive
- R
Rusted Moss
2023 · Action
1,610 reviews · 89% positive
- I
Infectonator 3: Apocalypse
2018 · Indie
1,325 reviews · 83% positive
- D
Dark Deception
2018 · Action
1,295 reviews · 89% positive
- P
Paquerette Down the Bunburrows
2023 · Adventure
1,240 reviews · 96% positive
- L
La-Mulana 2
2018 · Action
1,056 reviews · 86% positive
- S
SNØ: Ultimate Freeriding
2025 · Action
882 reviews · 97% positive
- S
Sonny Legacy Collection
2024 · Action
360 reviews · 91% positive
- R
Realm of the Mad God Exalt
2012 · Action
193 reviews · 83% positive
Frequently asked questions
- What are some underrated difficult indie games?
- indielist lists 17 underrated difficult indie games, each with 80%+ Steam reviews but under 5,000 ratings, led by GemCraft - Chasing Shadows (4,367 reviews).
- How are these "hidden gem" difficult games chosen?
- By a data filter, not opinion: a game qualifies if it holds at least 80% positive Steam reviews and has between 50 and 5,000 total ratings, enough to be validated by players but not yet mainstream. The list updates as the catalog grows.